Notes from Astronomy

I know that me presenting such anti-religious and heretical thoughts on such a (traditionally) holy day must seem worthy of a burning, but for me to be on the computer on this day, and so unrepentant overall must surely be worse. So, for those squeamish ones, Please close your eyes, breath deeply and focus. (lol, that is what they tell you in Imax movie)

So, for all of you who follow days and signs and such, I have some thoughts from astronomy to present:

A "day" in the 24-hour-calendar-sense (at least according to the Jewish system) is sunset to sunset. If Jesus was dead 3 days (and the day-age theory does not work here!) he could not have been crucified on Friday. Friday sunset (ie. Saturday beginning) to Sunday (please forgive the Romanization... I would use "first day" and "6th day", but I find myself in a rut) sunrise is NOT 3 days. In fact Sunday sunrise is absolutely nothing.

Whom did the Angel roll the stone away for?

Jesus did not arise at sunrise. The rolling-away-of-stone was for the women! Jesus (especially if He had just risen from the dead) surely did not need an angel to help him with the tomb cover. In fact, why would he need to roll the stone away to get out in the first place? (Answer: He wouldn't)

The "first day" (Mark 16:9) began at sunset on the last day of the week (in Romanization: Saturday sunset) and "early" does not mean early morning (Greek/Romans again, with their midnight being the beginning of the day). Remember, Jewish days begin and end with sunset.

So, this begs the question, when WAS Jesus actually crucified? Well, mathematically speaking, three sunset-sunset periods (days in the 24 hour sense) would require that the crucifixion happened on Wednesday, the fourth day of the week. (Interestingly, there is not reference in the NT for the fourth day. Poor Wednesday. No one bothered to mention all the things that must have happened on Wednesdays)

Also: Some people say that Friday afternoon, all day saturday, and night and morning on Sunday make three "days" (or more truthfully: portions of days). However, they have a problem in that Jesus compared himself with Jonah and said specifically "three days AND three nights" (Mat. 12:40). In "day" Jesus must have meant "three light periods of time" and "night" must have meant "three dark periods of time". Therefore, the Friday afternoon to Sunday morning model is fallacious.



The next question is: Why does all this matter? Why am I arguing with "established" (read: Roman Catholic syncretized) tradition? Why, if I have problems with it, don't I just ignore it?
Because, first of all, it is fallacious, and way to many people accept it without knowing.
Second: Because I hope to enlighten some people and help them understand the significance of using the Bible to destroy man's false traditions.
Third: Because I find that in celebrating extra-biblically, we run into so many problems that we should stick with how the Bible tells us to celebrate/remember great events.

Oh? How SHOULD we celebrate then?

I Corinthians 11:

²³ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

That is the Biblical celebration/remembrance of the crucifixion, death, resurrection, and second coming of Christ.


As for "easter" and "sunrise services" (shouldn't they be "sunset services"?) and bunnies that lay colored eggs.... I would not spend your hard-earned money, and if you want chocolate, wait a week... it will all go on sale! (oh, and all the flowers will as well)

7 Random things

I suppose, since I got tagged, that I should find seven things about myself. I doubt I know 7 MORE people who would enjoy this, so it is stopping at me.

1. My favorite childhood activity (besides singing opera and making alligator soup) was poking out fish eyes.

2. I have a handle on 4 languages.

3. I have a very pregnant, very selfish cat. When I do school on my bed, she climbs in my lap, and sits right smack dab in the middle of my books/papers/etc.

4. For the day the Catholics declare that Jesus proved himself to be God (which is interesting, because they don't belive that Jesus is fully God, anyhow) by raising himself from the dead, I sang Then Came The Morning, and When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again. (Don't ask me why, I wouldn't know)

5. I slept on a wooden floor for almost 10 years of my life.

6. I have no friends my age. They are all 4+ years older, or 2+ years younger.

7. I had a baby when I was 10, and again when I was 12.

Quote:

The only instance of praying to saints mentioned in the Bible is that of the rich man in torment calling upon Abraham; and let it be remembered that it was practiced only by a lost soul and without success.

--Cecil

Sinulog

".....armed with candles in hand and hearts filled with pure love our beloved Santo Niño, will surely not only please one’s self – but the dear Child Jesus as well." January 12 - 20, all of the Island of Cebu will celebrate "Sinulog". With blind, catholic devotion everyone will celebrate and pray to a small stone/wood figure that is supposedly representing the Christ child, the "Holy Child", or in Spanish "Santo Niño".

"....a Festival Queen has the privilege to bear in her hands the image of the Christ child. She has become the resemblance of Queen Juana receiving the image of Santo Niño. The latter can be traced back to the year 1521 wherein together with Rajah Humabon, Hara Amihan or Queen Juana received the image of the Santo Niño from Magellan as a baptismal gift among the first Filipinos to be Christianized."
The girl who holds the Santo dances her own dance as the 'queen'. With arms outstretched, she takes the idol in a large circle, and up and down, bending her elbows, and circling from her waist. Sometimes, a contingent of the troupe lift her up, as she holds the little child out for the adoration and praise of all...

In hopes of absolving their sins, the people all go to a mass mass (pun intended) ...
..and burn candles, and sing praises to the "Santo Niño". The little girls all hope to grow up to be the most popular girl, the girl who gets to hold the saint, and dance.The lost-ness is overwhelming... the eyes searching for hope in the eyes and ears of the little child in red... who cannot see or hear them. This is where my heart is.....

Every barrio and barangay trains its school children for months, has endless band practice, and prepares the most elaborate costumes it can think of. Depicting the Spanish possession, or a battle with the moors, the dances then turn to a depiction of flora, fish, or fauna that show how the little child has benefited their lives. (the background dancers in the picture are fish)If you care for a more "surround sound" experience, please listen to this Youtube video. It is the song that is the "theme" of all of Sinulog. Everyone walks along singing and chanting.

After looking in vain for a lyrics sheet, I will just write out a few words for you.

"Pit Señor" is the theme, which means "praise the Saint"

At the end of the first 'verse" is the line that always makes me want to cry. "...Praying and worshipping the Santo Niño, offer (up) your life so that god will (still) be happy... Sinulog, shout it out loud, everyone celebrates" (repeat 2 times)

Thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinulog/ for the photos.

The Cebu Sun Star's website also displays some moving pictures.

Try Wikipedia for an overveiw.

(Bethany wrote out what lyrics she could hear)

Sinulog, isyagit ug kusog; (Pit Señor, Pit Señor) tanan magsaulog

Sinulog, isyagit ug kusog; (Pit Señor, Pit Señor) tanan magsaulog

Sisisinulog, sisisinulog

Sa balanghay maoy atong dungog

Pagsayaw nga giparis patihog sa sulog

Panadje ug manampit alang sa santo Niño

Ihalad ang kinabuhi aron malipay pa ang Ginoo

.... mga langyaw sa tibouk kalibutan

apil ang mga langyaw sa atong pagsaulog

malingaw sa pagsaulog sa mga pasundayag

magkiay ta sa pagtambong kay naabut nang panahon

Someone needs to make new words:

Sinulog, syagit ug kusog, JESUS LAMANG, JESUS LAMANG, tanan mag...something... Hmmm..