Deflecting the issue on the Bible

Mr. Chito Germino’s response to my questions were disappointing. All of it was purely his own opinion and not evidence-based. He says the Bible came from the Dead Sea Scrolls. A quick Google search will tell you that the scrolls were unearthed in the 1940s. So do not tell me there was no Bible before 1940.

Half of what we know as the Bible already existed in Jesus’s time, what we call today the Old Testament. The New Testament books were written after Jesus’s Ascension and both Testaments were definitively compiled by the Catholic Church during the Council of Carthage in 397.

To him where the Bible came from is not important. That is deflecting the issue, because the facts are clear. How can he claim to believe in a book when he does not believe in the institution that compiled it? And Catholicism does advise people to stop sinning.

The Baltimore Catechism states that, “We should hate and avoid sin as one hates and avoids a poison that almost caused his death.” (Lesson 18, #754)

As for his dare about the sacraments, here are the verses:

Baptism - “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved..” (Mark 16:16).

Confirmation - “Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:17)

Holy Eucharist - “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” (John 6:53)

Confession - “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23)

Marriage - “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Mark 10:7-8)

Holy Orders - “They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them.” (Acts 6:6).

Anointing of the Sick - “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” ( James 5:14)

The challenge is fulfilled. --Gerard Biagan

Impound smoke belchers

I drive to my office every day from Lapu-Lapu City to Consolacion. It doesn’t escape from my sight the sad state of some of the vehicles running in our streets.

I am calling the attention of the officials of the Land Transportation Office (LTO). They should wake up and impound all these vehicles that are causing havoc on motorists and pedestrians alike.

To the LTO officials, why can’t you do your job of cleaning our environment? What’s the use of your requiring all vehicles to undergo emission testing before the yearly renewal of their registration?

I pity the motorcycle riders and those waiting for rides on the streets for breathing the obnoxious and deadly carbon monoxide.

LTO, wake up!--Monita Lopez of Seaweeds, Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City