₦airaland Forum

Seun:
Yeah. Muslims claim that the Jews and Christians have corrupted their scriptures, so God sent the Prophet to deliver the uncorrupted word of God to the Arabs. Christians claim that Jews don't embrace Jesus because they don't understand the messiahnic prophecies in their own scriptures, but the truth is that every OT verse used in the new testament to support the messiahship of Jesus was quoted out of context. The idea that God has always been a Trinity but never mentioned it to any of the prophets of his chosen people, ever, is just ridiculous. Ezekiel had a vision of God's throne room and Jesus wasn't there, if I remember it correctly. Where was God's eternal, co-equal son hiding at the time??

Let me illuminate...I am a Cathothic and a strong believer in Trinity. Let me enlighten you first with the Catholic doctrine. "Jesus was begotten and not made." He was not created like other heavenly bodies. So if Ezikiel had a vision of God's throne he probably would have seen God the Father only. God the son (Jesus) was begotten from the father via words. "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God"...and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. That word has always been there. When you hear Trinity my dear friend don't see thee Gods....See a God that can exist in three forms...like water changing to solid and vapour. "There are three that bears witness in heaven. The father. The Son and The Spirit. And these three are one"....The spirit of God or the Holy Spirit is the Force that works....I trust you understand.

Pavore9:
The Roman Catholic Faith and Islam is not and will never be the same. Though it believes we all are created in the image and likeness of God irrespective of how each has chosen to connect to their source.

Please educate him properly.

asuustrike2009:
Op there are many wrongs in Catholic so please just hold it there.

In as much as I will love you to educate me on the "many wrongs" I wouldn't want to argue about which denomination is good or bad. Just look at the topic, read the facts and state your observation.

asuustrike2009:
That's not true .say your parish don't pay tithe because some Catholic parishes pay tithe

Are you a Catholic?

I still do not agree with the advertisement inundating the pentecostal churches. Someone (a random person) will walk to the pulpit and tell stories of how he acquired millions, how he got a fantastic job, some try to look humble but in all they enjoy the awe and attention. After that you are noticed hence everyone is desperate for a testimony. I wouldn't mind eating your left eye so that I can testify. That is how some get duped. I heard a woman scammed members of a congregation along lagos-ibadan express road some time ago. They believed she got a contract with an oil company and then she scammed the gullible ones. Things should be done quietly. That is why there is thanksgiving. If you are blessed go for thanksgiving and not dishing out the genesis of the whole event.
Some lifestyle aids corruption. Some preachement incites corruption. Some churches encourages corruption...I was in a church and immediately the pastor entered people were screaming...I asked a lady beside me why they were screaming she said the pastor's suit was marvellous and they are celebrating God in his life. "Suit" really? We are losing it...

chiedu7:
OP there is nowhere as corrupt as the Vatican.
They even kill themselves and launder money for the mafia.

Google God's Banker

Funny! Calvi was responsible for his crime. Leave the vatican out of it. The vatican had already lost millions of dollars when the national bank collapsed and calvi was also indicted then. Yes Calvi was a friend of the Vatican and the good thing he did was to inform the vatican (largest share holder) that the bank was in distress and the vatican siphoned part of their money. During calvi's trial the vatican was never indicted. Yet the Vatican Agreed to pay heavy amount to some of the creditors of the bank. Is that not fair enough? As for the killings pls be more specific.

Let me not talk about dressing and other anti social behaviour although it is not a trivial issue but I will reserve my opinion. I still do not see reason(s) why I will be in church and I will first be entertained by a comedian. "Ministry of Comedy"...neither have I been able to comprehend the motives of a pastor begging the congregation because he felt the guest speaker who preached was too hard on us.

All our earthly possessions will be inherited by others is not worth dying for...At this point late Deinde ferandez comes to mind. The church should stop chasing shadows. Please tell your pastor(s) to take a break on prosperity and preach salvation, kindness, mercy, forgiveness and the fear of God. Prosperity on earth is vain and should not be Base on which we build our faith. Today there are so called "Inspirational Speakers" who are pastors...Durotoye is a pastor...lol...I am not mocking anyone but it is crystal clear that most pentecostal churches have missed the basic point....Salvation...

