The 2nd Commandment forbids images often used in heathen culture. To parade our religion is not what we see in Christ's life as He fed the hungry. The salary for 5000 police as security could have fed a small city of poor people in the Philippines. Pope Francis might do well to focus on pagan practices in his church rather than world ecology, says Dr. Richard Ruhling.
PRESCOTT, AZ - 1/11/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET) -- The more than a million “raucous gathering” was a security nightmare for 5000 police and soldiers with sharp-shooters and surveillance drones deployed for an all-day procession of a statue in the Philippines. More than 100 fainted or were bruised by the jostling crown. (NY Times, 1-9-16)
One family rented a truck to parade a life-sized statue of Christ and the Virgin Mary which they do yearly since their father died. He reflected on a financial drain, as he now prays for family health.
When the Savior walked this earth, He kept the Commandments as our example and said for us to do so. Asked which Bible is best, a Catholic website says, “The one you'll read.” That's an excellent answer and probably ALL translations render the 2nd Commandment in the 20th chapter of Exodus as forbidding the use of images, says Christian author, Dr. Richard Ruhling who checked half a dozen translations, including the Latin Vulgate.
He says the church's use of images is part of the mystery for “Mystery Babylon” described in the 17th chapter of Revelation. Some would say they don't worship the image, that it's an aid to praying. On the other hand, worship derives from worth-ship—too much worth on something God chose to limit, but as a focus of a million people in a day-long parade with huge expenditures for security, can we see a problem? asks Ruhling.
He spent a summer in Colombia and Venezuela in 1960 and says the city squares were places where voodoo and crucifixes blended in appeals for money from superstitious poor people on Catholic holidays. The cost of renting a truck to parade statues in the Philippines echoes the ignorance-based fears and the need to appease God when He gave us laws to live by.
Ruhling is a retired physician in good health and he says God promises that if we keep His commandments and statutes, He “will put none of these diseases” on us (15th chapter of Exodus).
Those provisions included avoidance of unclean meats, careful inspection of the animals (that's impossible in today's volume of six cattle carcasses a minute on a conveyor belt with mirrors to see the other side), and the FDA allows removal of a cancer (like for pet food) with the rest of the animal allowed for human consumption. Also the fat and blood of the meat was forbidden and we now understand their risk of heart disease and cancer, but oops, there goes the flavor at the end of the 3rd chapter of Leviticus.
Einstein said, “The more I study science, the more I believe in God...Science without religion is lame, and religion without science is blind.” The Bible, rightly understood, is not in conflict with science, because they have the same Author, says Ruhling, adding that men responsible for the advances in science have often done so against inertia or opposition from other doctors, scientists and religionists.
Dr. Richard Ruhling is a retired physician. His ebook, Why You Shouldn't Ask Your Doctor offers insights on foods and eating from his own experience in medical practice and headaches that a neurologist said were not caused by food (surprise!) It's on Amazon at no charge on Tuesday, January 12 at http://amzn.to/1I22otT For the best hard copy book on health and eating, he recommends a classic at http://ChooseABetterDestiny.com His website at http://RichardRuhling.com offers an excellent DVD and visitors can see 5 minutes of it, including Bill Clinton's cardiologist from the Cleveland Clinic.
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Name: Richard Ruhling, MD
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