Maybe he is wrong, but what if he's right?

Here is a document written by Dr. David Kaiser that is without a doubt timely if not prophetic. To ignore his assessment would be at the very least foolish if not completely stupid. Patriotic Americans must become informed and take action to prevent our beautiful country from falling into the hands of those who would destroy it using  similar tactics  put in the place  by the  Nazi party  in Germany  that precipitated  into  World War II.
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Wake up America!!! Be aware of what is happening to our glorious USA!

I hope you find the time to read this with an open mind. It's interesting. Please read it with the open mind rather than immediately breaking it down into left or right, but rather look at it from the neutral viewpoint of right or wrong. It's like the line below says, "what if he is right?"

Take the three minutes to read this. Maybe he is wrong, but what if he's right?

David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C. , Albany , New York , and Dakar, Senegal. He attended Harvard University , graduating there in1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976.. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.

He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College. He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University. Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.

Dr. David Kaiser

History Unfolding

I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.

Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?

We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is$2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine! And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not!

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, and school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic, to what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x ten. And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change.. Why?

I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.

This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

And that is only the beginning..

As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.

And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did – regularly! And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course.

How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, healthcare for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe, and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.

So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.

Do not forget that Germany was the most educated; the most cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time-span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course! The road to Hell is paved with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.

I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.

David Kaiser
Jamestown, Rhode Island
United States

By passing this along, perhaps it will help to begin the awakening of America as to where we are headed. Who knows though we have a lot of brain dead in what's left of our society!

Nero in the White House

This is an article by Mychal S Massie referred to me by one of our presbyters, and it is so good I could not pass up the opportunity to make it available to everyone who might be willing to read it. I begin with a short bio of Mr. Massie and then present the article. 

Mychal S. Massie is a syndicated op-ed columnist and former host of the top-rated talk show on the Rightalk Radio Network, "Straight Talk with Mychal Massie." He is a former self-employed business owner of 30-plus ears. Mychal is a frequent inspirational / motivational speaker and a regularly featured guest on national and regional TV / talk-radio programs. The online version of his column is carried exclusively by WorldNetDaily.com and enjoys a loyal, supportive readership from around the world.

With regular appearances on Bill O'Reilly's "The Factor," Fox News, CNN's Paula Zahn Show, Philadelphia's "Sunday Live," C-SPAN's "Washington Journal," MSNBC's the Ron Insanna Show, the Emmy Award winning "It's Your Call," hosted by Lynn Doyle, NPR's Tavis Smiley Show, Judicial Watch, San Francisco's the Jeff Katz Show and New York's Regional News Network, Mychal has become one of America's most articulate and outspoken black conservative voices. He has successfully debated Rev. Al Sharpton and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. His positions on a colorblind society, civil rights, educational reform, self sufficiency, individual responsibility, family, the judiciary, abortion, limited government, reparations, homeland security, immigration and war (both past and present) are forthright and unyielding. A provocative, outside the box, visionary thinker, he has been called the "black male Ann Coulter" by liberals who condemn him; and "George Will on steroids" by conservatives who love him.

In addition to having hosted his own top-rated show, Mychal has hosted regional and national talk shows, including Joseph Farah's "WorldNetDaily Radioactive" in the nation's capital, WWRL's Afternoon Drive in New York, the Rick Jenson show in Wilmington, Del., and WHP 580 Clear Channel Broadcasting in Harrisburg, Pa.

Mychal is a member of the National Center for Public Policy Research and national chairman of its affiliate think tank, The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives – Project 21. In his official capacity with this public policy institute he has spoken at the U.S. Capitol, CPAC, participated in numerous press conferences on Capitol Hill, the National Press Club and has testified concerning property rights pursuant to the "Endangered Species Act" before the chairman of the House Committee on Resources. He has been a keynote speaker at rally's supporting our troops and the president, and rally's supporting conservative causes across the country.

A charter member of Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson's New Black Vanguard, Mychal holds degrees in education, business/real estate, theology and pastoral counseling. He began his writing career in 1999 shortly after becoming an editorial board member at a suburban Philadelphia newspaper. With two book manuscripts in process and a third being studied, we can expect him to make a strong debut on the literary scene in the next year.

