ADDENDUM'S TO THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

Is Pope Francis preparing the way for the Second Coming?

Moses saved God's people by presenting them with the 10 Commandments;  rules to live by that would grant them a pass to enter the Pearly Gates into the next life.

Now comes Francis with a similar message that provides a checklist of shortcomings that Christians suffer from which, if looked at closely, are directly related to having strayed far afield from the 10 Commandments  Moses brought down on a stone tablet and that Francis is now expanding upon most probably using an Apple iPad tablet. 

Francis invites his collaborators to examine their conscience to confess their 'sins' in today's speech. He mentions vainglory and feeling essential, as well as 'spiritual Alzheimer's' and hoarding money and power. The Pope also speaks of closed circles and worldly profit, as well as the 'terrorism of gossip'

Here are the 15 diseases listed and explained, one by one in detail.


In his second Christmas speech to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis identifies and explains 15 shades of sin, inviting everyone to ask for God's forgiveness.

The same God who 'is born in poverty in a cave in Bethlehem to teach us the power of humility', and was welcomed not by the "chosen" people but by the "poor and simple". Pope Francis asks his collaborators to really examine their conscience in preparation for confession before Christmas.

Francis explains that these 'diseases' and 'temptations' do not only concern the Curia but 'are naturally a danger to every Christian and every curia, community, congregation, parish, and ecclesiastic movement'.


The disease of feeling 'immortal' or 'essential'

'A curia that does not practice self-criticism, does not keep up to date, does not try to better itself, is an infirm Body'. The Pope mentions that a visit to cemeteries could help us see the names of many who 'maybe thought they were immortal, exempt and essential!'. It is the disease of those who 'turn into masters and feel superior to everyone rather than in the service of all people. It often comes from the pathology of power, the "Messiah complex" and narcissism'.

The disease of excessive activity

It is the disease of those who, like Martha in the Gospel, 'lose themselves in their work, inevitably neglecting "what is better"; sitting at Jesus' feet'. The Pope recalls that Jesus 'called his disciples to "rest a little", because neglecting necessary rest brings anxiety and stress'.

The diseases of mental and spiritual 'petrification'

It is the disease of those who 'lose their internal peace, their vivacity and audacity, to hide under papers and become "procedural machines" instead of men of God', unable to 'weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice!'.

The disease of overplanning

'When the apostle plans everything in detail' and believes that, through this, 'things progress effectively, thus becoming an accountant. Good planning is necessary but without falling into the temptation of wanting to enclose or steer the freedom of the Holy Spirit... it is always easier and more convenient to fall back on static and unchanged positions'.

The disease of bad coordination

It is the disease of members who 'lose the community among them, and the Body loses its harmonious functionality' becoming 'an orchestra producing undisciplined noise because its members do not cooperate and do not live communally and have team spirit'.

The disease of spiritual Alzheimer's

That is a 'progressive decline of spiritual faculties' which 'causes severe disadvantages to people', making them live in a 'state of absolute dependence on their, often imagined, views'. We can see this in those who have 'lost their memory' of their encounter with the Lord, in those who depend on their 'passions, whims and obsessions'.

The disease of rivalry and vainglory

'When the appearance, the colour of the vestments and the honours become the first objectives of life... It is the disease that leads us to become false men and women, living a false "mysticism" and false "quietism"'.

The disease of existential schizophrenia

It is the disease of those who live 'a double life, a result of the hypocrisy typical of mediocre people and of advancing spiritual emptiness, which degrees or academic titles cannot fill'. It often strikes us that some 'abandon the pastoral service and limit their activities to bureaucracy, losing touch with reality and real people. They thus create their own parallel world, where they set aside all that the others harshly teach' and live a 'hidden' and often 'dissolute' life.

The disease of gossip and chatter

'It takes hold of a person making them "sowers of discord" (like Satan), and, in many cases, "cold-blooded murderers" of the reputation of their colleagues and brothers. It is the disease of cowards, who do not have the courage to speak upfront and so talk behind one's back... Watch out against the terrorism of gossip!'.

