Posts Tagged ‘religion’

The Rights Of The Majority?

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
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How did things ever go this far?

Is it a matter of religious intolerance, doing what is expedient or something far more

rosary beadsThese beads are often associated with catholics They are also worn by some for fashion

This is a story of freedom, not just one with religious overtones

Here is what happened, just keeping to facts

A  federal judge ordered a New York middle school to reinstate a seventh-grader ,  Raymond Hosier who was ordered suspended by a school for wearing rosary beads .

He wears  these prayer beads  in as a memory of his brother , who died clutching this rosary at a car acceident

Judge Lawrence Kahn ordered the boy to be reinstated pending a hearing on June 11 into whether the suspension violated his civil rights.

What is worrying is the reason given by the school.

The worrying thing is that district officials contend Hosier violated a policy banning them because they are worn as gang symbols

The American Center for Law and Justice to file a lawsuit on Tuesday in U.S. District Court arguing that Raymond’s suspension violated his rights to free religion.

This begs a more serious question

This is what it boils down to.

In this case the choice of a gang to wear a symbol or item of clothing was sufficient for a school and district officials to deny the right of law abiding people to be denied the right to do the same

To those who treasure their freedom, that must be alarming

Let us hope the court upholds Hosier’s rights at the full hearing.

It is a far bigger issue than rosary beads or religious tolerance. It is about freedom and the rights of the majority. It is about not allowing a minority to destroy the rights we all expect in a democracy. How can the school and district officials have not seen the thin end of this wedge?

 

 


Tiresome Knowledge Dealing with Egypt

Thursday, May 27th, 2010
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There’s no other place within the world that holds additional mystery than the country of Egypt. This historical atmosphere would seem to fill its every nook and cranny with secrets yet untold.

1.

The saga of Hebrew-Israelites in Egypt starts with Joseph - marketed by his 10 older brothers, angry at his arrogance - to itinerant Ishmaelites, who resell him into slavery in Egypt. Through his abilities at dream-interpretation and subsequently at executive administration, Joseph sooner or later is appointed vizier (second in authority) to Pharaoh, and by means of enforced hoarding of grain by way of seven bountiful a extended time (building storage cities), saves Egypt, the overall Mid-East as nicely as the Hebrews from famine. (Extra-biblical source, “It was over the reign of Djoser that Egypt became a fantastic power .. excellent riches .. accumulated .. grain sold .. many years of famine ..

And perhaps you can find nothing far more mysterious, and a lot more worthy of seeing in Egypt than the esteemed Great Pyramids of Giza. These are the pyramids of Khufu, Kafhre, and Menkaura.

2.) Sphinx

And of course, if you’re likely to head over to the Great Pyramids, then you might as well go to the Sphinx. This is among the most mysterious structures in Egypt. Even now, archaeologists are even now arguing about its origin and its purpose, producing it the subject on the renowned phrase, “the Riddle on the Sphinx.”

3.) Abu Simbel

These two temples ended up built by Pharaoh Ramesses II to commemorate himself and his wife, Nefertari. It’s a breathtaking place, and its temples are hailed as one of the most beautiful in Egypt. What’s even far more interesting about the Abu Simbel will be the amount of work put into relocating and preserving it.

4.

And of course, should you actually would like to immerse yourself in Egyptian culture, it will be best for you personally to visit the capital city, Cairo. The place is teeming with bazaars and restaurants where it is possible to acquire your taste of Egyptian culture. It’s certainly not a location to miss.

