Ezekial 25:17

The path of the rightous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and justice shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truely his brothers keeper and the finder of lost children and I will strike down upon thee with great vengence and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brother and you will now my name is the Lord when I lay my vengence upon thee.

-- Mr. Blue (gd@RD.com), May 14, 2003

Answers

Response to The signifigance of this passage? Ezekiel 25:17

Mr. blue, this is not Ezekiel 25:17. Where did this passage come from come from?

The first sentence is separate from the rest. It stands on its own. A person who does good and practices justice (Hebrew Tzedaka) always faces adversity in life.

The next long sentence broken like this: It starts at blessed, ends at lost children. Charity refers to love. Darkness refers to perils or dangers ( which cause a person to sin). A person who practices goodness and love can guide people through danger, because he cares for the salvation of those in danger of being lost ( or who are now lost in their salvation).

Second part: I will strike-all the way to- my brother. Poison: anything that can damage the body (in this case the spirit). For the Jew, the spirit (ruah) and the body are one living thing (nefesh). Poison could mean leading someone into sin by disturbing the mind. Third part: You will know- to thee. God ( Yahweh)punishes individuals, leaders, groups, or nations when evil is committed.

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), May 14, 2003.

Elpidio the lines come from one of the most famous films of the 1990's "Pulp Fiction".A gangster/hitman played by Samuel L Jackson quotes these lines lines before delivering his version of justice to those he has been hired to take out. Mr Blue was also a character in Resivior Dogs another gangster flick by the same producer (Tarintino).

-- kiwi (csisherwood@hotmail.com), May 15, 2003.

Thanks, Kiwi.

I only saw pulp fiction once about 3 years ago. I don't remember too many details about that one.

The passages mentioned before come from the Bible, but from different places. It is a compilation of Psalm 23 ( valley of darkness), with proverbs, with Isaiah, Ezekial, and Genesis (story of Cain and Abel).

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), May 15, 2003.

Dave

Religion is meant to convert others to the Truth. SO you at least have to kill the old spirit to make room for the new. So religion is all about death. Death to old ways. Also, in Christianity, it is about sacrifice for others. So you could give your life for a friend and that would be noble. Further, everyone is to physically die and leave this earthly existance eventually. There are good ways or good reasons to die. Perhaps you just have a neurotic fear death? If you cling to your life excessively you will surly lose it. So there may be a tad bit of selfishness in your concern.

-- Mike H. (michael.hitzelberger@vscc.cc.tn.us), May 29, 2003.

you know dave, i have to tell you this little saying ive heard

"life is the greatest teacher, unfortunately it kills all of its students."

or maybe this one

"doctors have found that 100% of what you do in life will increase your chance of death."

we're all gonna go sometime, and God will call us when its time. religious war or no, your time is already known and hiding in a corner wont make you last a moment longer.

-- paul (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), May 29, 2003.

Why do you require 77 pages of text? Are you just supplying birdcage liners? Spit it out; you hate the Catholic Church. You aren't alone. Except up in your belfry. There is a vacuum in there.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 30, 2003.

Let Phil tell you, Jo.

I suppose somewhere within your Niagara of chapter-verse there might be some facts. It's too much bother to read the whole thing.

Possibly Phil G. will pick out a half dozen; and rewrite them for you. Then somebody might find time to reply. Meantime, it's boring.

And you, Phil; get your own letters on the forum. I took the time to respond to them; you shouldn't complain. It's just that you didn't like the results. Bad luck?

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 30, 2003.

Dear Phil G.

I wasn't really aware you'd been mistreated. Can you guide me back to the posts in which you were? You told JoJo:

''Mr. Chavez'' [in any dialogue. He] ''will not debate you in facts as he does not have any. In name calling, mean spirit and some other nice things, there are none better than Mr Chavez.'' If I called you a bad name, I'll apologise. (Show us.)

But please don't tell people I have no facts. Because I did confront you with a Catholic dialogue. Just because you were in opposition to it, didn't make you factually accurate; or me arguing without knowledge.

You're saying this simply because you were weak in your postings. If you'd been strong instead, you wouldn't have called me mean-spirited. Only if you present the better argument and are avoided, should you perceive others as ''without facts.'' I confronted your argument, I didn't avoid anything. Thanks be to God.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 30, 2003.