Nero in the White House

By: Mychal Massie

Three significant historical events have been eclipsed by Obama: 1) Jimmy Carter will no longer be looked upon as the worst president in American history; 2) Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton will no longer be recognized as the greatest liars in presidential history; 3) Clinton's stain on Monica's dress, and what that did to White House in general and the office of the president specifically, will forever pale in comparison to the stain and stench of Obama.

I need not spend much time on the failure of Obama as president. His tenure has been a failure on every measurable level. So much so, in fact, that some of the staunchest, most respected liberal Democrats and Democratic supporters have not only openly criticized him - some even more harshly than this essayist - but they have called for him to step down.

Richard Nixon's words "I am not a crook," punctuated with his involvement in Watergate, and Bill Clinton's finger-wagging as he told one of the most athetic lies in presidential history, in the aftermath of Obama, will be viewed as mere prevarications.

Mr. Nixon and Clinton lied to save their backsides. Although, I would argue there are no plausible explanations for doing what they did, I could entertain arguments pursuant to understanding their rationales for lying. But in the case of Obama, he lies because he is a liar. He doesn't only lie to cover his misdeeds - he lies to get his way. He lies to belittle others and to make himself look presentable at their expense. He lies about his faith, his associations, his mother, his father and his wife. He lies and bullies to keep his background secret. His lying is congenital and compounded by socio-psychological factors of his life.

Never in my life, inside or outside of politics, have I witnessed such dishonesty in a political leader. He is the most mendacious political figure I have ever itnessed. Even by the low standards of his presidential predecessors, his narcissistic, contumacious arrogance is unequaled. Using Obama as the bar, Nero would have to be elevated to sainthood. 

As the stock markets were crashing, taking with them the remaining life saving of untold tens of thousands, Obama was hosting his own birthday celebration, which was an event of epicurean splendidness. The shamelessness of the event was that it was not a state dinner to welcome foreign dignitaries, nor was it to honor an American accomplishment - it was to honor the Pharaoh, Barack Hussein Obama. The event's sole purpose was for the Pharaoh to have his loyal subjects swill wine, indulge in gluttony and behavior unfit to take place on the property of taxpayers, as they suffer. It was of a magnitude comparable to that of Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski's $2 million birthday extravaganza for its pure lack of respect for the people.

Permit me to digress momentarily. The U.S. Capitol and the White House were built with the intent of bringing awe and respect to America and her people. They were also built with the intent of being the greatest of equalizers. I can tell you, having personally been to both, there is a moment of awe and humility associated with being in the presence of the history of those buildings. They are to be honored and inscribed into our national psyche, not treated as a Saturday night house party at Chicago's Cabrini-Green.

The people of America own that home Obama and his wife continue to debase with their pan-ghetto behavior. It is clear that Obama and family view hemselves as royalty, but they're not. They are employees of "we the people," who are suffering because of his failed policies. What message does this behavior send to those who today are suffering as never before?

What message does it send to all Americans who are struggling? Has anyone stopped to think what the stock market downturn forebodes for those 80 million baby boomers who will be retiring in the next period of years? Is there a snowball's chance in the Sahara that every news program on the air would applaud this behavior if it were George W. Bush? To that point, do you remember the media thrashing Bush took for having a barbecue at the White House?

Like Nero - who was only slightly less debaucherous than Caligula - with wine on his lips Obama treated "we the people" the way Caligula treated those over whom he lorded.Many in America wanted to be proud when the first person of color was lected president, but instead, they have been witness to a congenital liar, a woman who has been ashamed of America her entire life, failed policies, intimidation and a commonality hitherto not witnessed in political leaders. He and his wife view their life at our expense as an entitlement - while America's people go homeless, hungry and unemployed.

The Second Coming (Political)

The following is a letter written to the editor of the local newspaper in the city where one of our priests resides. It was so poignant and good that I had to put it into my Blog. I have his permission to use this article, but I am withholding his name for personal privacy issues; however, if you wish to make a comment, please do so within the blog.

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I am in awe of so many otherwise intelligent people who are being taken in by the hype of the Democratic Party regarding their long-awaited messiah, Obama. They seem to believe that his arrival on the scene is the Second Coming ( some may even think of it as the first) I wouldn't doubt that, if he were elected, they would change the traditional "Ruffles and Flourishes and the President's March" to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" - "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord" - as the musical introduction of the President. This is all to frightening to be real.