There are lots of extra-biblical Egyptian references giving credence for the above story:

  1. Slaves developing monuments in Egypt - Papyrus, Leiden #348, “Distribute grain towards the Habirus (or Apiru - Hebrews) who carry stones towards the excellent pylon of Rameses,” Mural paintings indicate starving men with prominent spavined ribs.)
  2. An Austrian dig of dwellings and tombs at Tel-ed-Daba, Egypt, in 1989, discovered historic cities close to Goshen. Data from 800 drill cores gave evidence of a big number of Asian, non-Egyptian slaves; eleven levels in the site indicate a lot of generations through the 12th and 13th Egyptian dynasties {compatible in duration and time time period to the Biblical history with the Hebrew sojourn as slaves in Egypt}:
  3. The Brooklyn Papyrus 35.1446, tells of the reign of Pharaoh Sobekhotep, containing in excess of 95 names of slaves, more than half are Semitic, seven becoming Biblical names {including the name of on the list of two midwives named from the Bible, “Shiphrah”},
  4. In direct conformity using the Bible {the killing of male Hebrew babies - infant Moses is saved by Egyptian princess} was the discovery of unusual demographic burial information at Tel-ed-Daba - 65% of the graves ended up of babies less than 18 months old, when in comparison with a usual percentage of 20-30%. In addition there ended up far more graves of adult females than of males (conforming to male infants staying killed at birth.);
  5. Historians in the 300 BC era, Eusebies and Artapanus, with historic records through the library at Alexandria, tell of Mouses {Moses}, an Egyptian prince who led a military campaign against Ethiopia. The Roman historian, Josephus along with a stela fragment in the British Museum, indicate such an event occurred over the reign of Pharaoh Khenepres-Sobekhotep. Egyptian historians wrote that Mouses’ fame brought on Sobekhotep to target him {causing him to flee from Egypt to Midian - as from the Bible story, however, the Bible plus the Jewish Haggadah say the bring about was Moses killing an Egyptian slave-driver who was beating a Hebrew};
  6. The Pharaoh of the Exodus is identified as King Dudimose, 36th ruler from the 13th Dynasty. [The Bible describes him as, "Pharaoh who knew not Joseph"].
  7. M. Bietek, in his dig at Tel ed-Baba, which he dated to the middle from the 14th Dynasty, identified shallow mass graves all more than the city of Avaris - clear evidence of some kind of sudden significant and widespread catastrophe [not unlike what would result from a biblical "Tenth Plague", death of all first-born]. In addition, site-archaeology suggests that the remaining population had abandoned their homes swiftly and en masse;
  8. Information from the extra-biblical resource of Josephus, a Roman historian born a Jew - who aided Titus in his conquest of Jerusalem in 67 AD, and was then, being a reward, given the Temple Scrolls - quotes Monetho, an Egyptian priest, circa 300 BC, regarding the “easy” conquest of mighty Egypt by the Hyksos. [Bible - Egypt's loss of its entire army of 600 chariots and charioteers at the Red Sea seems a reasonable explanation].
  9. A highly crucial extra-biblical supply of corroborative detail to quite a few with the narratives in the ten-plagues plus the Exodus events of both Bible and Hebrew-Passover-Haggadah, could be the Ipuwer Papyrus Scroll - Leiden 344. Found in Egypt from the early 19th century, it had been taken for the Leiden Museum in Holland in which it remains. Described in quite a few books about historic Egypt, it truly is a papyrus scroll over twelve feet in length, referred to as “Admonitions of Ipuwer”. It was written over the 19th dynasty (the Middle Kingdom period) by a scribe/historian named Ipuwer, and interpreted in 1909 by A. H. Gardiner. The scroll describes violent occasions in Egypt which seem to parallel the Biblical ten plagues and the Exodus story - it looks a description of the society in total crisis, providing, in essence, an eyewitness account of extreme and unusual occurrences:
    • “What the ancestors had foretold has happened”, (Imhotep/Joseph, approximately 260 a long time earlier, had foretold the exodus on the Hebrews from Egypt.) {Gen. 50:24-26}
    • “We do not know what has happened inside the land.”
    • “The river is blood .. there is blood everywhere, no shortage of death .. a lot of dead are buried inside river .. lacking are grain, charcoal .. trees are felled .. food is lacking .. great hunger and suffering”. {The initial plague};
    • “destruction of grain” {The plague of hail or locusts};
    • “animals moaning and roaming freely”;
    • “darkness” {The ninth plague};
    • Deaths from the “children of princes, prisoners, brothers” {The tenth plague, deaths of every one of the first-born};
    • “Gone is what yesterday has seen. See now, the land is deprived of kingship. See, the many ranks, they’re not in their spot .. like a herd that roams without having a herdsman.”
    • “Poor .. have turn into .. of wealth .. Gold and lapis lazuli, silver and malachite, carnelian and bronze are strung on on the necks of female slaves.” {”…and they requested in the Egyptians, silver and gold articles. ” Ex. 12:35-36};
    • “See, he who slept wifeless determined a noblewoman .. “are no more”.” (This, written long afterwards, certainly describes problems right after the loss of the Egyptian army as properly as the upper-class male officers.

