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Archive for the 'Scott Alt' Category
Clarifying the Rebuttal to the Necessity Argument for the Papacy
Scott Alt has posted a response to my earlier post, which mentioned the fact that the papacy is not necessary. Mr. Alt's primary error is confusing a rebuttal argument and a positive argument. Mr. Alt misunderstood my post as something like the following argument:
1) If something is not necessary, it is not true;
2) The papacy is not necessary;
3) Therefore, the papacy is not true.
That argument is not correct, because (1) is false. That was not my argument.
Rather my argument was a rebuttal to the often-heard allegation that the papacy must be true because it is necessary. In other words, my actual argument was a response to this argument:
1) If the papacy is necessary, it must be true;
2) The papacy is necessary;
3) Therefore, the papacy must be true.
My rebuttal is that (2) is false. The papacy is not necessary. Therefore, as I said, "Any argument for the papacy … needs to come from some other quarter than from necessity."
Mr. Alt makes a comparison to the U.S. presidency. But no one argues that we have a president because that's necessary. They argue that we have a president because that's what the U.S. constitution provides for. We could have a parliamentarian form of government or a monarchy or any number of other forms of government. A presidency is not necessary. And indeed, Mr. Alt himself states "the point, rather, is what the Founders intended to give us."
Then, Mr. Alt tries make an analogous argument for the papacy:
The papacy isn't "necessary"; but the point isn't what is "necessary," but what Christ intended for His Church. … The point is what God chooses, not what human beings feel they need.
This, however, is an assertion in search of an argument. The argument it is looking for is not the kind rebutted in my post. So far, so good.
But to extend Mr. Alt's own analogy, we know that having a succession of presidents is what the founders wanted, because they left behind documents describing what they wanted, most significantly the Constitution. By contrast, what Jesus and the apostles left behind as documentation of what they want is the New Testament, which makes no mention at all of any papacy (Roman or otherwise).
Mr. Alt has some comments on the "unbroken succession" claim, but as I've already pointed out, that claim is meaningless. Apparently, Mr. Alt finds it "sophomoric" to point out when Rome makes meaningless claims, but so be it.
Mr. Alt asks "does TF really mean for us to believe that when there's a sede vacante the slate is wiped clean and the Church has to start over again as if it were 33 A.D.?" Obviously, that is not what I mean for him to believe. I mean for him to believe that the Roman system of ecclesiology is not the system of ecclesiology that Jesus and the apostles appointed. In fact, it hardly has any resemblance to it. I also mean for him to believe that Rome's claim to "unbroken succession" is not simply flawed, it's meaningless.
Mr. Alt tries to turn the tables by pointing out that the elders in Reformed churches are not necessary, in the sense that Christ could have established things differently. The difference, of course, is that Jesus through the apostles actually established churches in which there is oversight by elders. Jesus through the apostles did not establish a papacy.
Mr. Alt concludes:
Really, those on the Reformed side need to come up with better arguments. Any argument against the papacy must be made on the basis of what Christ did or did not intend, not on any subjective, earth-bound idea about what's "necessary."
Actually, it is the advocates for the papacy that need better arguments. Strictly speaking, those who want to advocate for a papacy need to make the argument for the papacy. We can limit ourselves to rebuttal arguments – arguments that demonstrate the flaws in the various and sundry arguments for the papacy. We do not need to provide a definitive disproof of the papacy (although that has been done as well). Most importantly, not every post needs to be such a definitive disproof – it can simply be a rebuttal to a specific pro-papal argument.
Posted in Papacy, Scott Alt | Leave a Comment »
God "has chosen to teach [orthodoxy and orthopraxy] by the Holy Scriptures" – A Hippolytian Response to Mr. Alt
Mr. Scott Alt was kind enough to respond to the recent Dividing Line episode (and associated post) in which Dr. White and I responded to his previous set of questions. Unfortunately, there is very limited interaction with any of the substance of points we raised. In fact, I will skip over Section I of his response and go right to Section II, where Mr. Alt attempts to address Hippolytus and our comments about Hippolytus.
Mr. Alt states:
Hippolytus draws an analogy here between the man who attains his wisdom from "the dogmas of the philosophers," and the man who attains his piety from "the oracles of God." But look at the claim: "Those who wish to practice piety will be unable to learn its practice from any other quarter than the oracles of God." Leaving aside for the moment the fact that Hippolytus does not say that "the oracles of God" are to be found only in Scripture, all he claims in this passage is that one may derive the practice of piety from Scripture. But the claim of sola scriptura is that Scripture alone contains all that a Christian must believe and all that a Christian must practice in his worship. It claims nothing about where piousness is to be derived.
Mr. Alt's analysis is wrong on a variety of points.
1. While Hippolytus does not explicitly state "the oracles of God are Scripture alone," when he says "oracles of God" he means the Scriptures. I'm not sure what proof would satisfy Mr. Alt of this rather obvious fact. The same phrase "oracles of God" is found in Hippolytus' work "On Christ and Antichrist," where he uses it to refer to Scripture (Specifically Daniel in sections 31 and 51). It's a Biblical term used in Romans 3:2 to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures.
Question for Mr. Alt: What do you think Hippolytus means by "oracles of God" if not "Scripture," and why do you think that?
2. Mr. Alt's argument mistakenly identifies what "practice piety" entails. To practice piety is live in accordance with orthodox doctrine. Obviously, Hippolytus does not spell this out in those exact words, but that's what Hippolytus means.
Question for Mr. Alt: What do you think that Hippolytus means by "practice piety" if not "live in accordance with orthodox doctrine," and why do you think that?
3. Mr. Alt's assertion that "It claims nothing about where piousness is to be derived," seems to have an even more fundamental problem. "Piousness" is not a tool used in practicing piety, but rather it is the outcome of practicing piety. Thus, if Scriptures teach us how to practice piety, they teach us how to "derive" or more precisely "produce" piousness. It's not like "practice the fiddle," where one is practicing use of the fiddle, but the fiddle itself is sold separately. Rather it's liking practicing love, self-control, or any other virtue, where self-control, love, and so forth are the result of the practice.
Question to Mr. Alt: How could Scripture possibly teach the practice of piety without teaching what constitutes piousness?
4. Mr. Alt's claim that "all he claims in this passage is that one may derive the practice of piety from Scripture," is patently false, even after we take into account the true meaning of "practice of piety." After all, just as Hippolytus says that the knowledge of God is obtained "from the Holy Scriptures and no other source," so likewise Hippolytus says that the practice of piety is not learned from "any other quarter than the oracles of God." In short, the exclusive claim for the Scriptures is repeated in both the broad initial statement and the narrower clarifying comment.
Question to Mr. Alt: Do you deny that Hippolytus twice repeats his exclusive claim?
5. Mr. Alt fails to note that what constitutes the "practice of piety" is spelled out through the following sentences in which Hippolytus explains:
Whatever things, then, the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us took; and
whatsoever things they teach, these let us learn; and
as the Father wills our belief to be, let us believe; and
as He wills the Son to be glorified, let us glorify Him; and
as He wills the Holy Spirit to be bestowed, let us receive Him.
Not according to our own will,
nor according to our own mind,
nor yet as using violently those things which are given by God, but
even as He has chosen to teach them by the Holy Scriptures, so let us discern them.
Those are the categories that Hippolytus subsumes on the description of "practice piety." They are teaching the knowledge and worship of the Trinity.
Question to Mr. Alt: Do you deny that Hippolytus is explaining that both doctrine (orthodoxy) and worship (orthopraxy) are to be derived from Scripture? and do you acknowledge that this is the "knowledge of God" referred to in the first sentence and the "practice of piety" referred to in the second sentence?
Mr. Alt goes on to accuse of "playing a shell game with sola scriptura." I think his analogy is inappropriate (for a variety of reasons), but more importantly his accusation is premised on (among other things) his faulty reasoning regarding what Hippolytus says.
Mr. Alt then expresses some confusion as to the relevance of a passage where Hippolytus corrects the attempts of Noetus' disciples to make an argument from Scripture through proper exegesis of Scripture. Before going on to acknowledge that two more quotations from Hippolytus evidence his approach of refuting his opponents from Scripture, Mr. Alt provides a statement that is more significant than he probably realizes:
Hippolytus is addressing himself to errors that have been made in exegesis. His opponents are attempting to derive their doctrine, denying the Trinity, from Scripture. Hippolytus argues back that "the Scriptures do not set forth the matter in this manner." Their interpretation is incorrect, but–take careful note here–both Hippolytus and his opponents are arguing from the Scripture. There is no question that his opponents are attempting to derive their doctrine elsewhere. They truly believe that their denial of the Trinity is biblical. Apart from the fact that Hippolytus could hardly argue this question apart from scriptural exegesis, one could very easily claim that this passage highlights one of the key difficulties with sola scriptura that Catholic apologists constantly point out: Unless one has an interpretive authority who is understood to be infallible, you can argue about the proper exegesis of Scripture until the sun goes down, it's possible that your interpretation is wrong, and you have no way to know that. Hippolytus' opponents believed they were arguing soundly from Scripture. But they weren't.
Before getting to the significance of Mr. Alt's comments, let's dismiss his "no question" point. Hippolytus plainly does not give Noetus or his disciples the credit that Mr. Alt gives him. Hippolytus suggests that Noetus (and/or his disciples) used his own will and his own mind to do violence to Scripture ("mutilate the Scriptures" section 4), rather than being instructed from Scripture, as can be seen from the colored passage above.
Check out how Hippolytus characterizes it (section 1 of the work):
Some others are secretly introducing another doctrine, who have become disciples of one Noetus, who was a native of Smyrna, (and) lived not very long ago. This person was greatly puffed up and inflated with pride, being inspired by the conceit of a strange spirit. He alleged that Christ was the Father Himself, and that the Father Himself was born, and suffered, and died. You see what pride of heart and what a strange inflated spirit had insinuated themselves into him. From his other actions, then, the proof is already given us that he spoke not with a pure spirit; for he who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost is cast out from the holy inheritance. He alleged that he was himself Moses, and that Aaron was his brother. When the blessed presbyters heard this, they summoned him before the Church, and examined him. But he denied at first that he held such opinions. Afterwards, however, taking shelter among some, and having gathered round him some others who had embraced the same error, he wished thereafter to uphold his dogma openly as correct. And the blessed presbyters called him again before them, and examined him. But he stood out against them, saying, What evil, then, am I doing in glorifying Christ? And the presbyters replied to him, We too know in truth one God; we know Christ; we know that the Son suffered even as He suffered, and died even as He died, and rose again on the third day, and is at the right hand of the Father, and comes to judge the living and the dead. And these things which we have learned we allege. Then, after examining him, they expelled him from the Church. And he was carried to such a pitch of pride, that he established a school.
Hippolytus does not view Noetus as someone who honestly thought that Scriptures taught that Jesus is the Father. No, Hippolytus thought Noetus was (to paraphrase) a demoniac nutcase, who thought he was Moses. Noetus and his disciples may have appealed to Scripture, but Hippolytus does not chalk this up to an honest misunderstanding. In fact, Hippolytus accuses them of selectively quoting one class of passages from Scripture, rather than treating Scripture as a whole (Section 3). We will come back to that point shortly, I think.
The more significant part of Mr. Alt's comment is this:
Apart from the fact that Hippolytus could hardly argue this question apart from scriptural exegesis, one could very easily claim that this passage highlights one of the key difficulties with sola scriptura that Catholic apologists constantly point out: Unless one has an interpretive authority who is understood to be infallible, you can argue about the proper exegesis of Scripture until the sun goes down, it's possible that your interpretation is wrong, and you have no way to know that. Hippolytus' opponents believed they were arguing soundly from Scripture. But they weren't.
What's significant is that Hippolytus shows absolutely no awareness of this supposed "key difficulty." Hippolytus (like us) thinks that Scripture interprets Scripture. For example, he states: "The Scriptures speak what is right; but Noetus is of a different mind from them. Yet, though Noetus does not understand the truth, the Scriptures are not at once to be repudiated." (Section 3)