I am not preaching laziness. I am not saying you should not aspire to be great or wealthy. All am saying is in your thought process be human be fair and be just. I have a penchant for expensive items but I still have it at the back of my mind that it is all vanity. I don't have to make you miserable or sacrifice my integrity for me to own a 50musd mansion.

As a Catholic I do not pay tithe. Catholics do not pay tithe. If your priest instructs you to pay tithe tell him catholics do no pay tithe neither are we against the payment of tithe. I was driving a new car some time ago and I got dizzy I didn't know what happened but when I got concious I had smashed the car in front. When my sister told her friend I had an accident with the new car her response was "does your brother pay tithe"? I called her a slowpoke. So people who pay tithe are exempted from the afflictions of life?
The Catholic Church is about the richest and most influential Christian denomination yet they prosper they are at vanguard of rural evangelism. They have well furnished places of worship. These are things the church have achieved through fellowship, donations and gifts. My parish don't pay tithe and I am yet to see a hungry catholic priest. In Rome there are missionary priest who own nothing.

I do not believe in tithing but whenever my sister insists I pay, I transfer the money to her account and she writes the cheque. I observed at the back of the envelope she still writes her name. The smile on her face when tithers are called could generate enough Megawatts to power West Africa. If you are a good tither the pastor knows you closely. For those who do not have money to pay tithe I presume they will sit back and devise any means just to be in the league of tithe payers. A pastor once said "babies are still on 10% while we have moved far"... You put all your January earnings (first fruit) in the box and you vent the frustration on your colleagues at work. You see pastor dishing out unreasonable targets...Men Like Bunmi Oni killed a once prosperous Organisation. But in his church he is a giant. Bad policies at your place of work to enrich yourself is also corruption. At a time the former corporate affairs Manager (name witheld)of that same organisation a catholic like me was dishing out millions in every church event he attended and I was like hey God of mercy. Today Cadbury Nigeria is a shadow of herself. Yes the church business is thriving.

Why are my pentecostal brothers obsessed with the desire for wealth and splendour? You have the largest auditorium but God is not interested in Architecture. As Christians if your flamboyant display of wealth leads others into sin you are also culpable.

During a Sunday service in a particular pentecostal church, it was offering time and the ushers were distributing envelopes so that we can conceal the amount we want to offer. All of a sudden, the pastor said do not put your money in the envelope, raise it up to the heavens...I said to my sister "I won't do that". That is public display and I won't subscribe to it. Since the envelopes were retrieved I folded the 5usd note properly.
Some of these acts have lead to a strong desire for wealth that people come up with strange ideas just to make money.

Some time ago , I represented my boss in a meeting. The company wanted to restructure her operations and probably downsize. Part of the restructuring process was to outsource an entire department. We have done the analysis and all the projections were quite good. The MD of a particular outsourcing firm brought his proposal and I couldn't believe my eyes. The budget was far below what the company had agreed to pay. This automatically means that the staffers that will be recruited by this firm will see hell. Is a capitalist world, and he got it. I wanted to ask where did that beast came from? Just the I heard someone calling him a pastor. This same man will go to the pulpit to testify. You did not think about the working condition of your staffers. You make them suffer. That is not being smart, it is an idea from a corrupted mind. One CEO was hailed on the media recently for her earnings. A pastor too...you are all busy hailing her earnings but you are not looking down (hard work! scoffs). I wish you get to know your CEO pastors closely. I am not forgetting pst. Erastus...Not forgetting a branch youth pastor that was fired by MTN for fraud. Not forgetting those in court over commission dispute emanating from the purchase of a property for the church. "You must be rich" sermon breeds corruption... I heard some churches even preached ponzi schemes on her pulpit. I don't even know what else to think but if you are not treated well at your place of work you may talk to your church...if they get it right, other sectors will get it right...

That is corruption brewed in the house of God.