5.) Temples of Karnak

The Temples of Karnak will be the biggest site for Egyptian worship. It has a monument to just about each and every god inside Theban religion.

I should suggest that you study essays about 5 Star Hotels In Turkey and 5 Star Hotels In Egypt.


Religion - Entering the Kingdom of God

Saturday, January 30th, 2010
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Sometimes there are facts and sometimes there is utter fiction. While they both may give an individual a run for their money, it is imperative to know and understand where to separate fact from fiction, particularly if it involves the end of the world and other claims made towards the day of reconcilement. 21.12.2012 is what the experts and philosophers are saying is the final day for redemption.

Something is going on….There was a time when the church was so in tune with God. That you would not have to call for a prayer line, because folks prayed and had a relationship with God and the Miracles and Prophecy was being fulfilled and manifest, because the church was in the place where God had left them.

Back to the Garden, Adam was given dominion and whatever he called it is was so. Adam was given a help meet and they together became one. Adam commune with God daily in the cool of the day.

Just like today there was a chirp in the air, and Eve answered the call of the most sub tile beast in the field. Who begins to let the thought occur in her mind that she would be just like God, when she was already like God (Created in his image and his likeness). So she was beguiled by a thought that occurred in her mind.

Profecias Mayas 2012 (Mayan Prophecy) bases its creation on the Popol Voh, the worldwide acclaimed book of the Mayan civilization which has been passed down over generations and now is in possession of the United States government. While there is a lot we may not know about the details of the prophecy, there are a few authors and acclaimed writers who have dug deep into the core of the government’s most top secret archives to publish their records.

We need to learn to think and live as kingdom citizens. When we live, think and act like kingdom citizens, we will experience success, victory and fruitfulness

Resource Author Francisco Rodriguez H.
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Modern World: Spiritual But Not Religious

Monday, September 7th, 2009
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It is safe to assume that we live in an advanced civilization. Technology is booming, people are learning, and experimentation is a way of life. A person’s point of view may shift several times with the amount of knowledge they encounter on any given day. The modern world is a world of adaptation, both mentally and physically, as such people may be spiritual but not religious. People are able to connect from greater distances and more fully, allowing discovery of different lifestyles to occur. It can be simple things, such as using certain dinnerware traditional in Japan, or it can be a much bigger discovery, such as a new religion. Today, new religions are not only being discovered, but are being practiced by new types of people. As the world connects over the internet and through faster technology, different societies meld. It is obvious as society constantly changes that no one religion is able to fit every person’s distinct way of living.

But with so much new information available at any given time, new ideas tend to spring up. There is some type of religion in every country around the world. Yet, in modern societies, people are starting to choose new ways of living, such as being spiritual but not religious. Unlike ancient times, where people set aside days for religious practices, the modern world is much more fast-paced. Some people no longer have time to go to the chapel or are able to remember to say their prayers at night. And there are some people who find these older practices obsolete in their modern lifestyle. There are people in the world who are just spiritual but not religious. They believe in higher power, but cannot fit a structured religion with all its practices into their way of living.