It's not the fault of Scriptures that Noetus was wrong, as though Scripture needs some external infallible interpreter. Rather it is Noetus' fault, for ignore one class of Scripture texts. Hippolytus explains (section 3):
In this way, then, they choose to set forth these things, and they make use only of one class of passages; just in the same one-sided manner that Theodotus employed when he sought to prove that Christ was a mere man. But neither has the one party nor the other understood the matter rightly, as the Scriptures themselves confute their senselessness, and attest the truth.
Rather than appealing to some external supposedly infallible interpreter, Hippolytus claims that Scriptures themselves confute the senselessness of the heretics, whether they deny the fact that Christ is God but not the Father, or they affirm that Christ is not God because he is not the Father.
Hippolytus didn't think that appeals to Scripture are moot appeals that settle nothing. He thought that Scripture itself decided the question.
"Within this section, Mr. Alt concludes with the following claims:
But in neither of these does Hippolytus claim what TurretinFan wants him to. Hippolytus refutes his opponents from Scripture, but nowhere does he make the claim that only Scripture is capable of refuting theological error. There is, as I've pointed out, an exclusivity that Reformed apologists make for Scripture when it comes to theological doctrine. And nowhere in any of these passages does Hippolytus make such a claim. Sola scriptura cannot be defended merely because a particular Church Father used the Scripture to refute a theological error. The Catholic Church has no difficulty with theological error being refuted from the Bible.
First, of course, even Sola Scriptura does not deny that one can use reason to refute internally inconsistent arguments. But second, Hippolytus does identify Scripture as the sole source for infallible theological dogma, as we discussed above.
Mr. Alt's characterization of "merely because a particular Church Father used the Scripture to refute a theological error," is just wrong. That's not the limit of our claim. It is true that appeals to Scripture are not really consistent with the idea that the listener is unable to reliably understand what Scripture says without an infallible external interpreter. But it would be possible for the fathers to make the same inconsistent appeals to Scripture that modern Roman apologists make. It would be possible if they thought there were some other infallible dogmatic source of authority, or if they thought private persons were unable to judge teachers, because they lacked interpretive authority.
But that hypothesis is not supported by the evidence. Rather, consistently the major fathers in case after case only describe Scripture as infallible and make the kind of exclusive claims for its authority that we have observed in Hippolytus above.
The fathers may have been inconsistent on a variety of things, but Hippolytus was not being inconsistent as Benedict XVI sometimes is. When he said, "no other source" and "unable to learn its practice from any other quarter" he described Scripture in the exclusive terms that Mr. Alt is demanding we produce.
We don't agree that this is really necessary to demonstrate Sola Scriptura. It's sufficient to simply affirm the sufficiency of Scripture and not to offer any other infallible sources of authority. It's not necessary to make the universal negative claim – it's enough to make the positive claims of sufficiency, and not to offer or accept any equal.
Lord willing, we will consider another section of Mr. Alt's post in an upcoming reply.
Posted in Hippolytus, Scott Alt, Sola Scriptura | Leave a Comment »
Responding to Scott Alt Regarding Sola Scriptura
Scott Alt recently posted "Questions for a Reformed Apologist." Dr. White and I (TurretinFan) responded on the Dividing Line, but the following provide some additional notes.
Mr. Alt begins by providing a quotation from Benedict XVI that he thinks sounds supportive of Sola Scriptura, taken by itself out of context.
If I were going to pick an illustrative quotation from Benedict XVI to the effect that one can take Benedict XVI out of context to suggest he holds to Sola Scriptura, I would have picked Benedict XVI's statement that the word of Scripture is not "an inert deposit within the Church" but the "supreme rule of faith and power of life" (see context and clarification here).
Mr. Alt compares his quotation with one from Hippolytus. I'm not sure why Mr. Alt thinks that "sole source of the knowledge of God" (which he says Hioppolytus teaches) is not strong enough for Sola Scriptura. He seems to think that Benedict XVI would agree with such a claim, yet Benedict XVI surely accepts that there is knowledge of of God through extra-Scriptural tradition.
Indeed, "sole source of the knowledge of God" is a stronger claim than what Sola Scriptura teaches. After all, we acknowledge that knowledge of God can be obtained by the light of nature, including conscience. Rather, Scripture is the only source of infallible and perspicuous knowledge of God that we have.
Hippolytus is not denying what we teach for some even higher view of Scripture. Rather, Hippolytus in context is fighting the heresies of Noetus. In context:
8. Many other passages, or rather all of them, attest the truth. A man, therefore, even though he will it not, is compelled to acknowledge God the Father Almighty, and Christ Jesus the Son of God, who, being God, became man, to whom also the Father made all things subject, Himself excepted, and the Holy Spirit; and that these, therefore, are three. But if he desires to learn how it is shown still that there is one God, let him know that His power is one. As far as regards the power, therefore, God is one. But as far as regards the economy there is a threefold manifestation, as shall be proved afterwards when we give account of the true doctrine. In these things, however, which are thus set forth by us, we are at one. For there is one God in whom we must believe, but unoriginated, impassible, immortal, doing all things as He wills, in the way He wills, and when He wills. What, then, will this Noetus, who knows nothing of the truth, dare to say to these things? And now, as Noetus has been confuted, let us turn to the exhibition of the truth itself, that we may establish the truth, against which all these mighty heresies have arisen without being able to state anything to the purpose.
9. There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures, and from no other source. For just as a man, if he wishes to be skilled in the wisdom of this world, will find himself unable to get at it in any other way than by mastering the dogmas of philosophers, so all of us who wish to practice piety will be unable to learn its practice from any other quarter than the oracles of God. Whatever things, then, the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us took; and whatsoever things they teach, these let us learn; and as the Father wills our belief to be, let us believe; and as He wills the Son to be glorified, let us glorify Him; and as He wills the Holy Spirit to be bestowed, let us receive Him. Not according to our own will, nor according to our own mind, nor yet as using violently those things which are given by God, but even as He has chosen to teach them by the Holy Scriptures, so let us discern them.
Compare this to Hippolytus criticism of Noetus' position earlier in the same work:
2. Now they seek to exhibit the foundation for their dogma by citing the word in the law, I am the God of your fathers: you shall have no other gods beside me; and again in another passage, I am the first, He says, and the last; and beside me there is none other. Thus they say they prove that God is one. And then they answer in this manner: If therefore I acknowledge Christ to be God, He is the Father Himself, if He is indeed God; and Christ suffered, being Himself God; and consequently the Father suffered, for He was the Father Himself. But the case stands not thus; for the Scriptures do not set forth the matter in this manner.
And again:
3. In this way, then, they choose to set forth these things, and they make use only of one class of passages; just in the same one-sided manner that Theodotus employed when he sought to prove that Christ was a mere man. But neither has the one party nor the other understood the matter rightly, as the Scriptures themselves confute their senselessness, and attest the truth. See, brethren, what a rash and audacious dogma they have introduced, when they say without shame, the Father is Himself Christ, Himself the Son, Himself was born, Himself suffered, Himself raised Himself. But it is not so. The Scriptures speak what is right; but Noetus is of a different mind from them. Yet, though Noetus does not understand the truth, the Scriptures are not at once to be repudiated.
4. Let us, as I said, see how he is confuted, and then let us set forth the truth. Now he quotes the words, Egypt has laboured, and the merchandise of Ethiopia and the Sabeans, and so forth on to the words, For You are the God of Israel, the Saviour. And these words he cites without understanding what precedes them. For whenever they wish to attempt anything underhand, they mutilate the Scriptures. But let him quote the passage as a whole, and he will discover the reason kept in view in writing it. For we have the beginning of the section a little above; and we ought, of course, to commence there in showing to whom and about whom the passage speaks.
So, Hippolytus' comment about the exclusivity of Scripture for the knowledge of God, is (in context) one about it being the sole source for theological debate and dogma. Noetus' notions either are rightly derived from Scripture, or they are not right doctrines.
But Rome cannot stand up to this test. Rome's doctrines and dogmas cannot be shown from Scripture. On the contrary, when they are put to the kind of Scriptural test that Hippolytus applies to Noetus, Rome's doctrines collapse.
That's one reason that Rome attempts to appeal to extra-scriptural tradition, particularly with respect to doctrines like the bodily assumption and the immaculate conception. That's why Rome elevates tradition to the level of Scripture, as can be clearly seen in Benedict XVI's writings (but, of course, not in the writings of Hippolytus).
Mr. Alt turns to a quotation from Basil the Great.
His first complaint is that the quoted work is not found in the 38 volume set of writings of the fathers known as the "Schaff" set (after the lead editor, Philip Schaff) or the "Eerdmans" set (after the American publisher, W. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.) (or the "Hendrickson" after the current publisher). The set is a great set and does actually mention the work in question, identifying it as one of Basil's ascetic writings.
There seems to be a fairly common misconception, however, that this set is somehow complete, or representative of the important works. That is not the case. There are a number of other major English translations of patristic writings, including
Ancient Christian Writers Series (currently at 63 volumes, I believe)
Fathers of the Church Series (Volume 126 is set to be released in April, I believe)
There are also a number of other series out there, including a very significant series that will attempt to translate all of Augustine's works – The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century.
There is some overlap amongst the various collections – and some very popular works have been translated a large number of times (Augustine's "Confessions" and "City of God" are examples of this).
That's just limiting our discussion to English. The original Latin and Greek is also available for many works, in hundreds of volumes printed by Migne and others.
Mr. Alt complains that because the work is not in the Schaff set and did not turn up in his Amazon search, it is hard to get access to it.
I would note that it was translated (among some of Basil's other ascetic works) as part of the Fathers of the Church series (see the link above), and was placed on-line for free at Archive.org. So, it is not that hard to access.
The ascetic works were also published by Clarke in 1925 or so, but that translation is a little harder to get.
Mr. Alt provides some analysis of the quotation from Basil, but his analysis is confusing. The quotation itself commands the hearers to only accept teachings that are proved from the Scriptures. Mr. Alt argues that Roman doctrines are not contrary to Scripture – but that the simply are not taught by Scripture.
But that doesn't pass Basil's test. The Roman dogmas are foreign to scripture. Recall that Basil said: "The hearers taught in the Scriptures ought to test what is said by teachers and accept that which agrees with the Scriptures but reject that which is foreign."
Keep in mind that Basil explains how his "Morals" (the book that includes the quotation Mr. Alt identified) was constructed:
Considering that, for the present, enough has been said above regarding a sound faith, I shall now try, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep my promise with regard to the Morals. Accordingly, whatever I have so far discovered in the way of prohibitions or commended acts in scattered passages throughout the New Testament, I have attempted to the best of my ability to gather together into rules summarized for the convenience of those who desire this service. With each rule, also, I have coupled a listing by number of Scriptural passages comprised in the rule, as taken from the Gospels, from the Apostle, or the Acts. In this way, one who reads the rule and sees, for example, the number 'one' or 'two' cited with it, may consult the Scripture itself and, looking up the passages quoted under the aforesaid number, find the testimony from which the rule was derived.
Furthermore, I intended at first to make a harmony with quotations from the Old Testament for each passage of the New Testament which accompanies the rules; but, since the need was pressing and my brethren in Christ were urgently demanding that I fulfill my promise of long standing, I recalled the words of Him who said: 'Give an occasion to a wise man and wisdom shall be added to him' [Proverbs 9:9] Consequently, if anyone so desires, he will find a satisfactory starting point in the testimonies that are cited for taking up the Old Testament and discovering for himself the harmony in all the Holy Scriptures, especially since, for the faithful and for those fully convinced of the truth of our Lord's words, one utterance alone is enough. I have, therefore, considered it sufficient also to cite a few only and not all the proofs to be found in the New Testament.
