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March 28, 2014 · 14:38
Padre Steve Plays Devil's Advocate: The Complex and Often Confusing Issue of Religious Liberty
Religious freedom is a central tenant of the Bill of Rights and has been a central facet of American life since our inception as a country, in fact pre-dating our founding in some of the original 13 colonies most notably Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Now before anyone gets the idea that I am about to write something in favor of limiting the freedom to worship or for that matter any limitation on religious practices I am not in fact I am a stalwart supporter of religion in the Public Square and not just mine. You see I am a bit of a purest about this and my view is as long as the religious practice is not harming anyone who cares?
I believe like Thomas Jefferson who wrote in the 1779 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom:
"no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."
Some might take me to task for that as a Christian, but my point is not to argue for the Christian faith in this article. Instead my intent is to point out some of the inconsistencies of those who proclaim their rights also seek to limit the religious and even the civil rights of others based on their religious beliefs.
What I will do in this essay is to play the "Devil's advocate" in the matter of the free exercise of religion as it currently exists in the United States.
This has to be done because of the number of laws being passed by various states which are labeled as acts to protect religious liberty. Unfortunately the reality is that these laws grant license for the Christian majority in those states to discriminate against others on the basis of their religious beliefs. These individuals and religious organizations loudly proclaim their defense of the right to free exercise, but it is more their free exercise rights that they are defending than the rights of others.
In fact those that shout the loudest are also those who seek to limit the religious rights of others using the laws of the Federal Government and the various States and Commonwealths that make up the United States. Since law in the United States is based on legal precedence everything that goes to court on matters of religious liberty as well as the actions of various legislatures matters. Precedent matters and once legal precedent has been established it is very hard to change. Thus each decision sets a precedent and these precedents can effect decisions in entirely unrelated matters.
Our First Amendment Rights are marvels which are envied by the citizens of most of the rest of the world and why shouldn't they be?
In many nations simply being born as a member of a minority religion, or other hated minority group is enough to ensure that you will never have full legal rights and may even face persecution and death at the hands of those in power. The list is long. Some of the countries include Sudan, Kosovo, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, Russia, Pakistan, India, Uganda, Nigeria, the Congo, and the Central African Republic. Of course there are many more but those are just some of the places where members of minority religious face discrimination, persecution and even death.
The rights we have as Americans provided the opportunity for churches that were suppressed on the European continent and elsewhere to thrive free of government persecution. The Baptists are a good example. In the early 1600's the first Baptists, English Baptists were persecuted, imprisoned and even killed for their beliefs by the English Crown in particular by King James who despite authorizing the Bible given his name and loved by many Baptists as the "only" valid English translation was a notorious homosexual, not that there is anything wrong with that, hated those early Baptists and persecuted them throughout the land.
On the continent itself the Anabaptists and Mennonites as well as others referred to as "enthusiasts," the forerunners of the Pentecostal movements of the 20th Century were brutally suppressed in many European lands. The example of the siege and destruction of Munster Germany by combined Catholic and Lutheran forces after "enthusiasts" seized power is just one example.
The Jews were persecuted often brutally almost everywhere in Europe for centuries. They were the "Christ killers" and that was even enshrined in the liturgies of churches. But the Jews had a surprising amount of freedom and influence in the Ottoman Empire where in places like Baghdad they composed a rather sizable part of the population and were quite prominent in the Empire.
Catholics were heavily persecuted in England and could not hold public office for many years following the English Reformation. Hundreds of Catholics martyred for simply practicing their religion in private, simply celebrating Mass could get them a death sentence.
Then there were the Huguenots in France. They were French Protestants who had gained a great deal of influence and power that were brutally suppressed and many killed by the French Crown and the Catholic Church.
The Lutherans were not big fans of other religions in Germany and worked with their archrival Roman Catholics to kill off the Anabaptists and the Enthusiasts.
Spain was another brutal place for religious liberty. Even some Roman Catholics now canonized as Saints such as Ignatius of Loyola and Teresa of Avila were brought before the Inquisition. Protestants, Jews, Moslems were all persecuted in Spain, and Spain was equally repressive of native religions in the lands that it colonized in the "New World."
The Russian Empire was known for its toleration of Catholics, Protestants and Jews especially in the equal treatment given to them in various Pogroms conducted by the government and the Orthodox Church.
The Ottoman Empire had a limited amount of religious toleration so long as you didn't make trouble and paid your taxes. One cannot really call it liberty for the Empire and persecuted anyone equally that threatened the Caliphate or that they thought were heretical. These included the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula.
Then along came the United States where our forefathers ensured religious liberty in our Bill of Rights along with freedom of speech, assembly and the press. It is a wonderful thing, but we have not always done well with it and there are always those trying to carve out addition "rights" for themselves or their faith communities. Sometimes the more religious people have had a negative influence in this experiment, often being involved with acts of religious and civil intolerance worthy of our European ancestors.
That being said many religious people, particularly Christians and churches have done many good things in promoting human rights, religious rights and the civil rights of all in our country.
In Colonial America most of the colonies had official state religions. In Massachusetts that was the Congregationalist Church and it conducted many of the witch trials and the persecution of people deemed heretic including Quakers and Baptists.
Hanging the Quakers in Massachusetts
While Christians were in the forefront of the Abolitionist movement whole denominations split on the issue of Slavery. These denominations included the Southern Baptists, the Methodists and the Presbyterians. Curiously neither the Episcopalians nor the Catholics split over the issues although the war found them heavily engaged on both sides of the conflict.