I'm reminded of Robert Burns' "A Man's A Man For A' That"

"Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' stares an a' that;
Tho hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an a' that:
His ribband, star, an' a' that:
The man o' Independent mind,
He looks an' laughs at a' that"

In Psalm 146:3, we find this:

"Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
When his breath departs he returns to his earth;
on that very day his plans perish."

Where does your trust lie? Trust is the most vulnerable state of being. Give it away and all your weaknesses are exposed. Do you not remember the rise of people like Hitler or Stalin, or Castro and many others of that ilk? So how can people of this stripe rise to positions of power? Because of trust, that's why. We put our trust in words, thoughts, emotions, the superficial, the material, and we trust in the system. A system designed to reward the traitors and destroy the good people who foolishly give their trust away. A system designed by those who cannot be trusted. Don't trust the system. We ought to put our trust in God, and we will never be betrayed.

During the rise the Nazi power in Germany, Martin Niemoeller wrote a poem which was widely circulated:

"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out
- because I was not a communist ;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out
- because I was not a socialist ;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out
- because I was not a trade unionists;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
- because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me
- and there was no one left to speak out for me"

Marriage and Matrimony

Recent and ongoing activities within various traditional denominations within the United States and elsewhere, but particularly here in the US, have continued to seek ways to legitimatize the issue of homosexuality and attendant same sex unions that they are want to term as marriage.

However, as you can see from the rather abbreviated synopsis below, the subject is quite widely addressed within traditional Christian bodies that use the Holy Scriptures as the standard; the formula is still the joining of one man to one woman.

Now comes the part where you can read as much or as little of the following as you like.

At the end, I will provide my summary and what I view as a fairly simple way to deal with the issue.

Definitions found in the Online Dictionary.

Marriage–noun:
1. the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.
2. the state, condition, or relationship of being married; wedlock: a happy marriage.
3. the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of a man and woman to live as husband and wife, including the accompanying social festivities: to officiate at a marriage.
4. a relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other in the manner of a husband and wife, without legal sanction: trial marriage; homosexual marriage.

Matrimony–noun:
1. the state of being married; marriage.
2. the rite, ceremony, or sacrament of marriage.

Christian views of marriage

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Christian view of marriage, until recently, according to a nearly universal consensus, has regarded marriage as ordained by God for the lifelong union of one man and one woman. But, since the rise of the sexual revolution, such views have lost ground among those who fancy themselves Christians. Marriage between two persons of the same gender, or divorce through mutual consent are both new views thought to be normal and acceptable. These views, though now popular in the modern day, conflict with and are contradicting to orthodox beliefs.

1. View of Roman Catholic Christians
In Roman Catholicism, marriage is one of the seven sacraments. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Paragraph 1623, "the spouses as ministers of Christ's grace mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church." An argument for the institution of the sacrament of Matrimony by Christ himself, and its occasion, is advanced by Bernard Orchard in his article The Betrothal and Marriage of Mary to Joseph. In the Eastern Catholic Churches (i.e. non-Latin rite churches in full communion with Rome), "the priests (bishops or presbyters) are witnesses to the mutual consent given by the spouses, but for the validity of the sacrament their blessing is also necessary."

Marriage forms the foundation of the family, and the fundamental unit of the referring community (ordinarily the parish). The ideal references are found in the Holy Family (Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Saint Joseph, his father, protector). See related articles of Canon law: (Latin).

The primary purpose of marriage is to fulfill a vocation in the nature of man and woman, for the procreation and education of children, and to stand as a symbol of the mystical union between Christ and his Church. The secondary aim is mutual reciprocal help, and it is also a "remedy to concupiscence." Fecundity, the ability to reproduce, is good, a gift, and an end of marriage. By giving life, spouses participate in God's fatherhood. Carnal union is morally legitimate only when a definitive community of life between a man and woman has been established. Human love does not tolerate "trial marriages." It demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another.
If the couple cohabit, the marriage is presumed consummatum, unless a proof of the contrary is produced.

2. View of Orthodox Christians
In Eastern Orthodoxy, marriage is also treated as a sacrament, and as an ordination, and (like all ordinations) like a martyrdom, as each spouse learns to die to himself or herself for the sake of the other. Like all ordinations, it is viewed as revealing and sealing the relationship that has formed between the couple. In addition, marriage is an icon or image of the relationship between Jesus and the Church. This is somewhat akin to the Old Testament prophets' use of marriage as an analogy to describe the relationship between God and Israel. Divorce is discouraged, but allowed, in some cases to acknowledge that the relationship no longer exists. A lay member may obtain permission to remarry under the counsel of a priest, but the ceremony and prayers would be different, less joyful and more sober and somber.