Mr. Alt makes some complaints about the syntax of the sentence, which may be legitimate, but which are resolved by examining the context.
The quotation is taken from Rule 72 of the Morals, which states:
Concerning the hearers: that those hearers who are instructed in the Scriptures should examine what is said by the teachers, receiving what is in conformity with the Scriptures and rejecting what is opposed to them; and that those who persist in teaching such doctrines should be strictly avoided.
Cap. 1
Matthew [18.7-9] : 'Woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out' and similarly with regard to the hand and foot. John [10.1]: 'Amen, amen I say to you:, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber;' and a little further on [10.5]: 'But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him because they know not the voice of strangers.' Gal. [1.8]: 'But though we or an angel from heaven preach a gospel to you besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.' 1 Thess. [5.20-22] : 'Despise not prophecies. Prove all things ; hold fast that which is good. From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves.'
That they who possess little knowledge of the Scriptures should recognize the distinctive mark of the saints by the fruits of the Spirit, receiving those who bear this mark and avoiding those who do not.
Matthew [7,15,16] : 'Beware of false prophets who come to you in the clothing of sheep but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them.' Phil. [3.17] : 'Be ye followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you have our model.'
That they who teach rightly the Word of Truth should be received even as the Lord, unto the glory of Him who has sent them, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matthew [10.40]: 'He that receiveth you, receiveth me.' John [13.20]: 'He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me.' Luke [10.16]: 'He that heareth you, heareth me.' Gal. [4.13,14] : 'And the temptation in my flesh, you despised not nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.'
That they who heed not those who are sent by the Lord bring dishonor not only upon these latter, but upon Him also who sent them, and they draw down upon themselves a harsher judgment than that pronounced upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrha.
Matthew [10.14,15] : 'And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words, going forth out of that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Amen I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that city.' Luke [10.16]: 'He that despiseth you, despiseth me.' 1 Thess. [4.8] : 'Therefore, he that despiseth these things, despiseth not man, but God who also hath given his holy Spirit in us.'
That the teaching of the Lord's commandments should be received as having the power to procure eternal life and the kingdom of heaven; and also that we should put it into practice with a good will, even though it seem arduous.
John [5.24] : 'Amen, amen I say unto you, that he who heareth my word and believeth him that sent me, hath life everlasting and cometh not into judgment but is passed from death to life.' Acts [14.20-22] : 'And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith; and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven.'
That reprimand and censure should be accepted as healing remedies for vice and as conducive to health; whence it is evident that they who feign indulgence in a spirit of flattery and do not upbraid the sinners cause them to suffer supreme loss and plot the destruction of that life which is their true life.
Matthew [18.15]: 'But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. 3 1 Cor. [5.4,5]: 'You being gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 5 2 Cor. [7.8-10] : 'Seeing that the same epistle (although but for a time) did make you sorrowful, now I am glad, not because you were made sorrowful, but because you were made sorrowful unto penance. For you were made sorrowful according to God, that you might suffer by us in nothing. For the sorrow that is according to God worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation.' Tit. [1.13]: 'Wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith.'
Mr. Alt thinks: "All of these things aside, however, all that Basil appears to be saying here is that a legitimate teacher ought not to contradict the Scriptures." But actually Basil is directing "hearers" to judge teachers according to the Scripture. Mr. Alt thinks Rome passes that test, but if Basil is right we ought to make an examination of Rome's doctrines by Scripture.
Basil himself is not afraid of his test, but Rome is. Thus, Rome insists that Scripture must be interpreted so as not to contradict what Rome teaches.
Mr. Alt then turns to a quotation from Athanasius, that Mr. Alt thinks is not supportive of Sola Scripture. In this case, Mr. Alt thinks that the context of the quotation from Athanasius undermines the claim of Sola Scriptura. The quotation with the context Mr. Alt provides is this:
For although the sacred and inspired Scriptures are sufficient to declare the truth–while there are other works of our blessed teachers compiled for this purpose, if he meet with which a man will gain some knowledge of the interpretation of the Scriptures, and be able to learn what he wishes to know–still, as we have not at present in our hands the compositions of our teachers, we must communicate in writing to you what we learned from them–the faith, namely, of Christ the Saviour; lest any should hold cheap the doctrine taught among us, or think faith in Christ unreasonable.
Mr. Alt thinks that this passage suggests that the Bible was not available to individual Christians until the printing press (a common myth). Suffice to say that the churches have been reading the Scriptures aloud during the weekly service since at least the time of Justin Martyr. Thus, the people at least had access to the Scriptures that way. Moreover, while books could get expensive, people did make and buy books.
The time when the Scriptures became unavailable to people was actually in the late middle ages, where the vernacular Scriptures were not read in churches at Rome's dictate.
Mr. Alt also thinks Athanasius' comment suggests the people need to be guided and taught in the proper understanding and exegesis of Scripture. But Mr. Alt's view seems to negate, rather than qualify Athanasius phrase "the sacred and inspired Scriptures are sufficient" — he would not make it "although [they suffice]" but rather "because they don't suffice"!
Mr. Alt really should consider Athanasius' letter to Marcellinus and its testimony regarding Scripture's sufficiency and interpretation.
Mr. Alt then alleges that Sola Scriptura is not found in Scripture. We don't agree. The Scriptures teach the formal and material sufficiency of Scripture – it teaches us to judge teachers by the Scriptures, as Basil likewise taught.
Mr. Alt quotes some frankly bizarre comments by Dr. David Anders from the Called to Communion website. The quotation makes allegations like "The Reformers had no defense for sola scriptura; they merely asserted it." This kind of comment at best displays a profound ignorance of the writings of the Reformers. Not only did Calvin provide masterful defenses of Sola Scriptura, William Whitaker provided a defense of Sola Scriptura that remains a classic.
I can understand that Mr. Alt may rely on these false claims from "Dr. Anders" but the problem is that the claims are false.
Finally, we get to Mr. Alt's primary concern. He states:
And that brings me to what I really wanted to talk about, which is TurretinFan's claim, in his debate with Catholic apologist William Albrecht, that "sola scriptura is what we do to the Bible once we have the Bible." Dr. James White, in a 1997 debate with Gerry Matatics, claimed likewise that "sola scriptura is a doctrine that speaks to the normative condition of the church, not to times of enscripturation." At bottom, these are appeals to tradition. They are appeals to some "normative condition" that exists outside of scripture and subsequent to Christ, the apostles, and the early Church Fathers. If that is the case, one naturally wonders why all the attempts to find the doctrine in Scripture or the Church Fathers. But apart from that, the very appeal to a "normative condition," binding upon Christians, is contrary to the very idea of sola scriptura. If that is what sola scriptura is, sola scriptura fails its own test. I completely understand, though, that Reformed apologists like Dr. White and TurretinFan are–as Dr. Anders points out–attempting to finally fulfil the obligation to somehow, some way, show how sola scriptura is true. I just don't think they do a very convincing job of it.
Actually, Mr. Alt is making this more complicated than it needs to be. Here are two simpler ways to consider it.
1) Both sides agree that Scripture is authoritative.
2) Your side insists something else is as authoritative, but you can't establish its authority.
1) When we had Scripture and the apostles, we didn't have just Scripture, we had the apostles and Scripture.
2) But now that the apostles are gone, we just have Scripture, because we don't have the apostles any more.
Neither of those is an appeal to some authority outside of Scripture. There's nothing "authoritative" about the fact that the apostles have left, nevertheless they have gone. There's nothing "authoritative" about the fact that Rome's claims of papal and conciliar authority lack warrant, but the do lack warrant.
Mr. Alt poses three questions. My (TurretinFan's) answers are interspersed below:
1. "First, who was the first person to articulate a defense of sola scriptura by speaking of it as a "normative condition" of the Church? Who first defined sola scriptura in these terms?"
The first person I can think of who fairly clearly articulated that idea is Irenaeus (died around A.D. 202) who stated:
Since, therefore, the tradition from the apostles does thus exist in the Church, and is permanent among us, let us revert to the Scriptural proof furnished by those apostles who did also write the Gospel, in which they recorded the doctrine regarding God, pointing out that our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, John 14:6 and that no lie is in Him.
Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 5, Section 1.
The exact phrase "normative condition" may be original to Dr. White, but it is the idea, not the phrase that matters.
2. "Second, who was the first person to articulate the doctrine of sola scriptura itself–and I'm not talking about Church Fathers who use the Bible to prove a theological point, or who speak highly of the Scriptures. I'm talking about a Church Father, or anyone, who credibly and demonstrably speaks of the Scriptures in terms of exclusivity as a "sole rule of faith." One might want to look at my previous article here for a fuller discussion of what I mean by "exclusivity.""
Again, let's go to Irenaeus, who writes: "We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our faith. "
But since that lacks some of the "exclusive" sounding language, consider Origin's words in the preface of his Principiis:
All who believe and are assured that grace and truth were obtained through Jesus Christ, and who know Christ to be the truth, agreeably to His own declaration, I am the truth, derive the knowledge which incites men to a good and happy life from no other source than from the very words and teaching of Christ. And by the words of Christ we do not mean those only which He spoke when He became man and tabernacled in the flesh; for before that time, Christ, the Word of God, was in Moses and the prophets. For without the Word of God, how could they have been able to prophesy of Christ? And were it not our purpose to confine the present treatise within the limits of all attainable brevity, it would not be difficult to show, in proof of this statement, out of the Holy Scriptures, how Moses or the prophets both spoke and performed all they did through being filled with the Spirit of Christ. And therefore I think it sufficient to quote this one testimony of Paul from the Epistle to the Hebrews, in which he says: By faith Moses, when he had come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the Egyptians. Moreover, that after His ascension into heaven He spoke in His apostles, is shown by Paul in these words: Or do you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me?
3. "Third, if sola scriptura is not to be found in the Bible, and it is not to be found in the Church Fathers, then how–outside of an appeal to tradition or "normative conditions"–is it to be defended? And how is that not self-contradictory?"
It is found in the Bible and it was believed by many of the church fathers – some more consistently than others – some more explicitly than others – some more powerfully expressed than others.
This chance to discuss our responses on the Dividing Line program is useful, because Mr. Albrecht referred to Dr. White's position during the debate, and I could not recall precisely what Dr. White had said. Nevertheless, there is significant agreement between us, as I think came out on the Dividing Line Program for January 17, 2013.
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In 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history by becoming the first democratically elected female president of an African country. A decade later and as President Sirleaf gets ready to leave office in January 2018, what will be her legacy both in Liberia and on the continent? With a handful of exceptions, there's acute gender disparity in most African Parliaments and the majority of political parties are still predominantly male-dominated. A stalwart of female leadership, President Sirleaf and her co-panellists will discuss the main challenges for the political participation of women in Africa and what can be done to support and encourage more women to pursue elected office.
The speaker panel will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
Please allow at least 15 minutes to clear security at Portcullis House visitors entance. The Attlee Suite is on the first floor.