Yes; in your dreams! This is say because I was present, before, during after and still today. No Mass is withdrawn. You stand convicted of lies. No great work of spiritual daring, no upheaval. Just simple lies, Phil. Again I say-- I feel sorry for you. You have to resort to lying in your Gonzo elitism.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 27, 2003.

This is just one sample Mr Chavez. I can show some more if you like. Crazy, Off my rocker, lies etc... You do not refute them, you just deny them in your mind, picture things as you like to see them. then write.

If these things that are said are public news items, how can you deny them. They are not editorials. They are just straight out news items. You know Mr Chavez, I really think that you are in one of the most serious cases of denial that I have ever seen. You make disagree with some things, but News items, some right from the Vatican releases themselvess? You may not like things the way they are, but that does not change what they are.

-- Phil G. (Phillip@earthlink.com), May 30, 2003.

I do deny these. You hunger after dirt about the Church, Phil. A news ''item'' isn't fact. Just because you feel the ''true'' Mass has been withdrawn from circulation is no reason to have a cow. It's a LIE. You resort to lies. Now, show me these lies were true. If they were. Come on and prove the true Mass was ever ''withdrawn''.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 30, 2003.

Dear Phil:
Now you say, ''Why should he (Phil) lie? He knows what he saw and what he felt. You must know the feeling. You have experience with the old Mass. Why deny Our Lord the best there is? Validity is not the only criteria.''

I'm sorry you feel this way. But how can you expect to give directions to the entire Church; about a ''feeling''? This is, I'm sorry; --No more than a craving for ecstasies; what morbid novice nuns were always warned not to cultivate.

''The best there is'' will never be enough for Almighty God. You are exalting your own spirit. What God wants is men and women. GROWN-UPS; not teenage hysteria. We are soldiers of Christ! That's what I was taught pre-Vatican II, at Confirmation. If the mystical experience is what you needed above all, Phil, you should have entered a Trappist monastery and lived in silent contemplation.

Others in our Church are giving their love to God in the world. They do it very worthily, no matter how you see it. We don't require ivory towers.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 31, 2003.

Phil:
Give God your undying faith, and love Him over everything else. That's all He ever asked of us.

The Israelites trekked around with Our Father Almighty in the wilderness for many years. He lived in a tent with them.

When later on Herod had a magnificent temple erected, and the priests entered the holy of holies daily, offering Him the nation's worship--

Christ entered the city on a donkey; and was offered palm branches.

He had the hearts of the people and asked only that! You are more interested in ''impressing'' Our Lord than staying faithful through the good and the bad.

I'm faithful, and God knows it.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), May 31, 2003.

I came upon this site trying to verify the actual wording used in the passage. It is a quote I will use because it is very strengthening. However I've read the negative comments pertaining to God, and mankind's supposed justification for their own evil in His name and comments those bitter for life's unfortunate developments-which also happened to Biblical greats because of their own decisions-not God's decision not to manipulate their lives.

When you have adversity and hardship in your life, and somewhere between bitterness and hopelessness, when even Christians walk away from your pain, you watch as a prayer or two is answered out of nowhere. All your justification and human conception realizes there is a God, and your spoiled, arrogant attitude disappears and you realize there is a Creator and you are the product of that Creator's love to create you specifically.

Humble yourselves, and it will cure any emotional malaise and save you thousands of dollars in shrinks and the drugs to hide from responsibility to yourself and others.

Love Cenzo

-- vincenzo (vincenzo4b@hotmail.com), October 17, 2003.

I find this funny(sic) that nobody seems to realize that the point trying to be made is that we create our own circumstances in life; i.e. one creates what one sows. I know that this has been said more eloquently before, but the circle will come around. I do not say this lightly as I am pagan and have been "paid back" for my lack of belief in what might be termed "natural law". The above passage is a most eloquent form of this. Whether you like it or not,you will be spanked for non-compliance. There can be a lag in when this will happen, but trust me when I say that you will pay, be it good or bad! luv, critter

-- cwf (critterrealm@cox.net), January 01, 2004.

The path of the rightous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and GOOD WILL shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truely his brothers keeper and the finder of lost children and I will strike down upon thee with great vengence and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brother ...

-- cour boss (courboss@hotmail.com), April 26, 2004.