Pope Francis Easter Address: Called For End to War, Condemned Waste Exacerbating Hunger

Pope Francis’ Easter Address in front of 150,000 people in St. Peter’s Square called for and end to conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Africa and an end to violence in Iraq, Venezuela, South Sudan and the Central Africa Republic. The Pontiff also denounced the “immense wastefulness” in the world while many go hungry.

Pope Francis, in his Easter address before a huge crowd, on Sunday denounced the “immense wastefulness” in the world while many go hungry and called for an end to conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Africa.

“We ask you, Lord Jesus, to put an end to all war and every conflict, whether great or small, ancient or recent,” he said in his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message.

Francis, marking the second Easter season of his pontificate, celebrated a Mass to an overflowing crowd of at least 150,000 in St. Peter’s Square and beyond.

He prayed to God to “help us to overcome the scourge of hunger, aggravated by conflicts and by the immense wastefulness for which we are often responsible”.

Celebrating Easter Sunday, Christianity’s most joyous and hopeful day, Pope Francis prayed for peace in Ukraine and Syria and for an end to the terrorist attacks in Nigeria that have targeted so many Christians.

He also recalled those suffering in Africa from an epidemic of deadly Ebola and urged a halt to “brutal terrorist attacks” in parts of Nigeria.

But Francis’ Easter message also stressed that people pay attention to the needy close to home. Reflecting the priorities of his papacy, he said the “good news” of Easter’s joy and hope means “leaving ourselves behind and encountering others, being close to those crushed by life’s troubles, sharing with the needy, standing at the side of the sick, elderly and the outcast.”

Happy Easter 2014 from Scared Monkeys: HE IS RISEN …

Scared Monkeys with all a joyous and blessed Easter.

Please remember today while spending time with family, participating in Easter egg hunts, opening Easter baskets and having Easter dinner … the reason for the season. He has risen, he has truly risen. The are given the promise of eternal hope. As  John 3:16 states,  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” However, never forget that Without the Crucifixion, there would have been no Resurrection. A Resurrection that represents eternal rebirth.

King’s College Choir – Jesus Christ is risen today

Mark 16: 5-7

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  ”Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ”

Michael W Smith – Above All

Crucified, laid behind a stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all

This Video Speaks Volumes of the Members who Follow the Westboro Baptist Church … Hate Does Not Know How to React to Kindness

Battling hate with kindness …

How does one battle and confuse those that are so filled with hate, why with kindness of course. As Members of the Westboro Baptist Church were protesting with their anti-gay, anti-solider signs, outside the Midland Theater in Kansas City, MO of the pop singer Lorde’s concert, an interesting things happened … the counter protest was with kindness, not more hate. Earlier this week, pastor and founder of the WBC Fred Phelps died from natural causes.

“We realized that it wasn’t so much about antagonizing them,” she said, “but sending out the countered safe that we are here for people who need that message and need that positivity.”

Pic – Screen grab via KSHB-TV video below

However, the message of kindness was lost on some of the clueless members of the WBC. Steve Drain,  a long time Westboro Baptists Church member said in response to the sign, “I don’t even know what they mean by what they are saying.” Really? I guess when one is so consumed with ignorant hate, one has no place for compassion. Doesn’t this speak volumes of the evil message that these people have been brainwashed with.

Atheist Uber-Lib Bill Maher Just Called God a ‘Psychotic Mass Murderer’ … “It’s about a psychotic mass murderer who gets away with it and his name is God.”

Atheist comedian Bill Maher will be spending an eternity in Hell after these comments … It would appear that Pastor Fred Phelps Sr., founder of the Westboro Baptist Church will have Maher’s company one day.

Maher began the monologue by declaring that America is “stupid” because 60 percent of the country reportedly believes the tale of Noah’s ark is literally true. He went on to slam the film Noah as “floating giraffe crap,” but said it “must be doing something right” since it’s been condemned by both Muslims and Christians. And the fact that it might lose a lot of studio money, he joked, “may put it in hot water with the Jews too.”

It’s about a psychotic mass murderer who gets away with it and his name is God,” he said.

“What kind of tyrant kills everyone just to get back at the few he’s mad at? I mean, besides Chris Christie,” the controversial comedian continued.

Maher then provided a theory on America’s alleged moral decline.

“You know, conservatives are always going on about how Americans are losing their values and their morality. Well, maybe it’s because you worship a guy who drowns babies,” he said.

VIDEO – Mediaite

“Sacrilege” and an “Abomination” … Claremont United Methodist Church in California Replaces Baby Jesus in Nativity Scene with Bloody, Hooded Trayvon Martin (VIDEO)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME … JUST HOW FRIGGIN OFFENSIVE COULD THESE PEOPLE POSSIBLY BE?

