Category: Church Reform
-
HANG RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY IS THE BIG BANG!
(Concluding part of the trilogy “Is Religion Dead?” and “Was Jesus Religious?”) My previous two articles were in response to questions being raised about religion in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.They have elicited varying responses. One school of thought still clings to the belief that Religion is now dead and we have ushered in…
-
WAS JESUS RELIGIOUS?
(A sequel to “Is Religion Dead?”) This query may sound sacrilegious to the pious, religious Christian. It maybe a valid question for those who claim that Jesus did not found any religion. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has seen a shutdown of organised religion, the naysayers would have us believe that religion…
-
TOUCH ME NOT
There are certain flowers and shrubs that immediately clam up when touched, which is why they are called “Touch Me Nots”. It is a natural self-defence mechanism that is also seen in tortoises. They withdraw into their shells. Post the Corona Virus (CV) pandemic a lot of people have stopped touching, or don’t allow others…
-
IS RELIGION DEAD?
“God has fled from Mecca and the Vatican…Why donate to religious places when they have closed their doors to us in our time of need?… At last my dream is realised, of spirituality without religion”. Provocative statements in the light of the Corona Virus (CV). Should we then conclude that “Religion is Dead?” Masters of…
-
BOOK REVIEW: A SCATHING INDICTMENT
“Lay Catechists – Their Formation in India.” Edited by Rev C.M. Paul SDB (Nitika, Kolkata: Pages 206, Price Rs. 150.00) This book is an outcome of the Nitika Silver Jubilee seminar on “Lay Catechist Formation in India”, held in Kolkata in November 2002. It is a compilation of the various presentations by 14 resource persons,…
-
MARANATHA OR MANNA?
Christmas is a time when devout Christians use the invocation “Maranatha”. It is the concluding line in the Bible that means “Come Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20). It is most appropriate for Advent. This phrase is earlier used by St Paul in his benediction to the Corinthians (cf 1 Cor 16:22), where the expression means “Our…
-
SOMETHING FISHY!
As a northerner foodie I prefer meat to fish. I like it fried crisp, whereas those in the south may prefer a curry. Since my wife is more the southern type, whenever she prepares mackerel (aila in Malyalam or bangra in Konkani), she fries the torso crisp and makes a gelatinous curry with the heads….
-
DO I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
Miracles are back in the news after the recent canonization of Sr Mariam Theresia of Kerala. Opinions vary. Some question the importance or relevance of miracles in the canonization process. Rationalists question the very existence of miracles. Dr Sulphi Noohu, Secretary of the Indian Medical Association, Kerala, seeks to question the doctor that certified the…
-
WILL POPE FRANCIS BE ASSASSINATED?
(A sequel to “Is Pope Francis a Heretic?”) Perish the man, or perish the thought? The first part is not entirely improbable, and the second is most desirable. What is the probability of Pope Francis being assassinated? Going by some trends in the church, and the history of the papacy, I would rate it as…
-
POPE FRANCIS – ASTHMATIC, CHARISMATIC OR SCHISMATIC?
(Concluding part of the trilogy “Is Pope Francis a heretic?” And “Will Pope Francis be Assassinated?”) Pope Francis reportedly has only one functional lung. So is he asthmatic? With his energy levels at 82, that puts younger people to shame, I daresay that he is not. His loss of a lung has not diminished his…