As a Catholic I do not see anything wrong in being poor. I will criticise some of the Nigerian Catholic clergy at this point. I have worshipped in Ireland, Vatican City and Brazil (these are strong catholic grounds) the priests in these countries do not live the flamboyant lifestyle observed here in Nigeria. There is nothing wrong in being poor, and as a staunch catholic, material prosperity useless. The pentecostal preaches that it is wrong to be poor. You are poor because you do not pay tithe, you are poor because you do not have the spirit of God working in you.
Corruption begins in the mind. Every Sunday the preacher states I have no right to be poor and then your heart begins to conceive all sort of ideas just to get rich and then show of in church.
To back up the paragraph above a pastor was transferred from a branch to another branch because the province/zone/district believed he underperformed. The performance was not based on the number of new members nor the number of new converts but the returns to the headquarters from that branch was not substantial taking cognisance that the location of the branch was strategic and a high brow area...perhaps they felt he was not tailoring his preachment to the right source. That is corruption ......to be contd

I know this topic looks highly contestable but I will present some facts and perhaps do one or two comparisons.

I am a conservative roman catholic by faith but due to ill health, I have been coerced to attend services, deliverance and counselling sessions in numerous pentecostal churches. No thanks to my sibling. I have written, reviewed and documented my observations over these periods and I will share some as well as other generic experiences.

Let me start with the generic. At the workplace when you see a trainee or an intern who grossly underperforms you begin to ponder how did he/she got here. Looking at the rigorous recruitment exercise, definitely you know "Favouritism" is at work. Probe: which senior partner/partner/senior manager recommended or approved his / her appointment? If they are not related by kin (seldom happens), Often-times they are related by faith.

Fact to back-up the paragraph above. I was present in a pentecostal church when the senior pastor announced that his loving daughter has just graduated. The congregation cheered and some people stood up promising her a job immediately. There was this loud shout and more people stood up promising..."Marxwell can you see God's favour at work" my sister whispered. I said to myself so all these people promising here and there have vacant positions at their workplace and this is the best place to conduct the recruitment exercise? Lord have mercy. So you over there screaming about "connections" and "Man know Man" such act begins in your church. Talk to your church.

Wow! I enjoyed this article. Gerrard59 you did a good job. Many years ago, I thought the same way you are thinking presently. I did not attend the best university in Nigeria, neither was I exposed to Financial times, Wall Street journal etc...I was part of the crew that rebelled against the school authority because of PTA=50, development levy=50. I also thought the best way to escape poverty was to study "medicine & surgery" I wanted to study but had few books. I broke into the school dilapidated library to steal books. I ended up in Fisheries. The only good thing in my life then was my girlfriend. As a trainee I was super smart for one without a financial background. We were supposed to attend business school after training but I got drafted straight to work on a new project. Before my colleagues were through with business school I was already a manager.

This things are no longer relevant. No body remembers James Marwick the young scottish who worked tirelessly to what gave birth to the service firm KPMG. If you visit Amstelveen perhaps you will understand better. There is more to life than Intelligence, Education, Wealth and Power. I have a smart friend (first class elect. Elect., Msc comp. Eng with disct, FCA, MBA) he is 37 divorced twice. Is he that "intelligent"? Gerrard59?

I have come to realise that we control less than 1% of what happens to us in life. The man I was supposed to serve (learn how to butcher, portion and sell meat from) sent me away after six months because he caught me fighting, my dad had already informed me not to come home because my brothers were ready to hang me. That was how I went straight to mission. At the mission we only ate decent meals thrice a year(xmas, easter, feast of Don bosco). We only wore nice clothes on st Don bosco day.
Did you know if I were a good kid I could end up selling meat in the market square? I was not the most intelligent at the mission. The smart ones went to seminary schools thanks to the bishop. The second class were drafted for Don bosco secondary, and "we" were left to fate.
Of all my mates back then can say I am the most successful financially but what about marriage? Children? Family? Health? Religion?...you see I have a 1/6 score. There is more to life; yeah...good health and happiness is key. I am not married, I am sick. IQ makes no meaning to me. Super smart, super intelligence doesn't make sense. I pay for oxygen just like you pay for food.