There are many routes a person can take. There are Agnostic people who simply believe in God but not religion. The person may not go to church or know any of the traditional prayers, but they do carry that sense of love that comes with their belief. Aside from Agnostics, there are other people have a deep spiritual sense that many religious people have, but are not necessarily religious, or even believe in a god, but still have that feeling that there is a higher power that puts events into motion, big and small. Whether a person is deeply pious or spiritual but not religious, the world is full of them all.


Do it Online - Doctorate in Religion

Monday, August 31st, 2009
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Science Is The Dumbest Religion!

A doctorate degree in religion? Although this subject may not necessarily be that much “mainstream”, it does have a considerable number of scholars doing serious study on it. As such, institutions providing religious study also join the bandwagon of rendering the study available online. Yes, you can consider earning your doctorate degree in religion online if you aspire to deepen your study in that field. Choose one religion that you want to gain a sound understanding in terms of its historical roots and its modern context. Thereafter, choose the program from a reputable educational body.

As you can guessed it, I was raised a Christian, but not a regular Christian, I was a Methodist and proud of it, until my parents got tired of the church elders asking for money or if my father could help build the new church. My father explained to them, that he needed to work to support his family and could only contribute, what ever he could to the church and no more. They were very unhappy and made it uncomfortable for us to go to the church anymore.

Hard to imagine, isn’t it. Christians asking for money and then when they don’t receive it, getting mad at one of their brethren.

Spirituality (contrary to religion) is all about the spirit existing within every human being neigh every living being (Jiva as we call it in Hinduism). It is truth of every life prevailing on Mother Earth. It is the real self of us which exists within every living being since the birth of that body in the form of an individual soul. Spirituality and Religion are the two fundamentals of life which every living being is required to follow simultaneously.

One can live without Religion but not without Spirituality for Spirituality forms the core of very existence of every living being. It is the spirit within every human being that we exist as a physical form on Mother Earth. We may or may not indulge in understanding Spirituality or a Religion but inherently every living being pursues the path of Spirituality in every manifestation. Spirituality is that fundamental of life which cannot be ignored by one.

How can someone kill in the name of God? The Muslims were doing it, the Christians were doing it, the Muslims were fighting the Hindus in India and it all seemed normal. It didn’t seem normal to me, when I was supposed to love my neighbor and live a life like Christ who never seemed to start fights or even get mad. Maybe a couple of times, over some money, in the Temple.

I have chosen not to be a part of organized religion. I’d figured out that most of our religious beliefs came from our upbringing. This seems to have brainwashed us into believing we are better because were right and know for a fact, that we have chosen to belong to the right religion. What if were not right?

I want to ask you a question, do you think that other religions are wrong and yours is right? If you really spend some time and think about this, you will see, that your religion is not that different than someone else’s and neither was their upbringing. Most religious followers, belonged to the religion of their childhoodFor those who wish to earn a PhD in religious studies and ministry, keep an eye on Liberty University as it is one of the leading schools that offer online PhD programs specifically for this sort of programs. As a matter of fact, it is the world’s largest evangelical university and is ranked third in the nation among institutions that offer online PhD programs. The programs offered are designed such that they provide flexibility to students who may have other prior commitments

Resource Author Francisco Rodriguez H.
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Solving Our Problems: Let’s Go “Multi”

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
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, Steven J. Gould, one of the smartest people ever, wrote about people’s preference of divying things into two’s. This dualism, it turns out, adds to our dueling.

It also prevents us from seeing solutions to our problems. In local school districts, it’s either whole language or phonics (in reality, just about any reading program has both). In politics it’s liberal versus conservative. In Washington, DC politics, it’s black versus white. In the Bible belt, one finds Christians versus anyone who isn’t.

Radio stations are neatly divided into liberal and conservative camps, and ratings depend on one side demonizing the other. The country isn’t served by this. When pressed on his liberal credentials, then-President Clinton said, “that dog won’t hunt anymore.” Like him or hate him. his effort to blur the distinction might have merit.