A married man may be ordained as a priest or deacon. However, a priest or deacon is not permitted to enter into matrimony after ordination, whether he has become divorced or widowed, or even if he had not been married at the time of ordination. Bishops are always celibate.

Overall, there is a far less legislative approach regarding married life than in Roman Catholicism.

3. View of Protestant Christians
Protestant denominations tend to have their own individually applicable doctrines, which represent only the churches in communion with one another. However, some beliefs are typical of almost all Protestants. And, there are intra-denominational and cross-denominational movements, within which the beliefs and practices of adherents are more narrowly defined.

Protestants typically acknowledge a difference between the sacraments of Baptism and Communion, and all other ordinances of God by which the favor of God is shown to men. Almost all Protestant denominations hold marriage to be ordained by God for the union between a man and a woman. Most of them also hold that the primary purpose of this union is to glorify God by demonstrating his love to the world; other purposes of marriage include the raising of children and bringing help to enable both husband and wife to fulfill their life callings. Most Protestants are less likely to hold a negative view of birth control and many see sexual pleasure within marriage as a gift of God.

4. Evangelical Protestant view
In addition to the limitations on who may marry (discussed above), evangelicals take a strict view of the nature of marriage. For evangelicals, marriage is the only appropriate channel for sexual expression and divorce is permissible, if at all, only in very specific circumstances such as infidelity. Marriage is seen as a solemn covenant between the couple and God. The man is seen as the head of the household and his wife is expected to submit to him.

5. Liberal Christian view
Liberal Christians, almost by definition, give a great deal of consideration to cultural norms. In the Western world, pre-marital sex, same-sex marriage (and to some extent homosexuality in general) and divorce are increasingly common and so liberal Christians have become increasingly tolerant of these practices. While liberals view divorce as regrettable, they generally do not label divorcees as "sinners." Likewise, pre-marital sex may be considered to be unwise, but since it is sufficiently widespread, it is sometimes considered to be tolerable. Ever since the rise of feminism, liberals also generally reject claims of males as the head of the family and tend to see the husband and wife as a partnership of equals.

Summary:
By simple definition, Marriage is the joining of a man and a woman together as partners under the law, to share their lives, to acquire mutually held property, and to parent children. Matrimony is the added additional feature of marriage that is provided by the Church which has the feature of a sacramental grace whereby Almighty God binds together this man and woman as one person who are to abandon all others in favor of their own relationship under God who then raise up their children in the way of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The liberal groups would want to do some word games here so that they could bypass the meaning of words by letting homosexual couples be legally married and then submit themselves to the Church for a Sacramental Blessing. I am blowing their cover. God cannot bless sinful behavior no matter how glib human beings think themselves to be.

Now I have done it. I have labeled homosexuality as a sin. Okay! The part that you have not heard is that just like any other sin, God can forgive and set people free from any kind of sin. Some sins are more difficult to heal than others; never the less, homosexuality and sexual sin of all kinds can be and has been healed by the loving power of God the Holy Spirit. Want to know more, check out the newly published book by Father Francis MacNutt entitled Can Homosexuality be Healed? Available by phone at (904) 765-3332 Ext. 219 or Online at http://www.christianhealingmin.org/

The Celtic Episcopal Church is clear about Marriage, but in a thumb nail—one man to one woman. See our web site: http://www.celticepiscopalchurch.com/

Regarding the subject of same sex unions and homosexuality, we see all people as loved equally by God who did what He did by His Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension for all who would respond to his love. Is there any sin beyond God’s desire for forgiveness? Only that sin for which there is no repentance. Is there anyone who was free of sin and the guilt of sin prior to conversion to Jesus Christ. No! Is there any sinner who is beyond God's plan for the salvation of humankind? Only that person who refuses to release themselves into a transforming and renewing relationship with Jesus Christ. If we are sincere about our desire to change, God will forgive and continually work with us to heal the reason for our sin and make us whole regardless of what it may be. If we become stubborn and seek to justify our sinful behavior, well so much for forgiveness; however, if we are honest with God, He will do all in His power to set us free, but we must want to be set free. The ball is in our court. The free gift of salvation is offered. Our job is to respond to it. We cannot keep on trying to justify our sinful behavior and think that we are going to convince God to modify His standards for human sexual behavior. Want to be free of the sin of Homosexuality? Get in touch with Father MacNutt's ministry. He will know what to do to help you. Read his book. Be encouraged! It is a tough battle, and it not an easy overnight resolution for something that seems to have been a part of one's life for as long as one can remember. But, Almighty God is greater than any of our circumstances. God cares about all of us.