The disease of deifying the leaders

It is the disease of those who 'court their superiors', becoming victims of 'careerism and opportunism' and 'live their vocation thinking only of what they must gain and not of what they must give'. It might also affects the superiors 'when they court some of their collaborators in order to gain their submission, loyalty and psychological dependence, but the final result is real complicity'.

The disease of indifference to others

'When each one thinks only of themselves and loses the truthfulness and warmth of human relationships. When the more experienced ones do not offer their knowledge to the service of less experienced colleagues. When, because of jealousy or cunning, we rejoice in seeing others fall, rather than lift them up and encourage them'.

The disease of the funeral face

It is the disease of people who are 'scowling and unfriendly and think that, in order to be serious, they must show a melancholic and strict face and treat others - especially those, whom they think are inferior - with rigidity, harshness and arrogance'. In reality, adds the Pope, 'theatrical strictness and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear and insecurity about themselves. The apostle must strive to be a polite, serene, enthusiastic and joyful person...'. Francis invites people to be full of humor and self-irony; 'How beneficial a healthy dose of humor can be!'

The disease of hoarding

'When the apostle seeks to fill an existential void in his heart by hoarding material possessions, not because of necessity, but only to feel secure'.

The disease of closed circles

When belonging to a clique becomes more important than belonging to the Body and, in some situations, than belonging to Christ himself. Even this disease starts from good intentions, but in time it enslaves all its members becoming "a cancer"'.

The disease of worldly profit and exhibitionism

'When the apostle turns his service into power, and his power into a commodity to gain worldly profits, or even more powers. It is the disease of those people who relentlessly seek to increase their powers. To achieve that, they may defame, slander and discredit others, even on newspapers and magazines. Naturally, that is in order to show off and exhibit their superiority to others'. A disease that 'badly hurts the Body because it leads people to justify the use of any means in order to fulfill their aim, often in the name of transparency and justice!'

NRA POSTER CHILD FOR 2015

Here's another tragic example of why the NRA's "good guy vs bad guy" campaign is more dangerous than the violence they claim it prevents. By creating this false sense of security; if I own a gun I'm safer they endanger the lives of many more people who, with guns, are a danger to themselves and their loved one's.

Two-Year-Old Shoots and Kills Mother Inside Walmart

Police in Idaho say a two-year-old boy shot and killed his 29-year-old mother in a Walmart store after finding the weapon in her purse.

The Kootenai county sheriff’s office said Veronica Rutledge was shopping with her son and three other children in the small town of Hayden when the boy, sitting in the front of the shopping cart, found the gun and shot her at about 10.20am local time.

The sheriff’s spokesman Stu Miller said Rutledge, who was from Blackfoot in southeastern Idaho, had a concealed weapons permit. She was visiting relatives in the area, he added.

Miller said the young boy had reached into his mother’s purse and grabbed a small caliber handgun, which discharged once. “It appears to be a pretty tragic accident,” he added.

Rutledge’s husband was not in the store when the shooting happened but arrived shortly after the shooting. All the children were taken to a relative’s house.

The victim’s father-in-law, Terry Rutledge, told Associated Press that she “was a beautiful, young, loving mother.”

“She was not the least bit irresponsible,” he said. “She was taken much too soon.”

Tragic accident? Yes. Avoidable? Absolutely! 

HARVESTING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE LIFE

It seems that most of the technological breakthroughs in a profit oriented society is all about making money and very little about bettering human kind; like feeding the hungry and starving around the world ,protecting our environment and health.



There is no question that the technology exists. The problem seems to be a lack of willingness to use it for these purposes if there's not a huge profit to be made.



The following is an example of a technology that, if used unhindered by the profit vultures, would make a significant impact on human beings and the environment we currently struggle to live in. So, my question is. What are we waiting for?

Will There Be LEDs In Your Lettuce's Future?