Around the Internet there is a campaign to paint the world as a coming battleground. The Muslims are coming and coming fast! Soon they will take over Europe, then Islamify the US. Then won’t Christians who ignored all the signs be sorry!

In matters of race, we have issues, but we show progress. The quiet progress comes from interracial marriages and mixed race neighborhoods. Moreover, it comes from mixed race people. Tiger Woods signaled by his notoriety a change in our concept of race. Black/white distinctions are being blurred by the idea of multi-racial.

Our true selves as Americans show up not as blots of black, white and other, but as a mix. If Tiger by virtue of his parentage is cool, having a mixed-race president is way cool.

Religious distinctions, products of our minds and not physical characteristics, should be easily bridgeable. But we insist on exclusivity. Maybe it’s time for make it cool to be multi-religious. Mike Mansfield in his book The Japanese Mind describes how the Japanese can be, with no internal contradictions and no social discomfort, be of several beliefs. They may be Christian, Buddhist, and Shinto at the same time, choosing rituals from each, as they deem fit.

And why not? Why can’t I choose a theology drawing on the Wisdom of Solomon and David, the meditative awareness of the Buddha, the poetry of the Quran, and the humility of Jesus? Religion at its best creates community, and our diverse society is rich in the wisdom of the ages.

Yet we feel we must choose one and only one.

I know someone whose wife is a Muslim Moroccan who followed her white, Christian husband to the US from Spain. She believes in celebrating everyone’s holidays. She enjoys St Patrick’s Day with the relish of the Irish, Christmas with the sense of joy experienced by Christians, and Eid with the reverence of her own faith.

But that we all could embrace such an outlook. But we seem stuck in our dualist nature. Pro-com. Go-no-go. We argue to argue. We can, however, be more than the residue of our little philosophical encampments.

I admit there are limitations. One cannot, for example, be both a Hurricanes and Seminoles fan. That would be silly.


Americans Are Increasingly Less Religious

Monday, July 13th, 2009
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Right wing radio and religious groups complain of “militant atheists,” but in reality, atheists make up a small percent of the American population.  Studies have confirmed, however, that an increasing number of Americans are leaving organized religion.  This trend is emphasized in the younger generations.

The Fastest Growing Segment in the Religious Culture is the Non-Churchgoing Group.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released an extensive study on the nation’s religious makeup, beliefs and practices in April 2009.  The survey included the social and political attitudes of the American public.  The survey was based on over 35,000 interviews of American adults.  The Pew survey revealed that an astounding 16.1% of Americans are no longer affiliated with any religion.  In fact, of all “religious groups,” the non-affiliated group is growing faster than any other group.

The Barna Group, in its own survey, confirmed the trends reported by Pew.  The Barna Group is an Evangelical research and polling firm.  It found that 15% of Americans are no longer affiliated with any organized religion.  Of all of the different religious groups in the world, the Barna Group found that the number of people who not belong to any organized religion is the third highest group, following Catholics and Baptists.

The religious right’s participation in politics has contributed to people’s increasingly secular beliefs.  Non-churchgoers feel that religious leaders are hypocritical and that religion focuses way too much on issues divisive such as gay rights and trying to integrate religion into government.

The Majority Still Considers Itself Sprititual.

Despite the fact that they are leaving the churches, many of the non-churchgoers still consider themselves to be spiritual.  A growing number are turning toward alternative faiths, such as Wicca or deism.

Traditional beliefs have not disappeared.  For example, a whopping 70% of Americans believe in Satan.  44% believe in a rapture in which Jesus returns to earth.  Of that 44%, half of them think it will happen during their lifetimes.

In an attempt to increase their flocks, some of the more progressive churches are changing their public focus to environmental issues.  Other churches are becoming less vocal about gays or abortion.

Conclusion.

Ultimately, if churches want to see an increase in their memberships, perhaps they need to step out of the political arena and focus on the message of Christ.  Attempting to force the church into government, marginalizing non-believers and promoting messages of hate only serves to alienate the populace.