§ 61.23 Medical certificates: Requirement and duration.
(v) Except for a glider category rating or a balloon class rating, prior to taking a practical test that is performed in an aircraft for a certificate or rating at the recreational, private, commercial, or airline transport pilot certificate level.
(8) When taking a test or check for a certificate, rating, or authorization conducted in a flight simulator or flight training device.
(c) Operations requiring either a medical certificate or U.S. driver's license.
(iii) A flight instructor certificate with a sport pilot rating while acting as pilot in command or serving as a required flight crewmember of a light-sport aircraft other than a glider or balloon.
(iv) Not know or have reason to know of any medical condition that would make that person unable to operate a light-sport aircraft in a safe manner.
(d) Duration of a medical certificate.
(iii) The period specified in paragraph (c)(3) of this section for operations requiring a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), or a student pilot certificate.
(ii) The period specified in paragraph (c)(3) of this section for operations requiring a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), or a student pilot certificate.
(B) The 24th month after the month of the date of the examination shown on the certificate if the person has reached his or her 40th birthday on or before the date of the examination.
Medical certificates: Requirement and duration.
[(d) Duration of a medical certificate.
(i) A first-class medical certificate. (A) Under age 40 ....... an airline transport pilot certificate .................. 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(B) Age 40 or older .... an airline transport pilot certificate .................. 6th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(C) Any age ................ a commercial pilot certificate or an air traffic control tower operator certificate. 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(D) Under age 40 ....... a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical qualification). 60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
as medical qualification). 24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
medical certificate. (A) Any age ................ a commercial pilot certificate or an air traffic control tower operator certificate. 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(B) Under age 40 ....... a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical qualification). 60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(C) Age 40 or older .... a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical qualification). 24th month after the month of the date of exmination shown on the medical certificate.
cate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical qualification). 60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
cate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical qualification). 24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.