The Claremont United Methodist Church, about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, California, and John Zachary, the individual behind the “artistic interpretation,”  has managed to infuriate many with their depiction of the Nativity scene this Christmas season by replacing the baby Jesus with Trayvon Martin. Yup … because some how I get the two of them confused all off the time. I just have two words, “Sacrilege” and an “Abomination”!!! All in the name of “artistic interpretation” these fools have managed to desecrate the Birth of Christ by replacing the innocence of the Baby Jesus, the son of God, Our Savior with the hoody-wearing, Trayvon Martin, slumped over, shot in the chest with blood pouring out on to the ground. UNREAL. Wow, because some how Trayvon Martin is supposed to symbolize the innocence of a child, really? Who knew the drug using, pot smoking, middle finger displaying, gun carrying, school skipping, gangsta fightin’ thug was so innocent. Oh that’s right, those pics were not immiscible.

One does not even know where to begin here. In the name of “social justice” they would do such sacrilege. But such things are perfectly okay, because while defaming the birth of Christ, there is a liberal message. You can poke others in the eye, but then cry foul when there is an overwhelming negative response. In the past,  Zachary has depicted Mary and Joseph as a modern-day homeless couple; as Mexicans stopped by the U.S.-Mexico border fence; as Iraq War refugees; and in 2010, just Mary by herself, as a black woman in prison with her baby. What, you mean that they have not portrayed Mary and Joseph as Michelle and Barack Obama? Or is that next year?

Image – From YouTube VIDEO

On the lawn of a Claremont church, just like at many churches at this time of year, cutouts of wise men on camelback head toward a makeshift stable, a meager wooden structure where Mary and Joseph have huddled inside.

But instead of an infant Jesus cradled in his mother’s arms, the Nativity at Claremont United Methodist Church — the creation of congregant and artist John Zachary — features a depiction of Trayvon Martin slumped over in his hoodie, a pool of his blood spreading over a bed of straw.

For several years, Zachary has brought his artistic interpretations of the Nativity — as well as the occasional controversy — to the church, as he used a scene that traditionally conveys themes of joy and innocence to spread messages of social justice. Over the last few years, his installations have touched on homelessness, poverty and acceptance of gay families.

He decided over the summer that this year’s scene would include the Florida teenager whose shooting death captured the nation’s attention. Zachary said he wanted to draw a parallel between rampant gun violence and the dark time in which Jesus was born.

“He was, in my view, an innocent child like the innocent children killed by King Herod,” Zachary, 57, said of Martin. “I think the Nativity has to be relevant to our time. I think Jesus is a symbol of hope and I think he has to be seen in today’s context.”

Want to get even more outraged, watch the VIDEO below of John Zachary attempted to explain his twisted and deranged logic of his interpretation meant to shock people. Sorry, but this is not supposed to be thought provoking, it is just meant to be PROVOKING! Just curious, why is innocent gun violence depicted as Trayvon Martin? If one is going to go this route, wouldn’t true innocent lives lost at the hands of gun violence be the 20 children that were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School?

In the VIDEO below check out the shirt that John Zachary is wearing … Islam convert Mohammed Ali, hmm, I think some one just lost a bit of credibility.

Zachary,57, told media he added the slain teenager’s likeness this year to show the parallel between rampant gun violence and the dark time Jesus was born in.

“He was, in my view, an innocent child like the innocent children killed by King Herod,” Zachary told the Los Angeles Times. “I think the Nativity has to be relevant to our time. I think Jesus is a symbol of hope and I think he has to be seen in today’s context.”

Check Out their Facebook page with comments of individuals who are outraged and disgusted. But what else should we expect from a Hollywood production designer? Next year I guess the Baby Jesus will be replaced with Mohammed. I can’t wait until 2016 when Mary and Joseph will be Bill and Hillary Clinton and the baby Jesus will be the Obamamessiah. According to accounts, Zachary’s 2011 Nativity display included depictions of gay couples and was vandalized and investigated by police as a hate crime. Imagine that … because there is nothing hateful about depicting Mary and Joseph as a gay couple, now is there?

UPDATE I: Just how irresponsible and factually incorrect is it to some how portray Trayvon Martin as the symbol of innocence lost at the hands of gun violence when a the VIDEO below shows, Trayvon was no stranger to guns, fighting and drugs.

The text messages include a conversation from November 2011 in which he appears to say his mother has kicked him out of the house after “da police caught me outta skool.”

“So you just turning into a lil hoodlum,” the person with whom he is texting says.

“Naw, I’m a gangsta,” the text message read.

In other messages, text message exchanges appear to be discussing guns.

“U wanna share a .380 w/ (blacked out),” one text message sent from Martin’s phone reads.