I pray this article has given hope, understanding, and light in an otherwise confusing area being used by the enemy of our souls to destroy the Holy Church of Jesus Christ. May Almighty God bless you and give you His peace.

Meaning of the word "Celtic"

During a conversation with my son, Troy, who is stationed in Japan with the U.S. Marine Corps, when he casually asked the question, "What does the word Celtic mean?" I knew in my heart what I understood it to mean, but I really never gave it a thought as to what others might understand it to mean, so I came up with the following.

The online Dictionary.com defines the word as a noun in terms as: "a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, including esp. Irish, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton, which survive now in Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Wales, and Brittany," or as an adjective in terms as "or relating to the Celtic people and languages."

Okay! Thus, it is safe to say that culturally, a person who speaks some form of the Celtic language regardless of where that person may reside or when that person may reside could be technically regarded as a Celt.

Since we are dealing specifically with The Celtic Episcopal Church, and we are dealing with the Church as it was during the First Millennium in the British Isles, it could be safe to say that when the first Christian Missionaries arrived on the islands, we would subscribe to the idea that Joseph of Arimathea was the first of these who was the Apostle to Glastonbury, they encountered people called Druids and Bards. We would also subscribe to the notion that some of these Druids and Bards were generally like Hebrew Priests and others like secular pagan priests not unlike wiccan followers of today.

I will only speak to the Hebrew like group as I know little if anything of the other group. The Druids and Bards who were like Hebrews were very well educated, were educators of religion, medicine, astronomy, agriculture, seasons, husbandry, and were also practicioners of religion, science, and the practical application of agriculture and animal husbandry. They were the leaders of the culture of the land. They knew of the man Jesus or Yeshua in the Hebrew, as it is told that the boy Jesus traveled with his Uncle Joseph of Arimathea to the British Isles, principally the region of what we now know as England, to trade in tin. When Joseph, now Missionary, told of Jesus as the Messiah, the Druids who were like the Hebrews embraced Him as Messiah easily, thus was the birth of Christianity in the Celtic world during the First Millennium. The Gospel of John, The 10 Commandments and the Psalms were treasured most of all.

The whole structure of the Celtic community was family, life to its fullest, music, worship, food, alcoholic and other kinds of drink, dancing, frolic, nature, animals, crops, ocean, air, sky, heavens, death, birth, laughter, conversation, honesty, sharing, care of the weak, friendship, honor, and the beauty, gusto, and earthiness of marital sex.

The flavor of Christianity offered in this time period was Orthodoxy that came from monastic influence that came from the Egyption desert fathers. Alot of "came froms," but you get the idea.

The record from this early period is not extant as it was predominately of the Oral Tradition because the Druids and Bards mistrusted anything written. It was only much later that these stories and what was to be labeled legend and myth were penned as poetry and prose. Never the less, survive they did.

That sort of gives us something of a historical backbone to overlay the Church that we enjoy today, so let us see what it might look like to be called a Celtic Christian in the USA in the 21st Century.

1. To Love the Lord and Each other.
2. To Love the Creation of God and care for it.
3. To be Orthodox in Theology.
4. To worship in a Western Orthodox liturgical manner.
5. To understand the Holy Scriptures in a pure 1st Millennial way using the early Eccumenical Councils as a guide.
6. Look to the Pre-Nicean Fathers as proper commentators of scripture.
7. Love family, love children, love life, have fun, enjoy that which God has given.
8. Avoid sin in all of its forms. If you should happen to sin, keep short accounts, repent, confess, receive forgiveness, and keep on living life.
9. Focus on victory, healing, wholeness, deliverance, freedom, peace, tranquility, and the eternal reward of paradise.