This is the 2018 Audi RS3.
It's a 400-horsepower rocket in the guise of a compact sedan.
Most importantly, it's coming to the US!
The 0-60 sprint is achieved in 4.1 seconds.
Top speed? A healthy 174 mph.
All while seating four comfortably -- five in a pinch.
And, with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you won't be lacking for interior accomodations, either. Click through for some more pics from Audi.


Large double zipped duffle compartment with three small velcro side pockets.Double carry handles. Side double zipped pocket with four small slip compartments. Pull out handle and padded grab handle.
Extra Large Adidas Wheeled Kit Bag with solid sides and base (it does not fold up). Large double zipped duffle compartment with three small velcro side pockets.Double carry handles. Side double zipped pocket with four small slip compartments. Pull out handle and padded grab handle. Dimensions: 98 x 38 x 46 cm = 39 x 15 x 18 inches approx. Capacity: 160 Litres | Weight: 6 Kg approx.


It may be hard to believe now, but there was actually a time when punctuation was not used at all in the English language. If that wasn't bad enough, there were also no LOWER CASE LETTERS or SPACE IN BETWEEN WORDS. That means this sentence would have read like this: THATMEANSTHISSENTENCEWOULDHAVEREADLIKETHIS! When you think about it, reading and writing had to be quite confusing. It would also make things much more difficult for everyone to understand. Luckily, someone came up with punctuations, lowercase letters and spaces. But when did people actually start using punctuation? Who introduced it to the English language and why? The history of punctuation and how people began to use it in English is very interesting.
When it came to all languages, punctuation has a different origin. The reason for this is that the earliest writings had no actual need for either punctuation or spacing. The writings such as Logographic and Syllabic had each word which contained itself within the symbol. These earliest writings are the Chinese and Mayan. However, when it came to the alphabetic writing, the lack of spacing and punctuation make it quite difficult to comprehend anything written. This was a huge problem back ancient Greece. Those that read things out loud to others, had to practice extensively before hand. Moreover, anyone who did read anything, had to re-read it several times before they really understood it.
You may also be interested in reading Do Punctuation Marks Go Inside Or Outside Of Quotation Marks?
That all changed by the 3rd Century BCE. It was then when a librarian by the name of Aristophanes, from the Hellenic Egyptian city of Alexandria, said enough. He is credited with introducing most of precursors found on the punctuation marks of today. Aristophanes came up with the suggestion of inserting dots. These are what we call periods today. Those dots where to be used as a way to indicate a pause needed or the end of a passage. This was very useful since it was extremely difficult for someone to continue reading without catching their breath.
Still, back in those days, in both Rome and Greece, speaking persuasively was more important than writing. Case in point can be seen by the Romans who abandoned Aristophanes's method once they conquered the Greeks. Cicero was considered one of the best and most famous public speakers in Rome. He argued that the end of a sentence should be determined by the 'constraint of the rhythm' and not by stroke positioned by a copyist.
Once the Roman Empire dissipated and crumbled in the 4th and 5th Centuries, punctuation got another chance. Once Christians began to spread the word via writings, they re-introduced the system created by Aristophane. As the writings using this method spread, more and more writers began to feel comfortable with their work. They started to experiment with new dots, introducing variables to the question marks and colons.
By the 7th and th centuries, Irish and Scottish monks are said to have popularized or invented spaces between words. Charlamagne is the one who is typically credited with introducing the lowercase letters by the end of 8th century. All of this came about once he requested to a monk named Alcuin, that he come up with a unified alphabet. Then, by the 1400s, the Boncompagno da Signa's slash became what is known today as the modern comma.
Here are some Punctuation Rules you do not want to miss reading about.
Although the English language contains many grammatical rules which can be confusing, the addition of punctuation was the best thing to happen to it. Without a doubt, we would have been lost without any of the punctuations we used today. Some refer to the Emojis we used today with our smartphones, computers and mobile devices, as the new form of punctuation. Who knows what the future generations may have in mind when it comes to punctuation.
‹ How Long Should Paragraphs Be?