One of the best-known names in consumer LED technology, Royal Philips , is teaming up with indoor farming company Green Sense Farms (GSF) to create one of the largest commercial farms yet to use LED grow lights – approximately 7,000 of them across 30,000 square feet.

Together, the two are developing “light recipes” optimized for baby romaine, kale, arugula and 11 different leafy herbs. It’s the latest example of how LED technologies could transform vertical farms, which are seen vital for growing local produce to supply an increasingly urban world population.

“Different plant types have different light needs and working with forward-thinking growers like GSF is building up a database of ‘light recipes’ for different plant varietities,” said Gus van der Feltz, director of city farming at Philips. “GSF is using vertical hydroponic technology with Philips LED growing lights, enabling them to do what no other grower can do: providing a consistent amount of high-quality produce, year round.”

UNITED STATES REJECTS JOINING CIVILIZED WORLD ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The US refuses to drop the Old Testament "eye for an eye" rather than join the growing numbers of civilized countries that are more "New Testament" in their thinking.



How does that conform to the bluster about being champions of Human Rights?

Record number of states vote for UN resolution on death penalty moratorium | Al Jazeera America

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday calling for an international moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The resolution passed with a record 117 votes in favor, with the United States, along with 37 other nations, opposing the move.

Support for the resolution, which is nonbinding, has increased steadily since it was first adopted in 2007, when 104 states lodged a “yes” vote; this is the fifth time the General Assembly has voted on the issue. Last time the resolution went before the General Assembly, in 2012, it received support from 111 countries. The final tally today also shows an uptick even from Nov. 21, when the draft resolution received 114 votes in favor in the U.N.’s social, humanitarian and cultural committee.

“The numbers don’t look huge, two or three states every year,” said Chiara Sangiorgio, death penalty expert at Amnesty International, “but in time it is significant that support [for the resolution] is definitely increasing.”

This year, Eritrea, Fiji, Niger and Suriname moved from an abstention to a “yes” vote; Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati and Sao Tome-Principe also added their support. Bahrain, Myanmar, Tonga and Uganda moved from a ‘no’ vote to an abstention.

One key addition to the 2014 resolution focuses on the rights of foreign nationals who are detained or arrested abroad. The new clause calls on member states to respect their obligations under article 36 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The convention requires that states notify a detained foreign national of their right to inform their consulate or embassy of their detention.

A DSM FOR CHRISTIAN DISEASES

Much like the DSM used in psychology the following list of spiritual diseases can be used to diagnose symptoms Christians suffer from; especially in the "developed" world.

Pope Francis: the fifteen 'diseases' of the Curia - Vatican Insider

15 diseseases listed and explained, one by one in detail. In his second Christmas speech to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis identifies and explains 15 shades of sin, inviting everyone to ask for God's forgiveness. The same God who 'is born in poverty in a cave in Bethlehem to teach us the power of humility', and was welcomed not by the "chosen" people but by the "poor and simple". Pope Francis asks his collaborators to really examine their conscience in preparation for confession before Christmas.

Francis explains that these 'diseases' and 'temptations' do not only concern the Curia but 'are naturally a danger to every Christian and every curia, community, congregation, parish, and ecclesiastic movement'. The Pope, however, clearly identifies these as present within the environment where he has been living for 21 months now.

The disease of feeling 'immortal' or 'essential''A curia that does not practice self-criticism, does not keep up to date, does not try to better itself, is an infirm Body'. The Pope mentions that a visit to cemeteries could help us see the names of many who 'maybe thought they were immortal, exempt and essential!'. It is the disease of those who 'turn into masters and feel superior to everyone rather than in the service of all people. It often comes from the pathology of power, the "Messiah complex" and narcissism'. 

The disease of excessive activity
It is the disease of those who, like Martha in the Gospel, 'lose themselves in their work, inevitably neglecting "what is better"; sitting at Jesus' feet'. The Pope recalls that Jesus 'called his disciples to "rest a little", because neglecting necessary rest brings anxiety and stress'.