One does not have to speak gaelic to be Celtic. One does not have to be born in or be decendent from the British Isles to be Celtic. To be Celtic is to be a person who desires to embrace the outline above as the real stuff of their life. Be real, transparent, and honest. Allow God to be God. Relax and let God do what He likes to do in us. Be Celtic! Be Christian! Be governed by Bishops! You will then be perfect for the Celtic Episcopal Church.

Hope this helps.

Meaning in a Name

I had a very sincere and thoughtful contact from a pleasant lady who surmised that The Celtic Episcopal Church was part of the Anglican Communion. That has prompted me to clear up this item.


The word "Episcopal" in our name indicates that we are Governed by Bishops in Apostolic Succession.


We are not a member church within the Episcopal Church in America nor are we a member church within the greater Anglican Communion.


We are a Western Orthodox jurisdiction which is liturgically and sacramentially catholic and theologically Orthodox.

Introduction

The Celtic Episcopal Church is rooted in the faith and practice of the Celtic Churches of the first thousand years of the Church History. We look to the early Ecumenical Councils of the Church for guidance and direction on matters of faith and church discipline. We also try to incorporate into our lives the unique aspects of the Celtic expression of the Christian faith that developed over the centuries.

The Saints of the Celtic Church had at the center of their lives simplicity, authenticity, and holiness. The Fact that the Celtic Church never had much to do with powerful institutions, was one of its strengths, it formed its witness and life among the insignificant and poor. This simple lifestyle meant that the Celtic Church had no difficulty in communicating with the poor. The Celtic approach to evangelizing was more gentle and humble, and altogether more sensitive to the people they were trying to reach with the Gospel. In Magnus Magnusson's book, "Lindisfarne, the Cradle Island" he describes the cultural differences between the Celtic and Roman Church this way "Celtic monks lived in conspicuous poverty; Roman monks lived well. Celtic monks were unworldly, Roman monks were worldly. Celtic bishops practiced humility; Roman bishops paraded pomp. Celtic bishops were ministers of their flocks; Roman bishops were monarchs of their dioceses. Celtic clergymen said, "Do as I do," and hoped to be followed; Roman clergyman said, "Do as I say," and expected to be obeyed." (Oriel Press, 1984,p. 58).
The Celtic commitment to a life of holiness expressed in poverty and simplicity profoundly challenges the consumerism mentality of our day. It also challenges the church's use of power and wealth at every level. In the early witness of the Celtic Church in Britain, there were two expressions of Christian faith: one that was uncritically linked with the values of a collapsing empire, and the other that took Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount at face value and dared to live it.

The Celtic Church loved the Bible. In his book "The Celtic Church in Britian" Leslie Hardinge writes, "By far the most influential book in the development of the Celtic Church was the Bible. It molded their theology and guided the worship of the early Christians. It suggested rules of conduct and transformed the ancient laws of Irish and Welsh pagans into Christian statutes. It lay at the foundation of the education of children and youth, and sparked the genius of poets and song writers. It provided inspiration for the scribes of history and hagiography (study of the lives of the saints and the manner of their worship) and affected the language of the common people, becoming the dynamic for the production of the most beautiful hand-written books ever made." (SPCK, 1972,p.29) Quotations from the Bible are to be found everywhere in Celtic Christian writing. Those who consider Celtic Christianity to be New Age need to take another look at this strong commitment to Holy Scripture. The Celtic Church put its roots deep into the word of God, and was very wary of espousing pagan customs that conflicted with biblical values and truth.

While the Celtic Churches were more theologically orthodox and accepted as such by the universal church a number of differences are immediately apparent when one looks at the history of these churches. The differences can be seen in the Celt's view of humanity, their spirituality, the works of art they made, and how they related to creation. Celtic Christian communities were modeled after the society that preceded the Christian faith. The Pre-Christian society was tribal; family oriented, and consisted of small communities. The natural result of these societal patterns was a Monastic centered expression of their faith.
The Celtic Episcopal Church tries to be a true expression of ancient Celtic Christianity in the modern era. If you are interested in this part of the church, avail yourself of the information within our site. This life affirming and life altering Celtic way is a path we can tread upon even in our modern age. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.

NOTE:(1) We are not part of the Family of "Continuing Anglican Churches". Thus, we do not make use of the 39 Articles of Religion.(2)We do not use the Book of Common Prayer.(3)The term "Episcopal" in our name means governed by Bishops in Apostolic Succession.