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Arctic sea ice 2017: Tapping the brakes in September
CevherShare
After setting a record low seasonal maximum in early March, Arctic sea ice extent continued to track low through July. However, the rate of ice loss slowed in August and September. The daily minimum extent, reached on September 13, was the eighth lowest on record, while the monthly average extent was seventh lowest. In Antarctica, sea ice extent may have reached its annual winter maximum.
Overview of conditions
Figure 1. Arctic sea ice extent for September 2017 was 4.87 million square kilometers (1.88 million square miles). The magenta line shows the 1981 to 2010 average extent for that month. Sea Ice Index data. About the data
Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center
High-resolution image
Arctic sea ice extent for September 2017 averaged 4.87 million square kilometers (1.88 million square miles), the seventh lowest in the 1979 to 2017 satellite record. This was 1.67 million square kilometers (645,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average, and 1.24 million square kilometers (479,000 square miles) above the record low September set in 2012.
After reaching the minimum on September 13 (eighth lowest on record), extent initially increased slowly (about 20,000 square kilometers, or 8,000 square miles, per day). However, starting September 26 and persisting through the end of the month, ice growth rates increased to about 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 square miles) per day. During the second half of the month, extent increased in all sectors except in the Beaufort Sea, where some local ice retreat persisted. The most rapid growth occurred along the Siberian side of the Arctic Ocean, where the ice edge advanced as much as 150 kilometers (90 miles) over the latter half of September. At the end of September, the ice edge in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas remained considerably further north than is typical.
Conditions in context
Figure 2a. The graph above shows Arctic sea ice extent as of October 4, 2017, along with daily ice extent data for five previous years. 2017 is shown in blue, 2016 in green, 2015 in orange, 2014 in brown, 2013 in purple, and 2012 in dotted brown. The 1981 to 2010 median is in dark gray. The gray areas around the median line show the interquartile and interdecile ranges of the data. Sea Ice Index data.
Figure 2b. This image shows the departure from average sea level pressure in millibars over the Arctic for June, July, and August in 2017. Yellows and reds indicate higher than average pressures; blues and purples indicate lower than average pressures.
Credit: NSIDC courtesy NOAA/ESRL Physical Sciences Division
September air temperatures at the 925 hPa level (approximately 2,500 feet above sea level) were above average over much of the Arctic Ocean. Temperatures ranged from 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1981 to 2010 long term average in the far northern Atlantic east of Greenland, to 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit) above the reference period in the western Arctic. Cooler conditions (1 degree Celsius or 2 degrees Fahrenheit below average) were present in Baffin Bay. Part of the above average temperatures over the coastal areas of the Arctic Ocean and in the northern North Atlantic likely results from heat fluxes from open water.
Looking back at this past summer (June through August), air temperatures at the 925 hPa level averaged for June through August were near or below the 1981 to 2010 average over much of the Arctic Ocean, notably along the Siberian side centered over the Laptev Sea (1 degree Celsius or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit below the 1981 to 2010 average). By contrast, temperatures were slightly above average over much of the East Siberian, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas (1 degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit above average).
Like 2016, the summer of 2017 was characterized by persistently stormy patterns over the central Arctic Ocean, reflected in the summer average sea level pressure field (Figure 2b) as an area of low pressure centered just south of the North Pole in the Siberian sector of the Arctic. As has been shown in past studies, low pressure systems found over the central Arctic Ocean in summer are typically "cold cored." This helps to explain the cool summer temperatures noted above. The cyclonic (counterclockwise) winds associated with the stormy pattern also tend to spread out the sea ice. Both processes likely helped to slow sea ice loss this summer.
September 2017 compared to previous years
Figure 3. Monthly September ice extent for 1979 to 2017 shows a decline of 13.2 percent per decade.
The linear rate of sea ice decline for September is 86,100 square kilometers (33,200 square miles) per year, or 13.2 percent per decade relative to the 1981 to 2010 average. For comparison, the decline rate was calculated at 13.7 percent after the 2013 minimum, and 13.4 percent in 2016. Although sea ice shows significant year-to-year variability, the overall trend of decline remains strong.
Thickness and age trends in Arctic sea ice from models and data
Figure 4a. This image from the Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS) shows Arctic sea ice thickness departures from average (anomaly) in meters for September 2017, relative to the 2000 to 2015 average. Reds indicate thicker than average ice; blues indicate thinner than average ice.
Credit: NSIDC courtesy University of Washington Polar Science Center
Figure 4b. Sea ice age distribution at the annual minimum extent for 1985 (upper left) and 2017 (upper right). Time series (bottom) of different age categories the minimum extent for 1985 to 2017. Note that the ice age product does not include ice in the Canadian Archipelago. Data from Tschudi et al., EASE-Grid Sea Ice Age, Version 3
Credit: W. Meier/National Snow and Ice Data Center, M. Tschudi et al.
According to estimates from the University of Washington Polar Science Center's PIOMAS, which assimilates observational data into a coupled ice-ocean model, sea ice volume was at record low levels from January through June of 2017. However, the generally cool summer conditions slowed the rate of ice melt, and the ice volume for September ended up fourth lowest in the PIOMAS record, above 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Another way to assess the volume of the ice, at least in a qualitative sense, is through tracking sea ice age (Figure 4b). Older ice is generally thicker ice. Over the satellite record, there has been a significant decline in coverage of the oldest, thickest ice. While this year's minimum sea ice extent is higher than in 2016, the marginal gain can be largely attributed to younger ice types: first-year ice (0 to 1 years old) and second-year ice (1 to 2 years old). The oldest ice, that which is over 4 years old, is only slightly higher than last year and remains almost non-existent within the Arctic. At the minimum this year, ice older than 4 years constituted only ~150,000 square kilometers (~58,000 square miles), compared to over 2 million square kilometers (~770,000 square miles) during the mid-1980s.
Antarctic maximum extent
Figure 5. The graph above shows Antarctic sea ice extent as of October 4, 2017, along with daily ice extent data for 2017 (aqua), 2016 (red), 2013 (dotted green), and 1986 (yellow). The 1981 to 2010 median is in dark gray. The gray areas around the median line show the interquartile and interdecile ranges of the data. Sea Ice Index data.
Antarctic sea ice may have reached its maximum extent on September 15, at 17.98 million square kilometers (6.94 million square miles), among the earliest maxima on record. If this date and extent hold, it will be the second-lowest daily maximum in the satellite record, 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles) above 1986. Antarctic sea ice extent has been at record or near-record lows since September 2016. A series of recent studies have explored causes of the sudden decline in extent that occurred in austral late winter and spring of 2016. Most studies conclude that an unusual period of strong meridional winds—consistent with a very pronounced negative phase of the Southern Annular Mode index, coupled with a significant 'wave-3 pattern' in the atmospheric circulation—were the cause. A 'wave-3 pattern' refers to a tendency for circulation around the southern continent to resemble a three-leaf clover, rather than the more typical near-zonal (along lines of latitude) pattern.
The Maud Rise polynya, discussed in our last post, continues to grow and is now at about 35,000 square kilometers (14,000 square miles). A recent study (see Further reading, below) discusses how its formation is related to climate patterns and natural variability, and that the recent reappearance supports a forecast by an updated climate model.
Driftwood and long-term changes in Arctic ice movement
Figure 6. The maps show two modes of wintertime Arctic sea ice circulation patterns. (a) shows the Low Arctic Oscillation (AO) index has a strong Beaufort Gyre which supports ice re-circulation within the Arctic. (b) shows the High AO index in which the Beaufort Gyre is weak and the Transpolar Drift expands, leading to Arctic ice exported in a shorter time interval. Bold numbers show the average time in years for ice starting from various locations to be exported through Fram Strait under the illustrated patterns. The red dashed lines encircle the region of ice recirculation and persistence (Rigor et al., 2002). Over continents, light blue lines show watersheds with named major rivers (shown as bold blue lines) that export driftwood into the Arctic Ocean. Green letters indicate driftwood sample regions: CAA, Canadian Arctic Archipelago; EG, East Greenland; JM, Jan Mayen; NG, North Greenland; FJL, Franz Josef Land; NZ, Novaya Zemlya; SB, Svalbard. Circulation patterns compiled and modified from Rigor et al. (2002).
Credit: G. Hole and M. Macias-Fauria, The Cryosphere Discuss.
While the satellite record has been key in documenting large declines in the Arctic sea ice cover during the past four decades, the data record is still relatively short. To provide a longer record, scientists turn to the geologic record and proxy data. One approach is to analyze the age, transport, and deposition of driftwood. Driftwood distribution depends strongly on past sea ice conditions and ocean currents. New research using 913 driftwood samples collected across the western Arctic (Figure 6) has shed new insight on sea ice changes during the Holocene, between 12,000 years ago to present. During the early Holocene (12,000 to 8,000 years ago), the analysis suggests that the clockwise Beaufort Gyre dominated Arctic Ocean circulation, allowing more sea ice to stay within the Arctic Ocean. In the mid-Holocene (8,000 to 4,000 years ago), temperatures were higher and the Transpolar Drift dominated, leading to more ice export out of the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait and less sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. In the late Holocene (4,000 years ago to present), the Beaufort Gyre once again strengthened as temperatures slowly cooled until the most recent several decades.
Hole, G. M. and M. Macias-Fauria. 2017. Out of the woods: Driftwood insights into Holocene pan-Arctic sea ice dynamic., J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 122, doi:10.1002/2017JC013126.
Reintges, A., T. Martin, M. Latif, and W. Park. 2017. Physical controls of Southern Ocean deep-convection variability in CMIP5 models and the Kiel Climate Model. Geophys. Res. Lett., 44 (13), 6951-6958, doi:10.1002/2017GL074087.
Rigor, I.G., Wallace, J.M. and Colony, R.L. 2002. Response of sea ice to the Arctic Oscillation. Journal of Climate,15 (18), 2648-2663, doi:10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<2648:ROSITT>2.0.CO;2.
Schlosser, E., Haumann, F. A., and Raphael, M. N. Atmospheric influences on the anomalous 2016 Antarctic sea ice decay. The Cryosphere Discuss., doi:10.5194/tc-2017-192, in review, 2017.
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text:
Dennis Erickson Biography
Dennis Erickson is an American former football coach. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, personal life, career, and achievements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DieSBPNhS_E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XgSa8dJdWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_duuVXS6w
Famous: Coaches American Men
Age: 72 Years, 72 Year Old Males
Also Known As: Dennis Brian Erickson
Born Country: United States
Born in: Everett, Washington, United States
Famous as: Football Coach
Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Males
Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Erickson
father: Robert, Robert "Pink" Erickson
mother: Mary Erickson
children: Bryce Erickson, Ryan Erickson
U.S. State: Washington
education: Everett High School, Montana State University
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Dennis Erickson is a former American football coach who has had a distinguished career of over 47 years, serving several colleges and 'National Football League' (NFL) teams. He has coached the teams of the universities of 'Idaho' (1982–1985, 2006), 'Wyoming' (1986), 'Washington State' (1987–1988), 'Miami' (1989–1994), 'Oregon State' (1999–2002), and 'Arizona State' (2007–2011). He started as a player in college but later made his coaching debut at the 'Billings Central Catholic High School.' Erickson's football career as a coach has been nothing less than glorious. His teams have never lost more than two games during a regular season, which vouches for his 63–9 coaching mark and career-defining scores at 'Miami.' He was the eighteenth head coach of the 'Miami Hurricanes' and is still the only head coach with two national titles in the history of the franchise. Throughout his career, Erickson has made many achievements. He retired in 2016.
American Coaches
Male Sportspersons
Erickson was born Dennis Brian Erickson, on March 24, 1947, in Everett, Washington, to Robert "Pink" Erickson and Mary Erickson. He grew up in Ferndale, Washington. Erickson was a quarterback at 'Everett High,' from where he graduated in 1965.
He had a football scholarship to 'Montana State University' in Bozeman, where he played under head coach Jim Sweeney.
In 1969, he was a graduate assistant coach at 'Montana State.' The following year, Erickson became the head coach at the 'Billings Central HS.' From 1971 to 1973, he was a running back for 'Montana State.' Meanwhile, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education from 'Montana State' in 1970. He was a 'Sigma Alpha Epsilon' fraternity member.
From 1966 to 1968, he was an effective undersized quarterback and won all-conference honors in the collegiate athletic conference 'Big Sky.' Erickson started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the 'Montana State Bobcats' football program in 1969.
By 1970, he had made his debut as the head coach at 'Billings High.' Though Erickson stayed for just one season, it kickstarted his career.
American Sportspersons
Aries Men
Erickson was a college assistant offensive coach at 'Montana State University' in 1971, under Sonny Holland, and served as an offensive coordinator at the 'University of Idaho,' under head coach Ed Troxel, for two seasons.
Erickson moved to 'Fresno State' in 1976 and became the offensive coordinator (1976–1978) there. He joined 'San Jose State' in 1979 and remained their offensive coordinator for three seasons.
Erickson was considered for 'Weber State' after the 1980 season, a job that ultimately went to Mike Price. Erickson finally got the chance to be a head coach in the next season.
Erickson's professional career as a head coach began at the 'University of Idaho' in 1982. He joined on a 1-year contract but remained till four seasons, till 1985. His reputation as an offensive innovator for the 'Idaho Vandals' earned him the honor of being the team's ''all-time winningest head coach.''
Some of Erickson's most notable 'Vandals' recruits were his quarterbacks. Under his coaching, the team made it to the top 'I-AA' program and had a winning streak for 15 consecutive seasons (1982–1996). They entered the 'Division I-AA' playoffs 11 times in 14 seasons.
On December 2, 1985, Erickson was named the head coach of the 'Division I-A' 'Wyoming Cowboys.' His "Air Express" spread offense got the team victories at 'Air Force' and Wisconsin. Through he was part of a 4-year contract, Erickson left 'Wyoming' without any prior notice after the 1986 season, to serve as the head coach at 'Washington State.'
Erickson's life-long goal was met on January 7, 1987, when he joined the 'Washington State Cougars' of the 'Pac-10.' He signed a 5-year deal with the program. Erickson gave the 'Cougars' a post-season victory in the 'Aloha Bowl' in 1988, the team's first bowl victory since the 1916 'Rose Bowl.'
Erickson joined the 'Miami Hurricanes' of the 'University of Miami' on March 1989, just a week after he stated he would not leave the 'Cougars.' He led the team for six seasons (1989–1994) and scored two national championship wins (1989 and 1991), more than any other 'Miami' coach. With a 0.875 winning percentage (63–9), Erickson tops the list of successful coaches in the history of the program.
Under Erickson, 'Miami' won 14 'All-Americans,' 43 'NFL Draft' picks (including seven first-round picks), an 'Outland Trophy,' a 'Lombardi Trophy,' and a 'Heisman Trophy.' The team also set the 'NCAA Division-I' record of consecutive wins at home (58).
Erickson's time with 'Miami' was showcased in the 'ESPN' documentary 'The U,' which premiered on December 12, 2009.
Erickson turned down offers from both the 'Denver Broncos' and the 'Philadelphia Eagles,' to join the 'Seattle Seahawks' (January 1995). He led the team to its second-biggest comeback win ever.
However, in 1996, Erickson recorded the worst score (7–9) with the 'Seahawks.' The team's loss cost Erickson his job. He was fired and replaced by Pete Rodriguez.
In January 1999, Erickson was taken in by the 'Oregon State Beavers' of the 'Oregon State University' on a 5-year contract. He led the team to become one of three perennial "cellar dwellers" in the 'Pacific-10 Conference' and directed it to its first winning season in 29 years. The 'Beavers' entered the 1999 'Oahu Bowl,' marking their first bowl appearance in 35 years.
Under Erickson, the 'Beavers' developed national fame for their high-powered offense and swarming defense. The team also entered the 'Fiesta Bowl,' making its first major-bowl appearance since the 1965 'Rose Bowl.' The 'Beavers' won the bowl game, which is regarded as one of Erickson's major career achievements. He stayed with the team for four seasons (1999–2002).
In 2000, Erickson was named the 'Sporting News National Coach of the Year.' He left the 'Beavers' for the 'NFL,' without finishing his contract. This anguished the fans.
Erickson joined the 'San Francisco 49ers' of the 'NFL' in February 2003, signing a 5-year contract. However, he lasted for only two seasons and was fired after the 2004 season. His hiring had been highly criticized by the sports circle.
Erickson came back to the 'University of Idaho' on February 8, 2006, as their head coach. He led the team to the top 'I-AA' program in the 'Big Sky Conference.' Despite such great achievements, Erickson left 'Idaho' again, to lead his fourth 'BCS' program.
'Arizona State' athletic director Lisa Love named Erickson the head coach on December 9, 2006. This marked his third stint as a head coach in the 'Pac-10.' 'Arizona' paid buyout to 'Idaho' to rid Erickson of the contract.
In 2007, Erickson was honored with the title of 'Pac-10 Coach of the Year;' the first ever to win the award at three different 'Pac-10' schools. In 2008, the 'Arizona Board of Regents' extended his contract extension to June 2012.
Unlike Erickson's initial career at 'Arizona,' the latter was a failure, with three 'Territorial Cup' losses.
In February 2013, Erickson resumed after his retirement, to join the 'University of Utah' as their co-offensive coordinator, under head coach Kyle Whittingham. He announced his retirement again, on December 30, 2016.
In 2018, Erickson joined the 'Salt Lake Stallions' of the 'Alliance of American Football,' as their head coach. The team was set for its 2019 season, but the 'Alliance' suspended its operations on April 2, 2019, and went bankrupt a few days later.
On September 26, 2019, 'Oregon State University' and 'The National Football Foundation' (NFF), in collaboration with the 'College Hall of Fame,' announced that they would jointly honor Erickson with an 'NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute.'
Family & Personal Life
Erickson's father had served as a head football coach at 'Ferndale High School' and 'Cascade High School' in Everett.
Erickson has two sons, Bryce and Ryan, from his wife, Marilyn.
Bryce was a graduate assistant at the 'Arizona State' for the first two seasons. He became the head coach at 'South Albany High School' in Albany, Oregon, in 2012. He later joined 'Idaho' as an assistant coach.
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After 168 days in orbit, three crewmembers of the International Space Station returned to Earth on Sunday. Soyuz MS-07 Commander Anton Shkaplerov, as well as Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai, departed the International Space Station Sunday at 05:16 EDT (0916 UTC) ahead of landing three and a half hours later on the steppes of Kazakhstan.
After launching from the wintry landscape of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 17 December 2017, the three crewmembers of Soyuz MS-07 ended their six month stay aboard the International Space Station.
Hatches between Soyuz MS-07 and the nadir docking port of the Station's Rassvet module were closed at 01:55 EDT (0555 UTC), with Shkaplerov (Roscosmos), Tingle (NASA), and Kanai (JAXA) undocking from the orbital outpost at 05:16 EDT (0916 UTC) and backing away from the ISS.
Afterward, the trio closed the hatch between the Soyuz MS-07's Orbital Module (where the docking systems and hatch to the Station are located) and the Descent Module (where the crew sits for launch, reentry, and landing).
Two and a half hours after undocking, the Soyuz MS-07 performed its deorbit burn at 07:47 EDT (1147 UTC) using an engine on the back of the Instrumentation and Service Module. Shortly thereafter, the Soyuz separated into its three constituent parts – the Orbital Module, the Descent Module, and the Instrumentation and Service Module – with only the Descent Module surviving atmospheric reentry.
Once safely through the plasma stage of reentry, a period during which communications can become ratty and unreliable, the Descent Module released its parachutes and eased down toward the Kazakh steppes.
In the final second before contact with the ground, the Descent Module fired a breaking thruster – essentially putting the crew through a minor car accident as the module decelerates rapidly for touchdown.
Landing is slated to occur around 08:40 EDT (1240 UTC) on Sunday, 3 June, though prevailing winds and atmospheric flight can vary this anticipated time for Soyuz. Likewise, this landing time was based on an assumed nominal reentry trajectory and profile.
The actual touchdown time was about a minute ahead of schedule.
Soyuz had a backup trajectory available to it – known as a Ballistic Reentry – in the event that an emergency is detected after the deorbit burn occurs.
This type of emergency reentry profile last occurred on back-to-back Soyuz TMA landings on the TMA-10 and -11 missions when the Instrumentation and Service Module failed to separate from the Descent Module. When this occurred, the Descent Module's computers triggered a ballistic reentry on both flights – a trajectory designed to get the crew through reentry as quickly as possible to maintain their safety.
The trajectory on ballistic reentries is much steeper, exerts higher G-force loads on the crew, and results in a landing hundreds of kilometers from the intended recovery zone. In both the Soyuz TMA-10 and -11 cases, the ballistic reentry worked as designed, protected the crew, and got them to the ground safely, where they were then recovered.
During their six-month stay aboard the International Space Station, the three members of the Soyuz MS-07 crew participated in numerous scientific studies aboard the research outpost, including numerous experiments brought to the Station by the OA-8E Orbital ATK Cygnus resupply vehicle as well as the CRS-13 and CRS-14 missions by the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Some of these experiments included: Assessing Osteoblast Response to Tetranite, Implantable Nanochannel System for Delivery of Therapeutics for Muscle Atrophy (Rodent Research-6), and Comparative Real-time Metabolic Activity Tracing for Improved Therapeutic Assessment Screening Panels.
Assessing Osteoblast Response to Tetranite experiment examined the cellular response to a new type of bone adhesive in a microgravity environment by growing bone cells in the presence of a commercially available bone adhesive and a new product called Tetranite. Sets of bone cell cultures grew with the different adhesives for 20 days and were then fixed, frozen, and returned to Earth for detailed analysis in a fully equipped biological laboratory.
The goal of this investigation was to explore the ability of Tetranite, a synthetic bone material capable of adhering bone to metal within minutes, to accelerate bone repair. It is well known that microgravity affects bone cell growth and healing, mimicking the symptoms observed in osteoporosis. This investigation sought to evaluate the response of osteoblasts (a bone cell subtype responsible for renewing bones) to Tetranite.
Understanding bone cell-Tetranite interactions could provide insight into the post-fracture bone healing response and assist in the development of more effective treatments for patients with osteoporosis.
Rodent Research-6 (RR-6) used mice flown to the Station as well as a set of mice on Earth to test a drug delivery system for combatting muscular breakdown (atrophy) in space or during period of muscle inactivity (disuse conditions).
RR-6 included groups of mice selectively treated with a placebo or implanted with a nanochannel drug delivery chip that administered compounds meant to maintain muscle in low gravity/disuse conditions. Two groups of 20 mice lived aboard the ISS in the rodent habitat for durations of one and two months for this experiment which specifically studied an implantable drug delivery system that could circumvent the need for daily injections.
The drug formoterol, used in the management of asthma and other medical conditions, was administered by controlled release from a nanochannel implant to achieve a constant and reliable dosage. If successful, this system could serve as a more reliable and accurate technology for drug delivery.
Moreover, it could rapidly translate into a commercial product to treat sarcopenia, or muscle wasting – a condition that affects more than 50% of the geriatric population. Current therapeutics used to treat this condition are limited to physical activity or generic hormones. The most commonly used pharmaceutical intervention for sarcopenia is formoterol, but administering these drugs requires a daily injection, which can be inconvenient.
This will test plans to develop an implantable device that will safely administer formoterol over a long period of time without patients needing a daily injection, something that could greatly improve quality of life.
The Comparative Real-time Metabolic Activity Tracing for Improved Therapeutic Assessment Screening Panels experiment from 490 Biotech sought to illuminate the effects of microgravity on the metabolic impact of therapeutics by evaluating the effectiveness of auto-bioluminescent human tissue culture as a tool for streamlining microgravity-based drug discovery assays (testing of a metal or ore to determine its ingredients and quality).
For this experiment, the light emitted by the 490 Biotech bioluminescent cells was used to judge the cells' overall health – with healthy cells glowing bright and dead cells not glowing at all. While this type of testing is already being conducted on Earth, the microgravity environment is actually a better medium in which to study human cells because "somewhat ironically, when you grow these types of human cells in a dish, if you grow them in microgravity their physiology, the way they behave, is actually more similar to how they behave in the body then if you grow them in a lab on Earth," said Dr. Dan Close of 490 Biotech.
This is because cells grown in dishes on Earth spread out in two dimensional instead of the three dimensional growth patterns as happens in the body. In space, cells grown in dishes naturally grow in three dimensional patterns, and this makes it easier to study the effects of therapeutics because scientists are studying the cells from a natural growth state.
"Our hope is that we can demonstrate that taking advantage of the more natural human physiology that occurs within these cells during growth on the International Space Station can provide a way for pharmaceutical companies to do [part of their drug] screenings at low cost in Low Earth Orbit and get better information about the safety and potential functionality of these new drug compounds," said Dr. Close.