Gerrard59 l saw a picture here on Nairaland about Ali Bongo the gabonese president at the orphange before he was adopted by umar bongo. Everyone cannot reason like you. Let them breed, remember everything is in phases our proposals have negligible effect on how our lives will end. Those smart brainy kids in Syria will not be thinking about IQ right now...what we will be in the end; we will be....

UIA04:

why the face?

jashar:
So sorry about that dear. Take one day at a time.

Do you try exercising a bit?

hello how are you?

jashar:
What's happening na?

Marxxx:
I am "fine". Whenever I close and open my eyes I just wish I am on the other side

my bones are lighter and softer. Now I believe I can fly ...my breathing is finding it's rhythm...chemo is not fantastic neither is surgery... pain is excruciating...Good thing is I made it to 2017

jashar:
Hmmm...

'sup with you?

I am "fine". Whenever I close and open my eyes I just wish I am on the other side

metorichmond:
Marrying the wrong woman.... it is worst than poverty!

you have ample amount of time to figure out the woman that is best for you and there are over 20million unmarried ladies... so you have nothing to fear

jashar:
Mmmmmaaaaarrrrxxxxxxxxx........



My friend, Happy new year; so good to hear from you.


How's it going? Why won't you give me your contact so our communication would be more regular ehn?

good to hear from you too...don't sound like I am withholding my contact on purpose, I am a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I am only trying to reduce the casualty. I trust you are making exploits? How is work? How are you coping with work nd study? And the 10000km walk?...

YourCoffin:
Potbelly and a sexless life

Hilarious...do not expend too much energy on sex, it is futility. Channel those energy to activities that will make the world a better place

joseph1832:
Simple. Dying and not being remembered. I crave what Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) have...

Immortality!!!

immortality is nothing...

Dyt:
Not being able to cater for my son and mum


God please don't watch me suffer

Old friend, hw are you? Hey where is this conception springing from? You are going to take good care of your son and your mum. Trust me he is going to be proud of you someday. God do not enjoy watching people suffer either. I miss your annoying jokes though...

jashar:
[size=16pt]My friend, do you want the honest answer or the normal answer?

How body? How ya holding up?

How's ya treatment? How's ya sis, niece and family? [/size]

hey I want the honest answer...long time...

RadicallyBlunt:
A family without peace and love. I don't want a black sheep among my children

lol @ black sheep...you will have a great family. Work towards it.

berryice:
Fear of not succeeding

You are going to succeed. Take your time and be good at what you do....

Nicolars:
embarrasing myself outside

seriously.. i always pray i dont juat fuvkup outside

Do you have a medical condition that springs up involuntary actions? If No, can you elaborate....

arck1:
Ending up alone

You can never end up alone...over 160 million people to pick from...you won't end up alone; trust me.

LadyJasper:
Ending up just the way they said I'd end up. It's a struggle everyday to retrace my steps once I see myself going down that path. But I can't keep living in my fears, I've handed everything to God, I just want to be happy.

Happiness is a luxury that comes with a heavy price. How did they say you will end up? I will love to read more about that "path" of yours. I hope you don't mind sharing?

chimdi101:
I consider merely affording only clothing, food and shelter as poor

then you are not poor....

chimdi101:
Guy, na ending up poor

Are Nigerians really poor? The answer is NO. As long as you work diligently and you are street smart can never be poor but you may not be as wealthy as you desire. If you can afford housing, clothing and Food; you aren't poor. So don't ever think you gonna end up poor.

Can I get a brief introduction about the project @berrypie?

What do fear most? Take your time, meditate, what is your greatest fear? Let me tell you some responses/actions I have gotten over a long period. Late D.Ferandez used to worship in my church, he was about the classiest man I had ever seen. From his actions to his contributions and carriage I could deduce his greatest fear was "Becoming a common Man". "Losing my job" is my greatest fear an old acquaintance answered! "Losing you (Marxxx) is my greatest fear" that was my sister response. I read a comment online, someone said waking up one morning only to discover my kids are actually not mine. I have heard someone say he fears poverty more than death. To some it is losing a loved one....what is it that scares you to death? My greatest fear is life after death? Where would I be? Now let others know yours.