The diseases of mental and spiritual 'petrification'
It is the disease of those who 'lose their internal peace, their vivacity and audacity, to hide under papers and become "procedural machines" instead of men of God', unable to 'weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice!'.

The disease of overplanning
'When the apostle plans everything in detail' and believes that, through this, 'things progress effectively, thus becoming an accountant. Good planning is necessary but without falling into the temptation of wanting to enclose or steer the freedom of the Holy Spirit... it is always easier and more convenient to fall back on static and unchanged positions'.

The disease of bad coordination
It is the disease of members who 'lose the community among them, and the Body loses its harmonious functionality' becoming 'an orchestra producing undisciplined noise because its members do not cooperate and do not live communally and have team spirit'.

The disease of spiritual Alzheimer's
That is a 'progressive decline of spiritual faculties' which 'causes severe disadvantages to people', making them live in a 'state of absolute dependence on their, often imagined, views'. We can see this in those who have 'lost their memory' of their encounter with the Lord, in those who depend on their 'passions, whims and obsessions'.

The disease of rivalry and vainglory
'When the appearance, the colour of  the vestments and the honours become the first objectives of life... It is the disease that leads us to become false men and women, living a false "mysticism" and false "quietism"'.

The disease of existential schizophrenia
It is the disease of those who live 'a double life, a result of the hypocrisy typical of mediocre people and of advancing spiritual emptiness, which degrees or academic titles cannot fill'. It often strikes us that some 'abandon the pastoral service and limit their activities to bureaucracy, losing touch with reality and real people. They thus create their own parallel world, where they set aside all that the others harshly teach' and live a 'hidden' and often 'dissolute' life. 

The disease of gossip and chatter'It takes hold of a person making them "sowers of discord" (like Satan), and, in many cases, "cold-blooded murderers" of the reputation of their colleagues and brothers. It is the disease of cowards, who do not have the courage to speak upfront and so talk behind one's back... Watch out against the terrorism of gossip!'.

The disease of deifying the leaders
It is the disease of those who 'court their superiors', becoming victims of 'careerism and opportunism' and 'live their vocation thinking only of what they must gain and not of what they must give'. It might also affects the superiors 'when they court some of their collaborators in order to gain their submission, loyalty and psychological dependence, but the final result is real complicity'.

The disease of indifference to others
'When each one thinks only of themselves and loses the truthfulness and warmth of human relationships. When the more experienced ones do not offer their knowledge to the service of less experienced colleagues. When, because of jealousy or cunning, we rejoice in seeing others fall, rather than lift them up and encourage them'.

The disease of the funeral faceIt is the disease of people who are 'scowling and unfriendly and think that, in order to be serious, they must show a melancholic and strict face and treat others - especially those, whom they think are inferior - with rigidity, harshness and arrogance'. In reality, adds the Pope, 'theatrical strictness and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear and insecurity about themselves. The apostle must strive to be a polite, serene, enthusiastic and joyful person...'. Francis invites people to be full of humour and self-irony; 'How beneficial a healthy dose of humour can be!'

The disease of hoarding'When the apostle seeks to fill an existential void in his heart by hoarding material possessions, not because of necessity, but only to feel secure'.

The disease of closed circlesWhen belonging to a clique becomes more important than belonging to the Body and, in some situations, than belonging to Christ himself. Even this disease starts from good intentions, but in time it enslaves all its members becoming "a cancer"'.

The disease of worldly profit and exhibitionism
'When the apostle turns his service into power, and his power into a commodity to gain worldly profits, or even more powers. It is the disease of those people who relentlessly seek to increase their powers. To achieve that, they may defame, slander and discredit others, even on newspapers and magazines. Naturally, that is in order to show off and exhibit their superiority to others'. A disease that 'badly hurts the Body because it leads people to justify the use of any means in order to fulfill their aim, often in the name of transparency and justice!'

ARE CHRISTIANS SUFFERING FROM THESE SPIRITUAL DISEASES?