Only minutes from I22 $15,000.00 per ac total of 7ac. Close to shopping, restaurants. Plenty of land to build your dream home.
Dora is located in Alabama. Dora, Alabama 35062 has a population of 1,960.
The median household income in Dora, Alabama 35062 is $44,716. The median household income for the surrounding county is $45,239 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Dora 35062 is 39.2 years.
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The California Scholarship Federation (CSF) is an Honor Society that recognizes students for academic achievement in high school.
Membership in CSF is through the Aptos High School chapter.
Students who meet the requirements apply for membership through a process including grades from the prior semester. Membership lasts for one semester and students must re-apply in following semesters. Students are recognized for academic success with the CSF seal on their diploma and a CSF pin worn at graduation.
Life membership can be achieved by seniors who have been members for four of the prior six semesters of high school. Life members are recognized at graduation by wearing the CSF pin in addition to a special stole and honor cord.
Life membership can be achieved by seniors who have been members for four of the prior six semesters of high school. Life members are recognized at graduation by wearing the CSF pin in addition to a gold honor cord and gold tassel.
To apply for membership, print the application PDFor pick up an application in the Main Office. Applications for membership for grades from the Fall, 2018 semester are due by 3:00pm, February 22, 2019.
Questions? Contact Elva Martin, CSF Coordinator in the Main Office.
The California State Seal of Biliteracy program recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English.
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District is pleased to offer this award that students may earn upon graduation from high school. The State Seal of Biliteracy includes a seal on the diploma and a medal to be awarded to each student who meets the criteria.
The current Brochure, Fact Sheet and Application may be found at PVUSD Seal of Biliteracy.
Questions? Contact Kristin Fox, Seal of Biliteracy Coordinator in the Main Office.


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Собор Сан-Паулу () — католический кафедральный собор города Сан-Паулу, Бразилия. Один из крупнейших неоготических храмов в мире.

История

История собора восходит к 1589 году, когда было принято решение о строительстве главной церкви колонии в небольшом посёлке Сан-Паулу. Работы продолжались более 20 лет, и лишь к 1616 году на месте нынешнего собора возведён храм, в котором пребывала кафедра епископа. В 1745 году старое здание было разрушено, а вместо него построена небольшая скромная церковь, простоявшая до 1911 года.

Сооружение нынешнего собора началось в 1913 году по проекту немецкого архитектора Максимилиана Эмиля Неля, который придал зданию неоготический стиль. Строительство велось почти полвека — собор был освящён в 1954 году, а работы по возведению башен закончились лишь в 1967 году.

В 2000—2002 годах проведена масштабная реконструкция, в ходе которой произведён ремонт нефа, башен, а также внутренней и внешней отделки.

Архитектура

Собор является крупнейшим религиозным сооружением Сан-Паулу: он имеет высоту 111 метров и ширину 46 метров. Планировка помещений храма напоминает латинский крест с пятью нефами и 30-метровым куполом. Общий архитектурный стиль здания — неоготический, но при этом купол выполнен в стиле Ренессанса по образу собора Санта-Мария-дель-Фьоре во Флоренции. Для оформления интерьеров использовано около 800 тонн мрамора, внутренние капители украшены зёрнами кофе, ананасами и фигурами животных.

Вместимость собора составляет 8 тыс. человек.

Крипта

В крипте, расположенной под главным алтарём, имеется подземная церковь, оформленная мраморными скульптурами Франсиско Леопольдо э Сильва, изображающих историю Иова и Иеронима Стридонского

Здесь же имеются гробницы всех епископов и архиепископов Сан-Паулу. Особо следует отметить бронзовую гробницу отца Диогу, регента Бразилии во время младенчества императора Педру II, и вождя индейского племени Гуаианаз — Тибирича, который способствовал основанию города.

Орган
В соборе установлен орган, созданный в 1954 году итальянской фирмой Balbiani & Rossi. Один из крупнейших в Латинской Америке инструментов, имеет 5 клавиатур, 329 остановок, 120 регистров и 12 тыс. труб, и оформлен в готическом стиле.

Ссылки
 Страница, посвященная собору на сайте SkyscraperPage

Культовые сооружения Сан-Паулу
Соборы Бразилии
Неоготическая архитектура Бразилии

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


NEW YORK (March 10, 2011)—The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI) today announced the launch of an innovative social network for parents and caregivers of visually impaired children.
FamilyFriends is the latest extension of AFB's web community, FamilyConnect. For the last three years, visitors to www.familyconnect.org have connected with other families through message boards and have explored resources related to raising children with visual impairments.
Now, FamilyFriends provides registered FamilyConnect users with new networking features and options to further customize and personalize their online experience. Users can create and post profiles that can be found by other parents based on such shared criteria as geographic location, a child's eye condition or a child's age.
"With only 94,000 visually impaired school-aged children in the U.S., over half of whom have additional disabilities, it's easy for families facing vision loss to feel alone," said Susan LaVenture, Executive Director of NAPVI. "FamilyConnect and its new social networking component, FamilyFriends, gives busy parents, grandparents and other caretakers an easy way to connect with each other and find support 24 hours a day."
"One of the most common questions I hear from families is 'how do I find other parents with a child who is coping with this diagnosis?'" said Scott Truax, FamilyConnect Program Manager. "The feeling of isolation can be very strong and there is a real need to talk with other parents about the unique aspects of raising a child with special needs. FamilyFriends now provides a quick way to fill those needs."
The FamilyFriends social networking features allow people experiencing vision loss in their families to come together in ways that are affirming and helpful. Users can also log into FamilyFriends for the same reason people go to other social networking sites—it gives people a real sense of community and connection. Registered members can send friendship requests, update their pages with news and photos, share links they like and follow their friends via e-mail alerts.
FamilyFriends adds a new dimension to FamilyConnect, the original web portal designed by experts at AFB and NAPVI for parents and caregivers of children with visual impairments. FamilyConnect gives parents access to message boards where they can talk to other parents, compelling videos featuring real-life families, parenting articles, a mom-authored blog, a glossary of more than 30 eye conditions and links to local resources. The site also features sections dedicated to multiple disabilities, technology, education and every age group from infants to teens.
FamilyConnect also serves Spanish-speaking families. Visitors to the FamilyConnect homepage can now choose the "Read this article in English" link or the "Leer este artículo en español" link and access more than 300 articles in Spanish. Spanish-speaking families can access the site's Spanish language content by logging in directly to www.familyconnect.org/Spanish. In addition, screen reader users can hear text pronounced correctly in both languages.
"For parents who are raising children with visual impairments, there is tremendous value in discovering that there is no challenge or experience related to vision loss that is unique to them," said Carl R. Augusto, AFB President and CEO. "With FamilyFriends and the addition of Spanish language content, this community is not only growing closer, it's becoming richer, more diverse and better informed."
FamilyFriends was developed under a grant from the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, Inc., which was a lead sponsor for the FamilyConnect web site. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was also a lead sponsor for FamilyConnect and, additionally, funded development of the Spanish-language version of the site.
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. Headquartered in New York, AFB is proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the more than forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB.
The National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI) is an international membership organization serving families in the U.S. and in 55 countries. NAPVI helps parents to find information and resources for their children who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities. NAPVI provides leadership, support, and education to assist parents in helping children reach their potential.