Pope Francis thinks so; well, at least as it pertains to the Catholic Church elites, though I think it is spread much wider than that given the state of our society.

Pope Francis warns Vatican leaders against ‘spiritual Alzheimer’s’

The list of diseases included “spiritual Alzheimer’s,” “spiritual petrification,” a feeling of being “immortal,” and “funereal face,” a concept Francis referred to this month, urging followers to prepare for Christmas with “joy,” instead of dourness or anxiety. 

The pope also blasted gossiping among officials as a form of “satanic assassination.” He said: “Sometimes, [officials of the Curia] feel themselves ‘lords of the manor’ – superior to everyone and everything.” NOTE: (Sounds very much like the 1% to me). 

So, my question to all those self-proclaimed Christians out there is; do any of these labels apply to you?

And, if so, do you see them as a Scarlet Letter or something to boast about?

On feeling “immortal”: “A curia that does not practice self-criticism, does not keep up to date, does not try to better itself, is an infirm Body.’ “

On what he means by “spiritual Alzheimer’s”: “A progressive decline of spiritual faculties’ which ’causes severe disadvantages to people,’ making them live in a ‘state of absolute dependence on their, often imagined, views.’ We can see this in those who have ‘lost their memory’ of their encounter with the Lord, in those who depend on their ‘passions, whims and obsessions.’ “

On the disease of “existential schizophrenia”: This refers to “a double life, a result of the hypocrisy typical of mediocre people and of advancing spiritual emptiness, which degrees or academic titles cannot fill.’ ” Ouch.

I'm especially taken by the last two of these since it seems to fit perfectly in describing the way Christianity is practiced in America.

Those that wallow in wealth and defend their greed with lame irrational claims that they "deserve" it.

Those that wave their hands in the air proclaiming brotherly love and peace be to you, while remaining silent when brothers are gunned down in their streets or their leaders lead them into mindless-senseless wars with no other motive than to profit from them.

Those that bellow the word of God from pulpits and pews but have no understanding of it's meaning nor ever practicing what they preach or profess to believe. 

Last, but not at all least, those that are suffering from "spiritual Alzheimer's" and are completely out of touch with what it means toe be a "follower" of Christ.  The worst of all those preaching the gospel of prosperity" a shallow mis-guided absurd notion that flies in the face of Jesus' teachings.

Prosperity theology [A] is a Christian religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will increase one's material wealth.

So, what say all you Christians out there? Is it time to turn over a new leaf? Or, is Pope's Francis Christmas message falling on deaf ears?

 

BEWARE OF CELEBRITY DOCS!

It's more than likely that the "oath" to do no harm is put on a backburner and they are wearing their "pitch the product" hat. Medicine and Psychology; along with other helping professions are not a form of entertainment.

Congressional hearing investigates Dr. Oz 'miracle' weight loss claims

Oz told the panel that he does use "flowery language" to describe certain products on his show but added he believes in them so much he has given them to his family.

"My job, I feel, on the show is to be a cheerleader for the audience, and when they don't think they have hope, when they don't think they can make it happen, I want to look, and I do look everywhere, including in alternative healing traditions, for any evidence that might be supportive to them," Oz said.


"Thanks to brand new scientific research, I can tell you about a revolutionary fat buster," Oz said on his show in November 2012with the words "No Exercise. No Diet. No Effort" on the screen behind him. "It's called Garcinia cambogia." ‎

A 1998 study of 135 participants found Garcinia cambogia did not significantly help people lose weight any more than a placebo. But a2013 meta-analysis of Garcinia cambogia studies hedged on the supplement's ineffectiveness, saying its weight loss benefits "remain to be proven in larger-scale and longer-term clinical trials." Whether it helps people lose weight or not, the Garcinia cambogia does not seem to be unsafe to use, some other studies say.

Oz testified Tuesday that he could not be held responsible for what certain companies say online about the products. He said he's toned down some of his language and will publish a list of products he thinks really can help people lose weight.