After the war many American Christians worked for the rights of workers, the abolition of child labor and even something that I oppose, Prohibition. Some Christians and churches advocated for the full civil rights of African Americans though few spoke up for rights of the Native Americans and the Chinese immigrants to California who were frequently mistreated and worked for almost nothing on the most demanding jobs like building the trans-continental railroad, mining gold and building stone walls for ranchers.
While enshrining the right to the free exercise of religion the Founding Fathers kind of ignored the human rights of a whole class of people, African American slaves. They allowed the practice of slavery counting Blacks as 3/5ths of a person, which 3/5ths I don't know but nonetheless only 60% of a full human being. my own family owned slaves and the family patriarch who fought as a Confederate officer in the American Civil War and after the defeat of the Confederacy refused to sign the loyalty oath, which good honorable men like Robert E Lee did and lost the family lands to the Federal Government.
We drove the Native Americans off of their lands, hunted them down and confined them to reservations all while ignoring the treaties that we made with the various Indian Nations. This practice was actually recently defended by the faux "historian" of the Christian Right, David Barton.
If we believe Barton's "history" the vast majority of the people perpetuating these acts were solid Bible Believing Christians. But then how do we reconcile these crimes against humanity, even crimes against fellow Christians with the Christian faith? If you are Barton you assume that what happened was due to the sin of the Native Americans who had to be subjugated by Christians.
Likewise nearly every ethnic group that immigrated to the United States has experienced some form of discrimination, often religious from the good citizens of this land. It turns out that throughout history we have had some problems in the matter of religious liberty and toleration, especially of those whose customs, language, culture and religion are different than our own.
But the crux of all of this comes down to religious liberty which as Americans we hold dear, at least our own religious liberty. The problem is that those who fight the hardest for their religious liberty frequently want to deny the rights that they have to others that they disagree with in belief, practice or even politics.
Now everyone is for religious liberty in the Public Square until a loathsome man like Fred Phelps and his family owned and operated "Westboro Baptist Church" shows up to protest and hurl vile epithets at those grieving the loss of family members killed in war, taunting these people in the most abhorrent of ways.
However, as grievous as these people are they do this under the right to the free exercise of religion. Some Fundamentalist Moslems have as a stated goal of instating Sharia Law in this land, at least for Moslems. This they proclaim under the banner of religious liberty, however the imposition of Sharia Law on Moslems in the name of their religion also takes away their civil rights under the Constitution and the various laws of the Federal Government of the States that make up our fair land.
The Roman Catholic Church at the direction of the Vatican has attempted rather successfully until a recent Supreme Court ruling to shield Bishops that were complicit in personnel moves and cover ups regarding Priests accused or convicted of sexual misconduct and the sexual abuse of minors from criminal prosecution and civil suits under the guise of diplomatic immunity as the Vatican is a nation state. Could any other religious organization shield its clergy from the laws of the land that any other citizen would be subject to? Not on your or my life, but in the past the Vatican has blatantly done so and hopefully under Pope Francis this too will change.
One of the key issues of religious liberty is the right of those of various beliefs and practices that use television, radio and the internet to espouse hatred and violence in the name of their religious beliefs and under the banner of religious liberty? I may not agree with what they broadcast but they have the right to do it.
Many Conservative Christians, especially Evangelicals and Roman Catholics are keen to support their rights to publicly exercise their religion, even in the government. But they are not good when it comes to other branches of Christianity or non-Christian religions.
The Metropolitan Community Church comes to mind. It is a predominantly Homosexual Christian church many of whose members were driven from their home churches due to their sexuality. Many, except for being gay are very conservative in their theological beliefs. That church has been in the forefront of the fight for marriage equity as well as the right for homosexuals to serve openly in the Military.
The part about marriage is particularly fraught with peril because both the Church and the State have interests in marriage. For many marriage is primarily a religious act with civil overtones, in fact ministers of all denominations are licensed by the state to perform marriages on behalf of the State becoming in effect de-facto officers of the courts and at the same time most states deny homosexual couples the right to marry, regardless of one's position on the legitimacy of such unions who could say that it is right for the states to approve and license the clergy of almost every religious tradition to conduct weddings that have the full civil effect, including tax breaks for all but a certain group? We have this enshrined in our culture but would deny it to the Metropolitan Community Church to perform weddings for its members. What if someone said that any other minister could not marry members of their own church under their church laws, ordinances and beliefs? There would be a public outcry, but not for the Metropolitan Community Church or other denominations that sanction Gay marriage.
There are so many issues regarding religious liberty. What about adherents of Wicca and other Earth based religions or Native American religions? Some of their practices would not be welcomed by those of many Christian denominations as well as secularists and atheists but if they are not hurting anyone else why should others object?
Likewise why should people object if a religious symbol is displayed on private property or on state property where it has been displayed for decades or longer? Is it hurting anyone? Not really but hurt feelings and being offended count as much as real injury to the litigiously minded. Usually these cases are long, expensive and divisive court proceedings that have served little purpose. I am not in favor of government using such symbols to advance the rights of any given religion, even Christianity. But that being said there are times where religious symbols are part of our American culture where we have memorialized our war dead without the intent of promoting a religious cause. However, if one symbol is present we should not object to others.
Likewise there are those that would attempt to limit the free speech rights and religious rights of Christians and others that protest the practice of abortion using civil disobedience to do so. Some in polite and well-mannered but others are pretty unseemly. That being said I do not think that the religious beliefs of anti-abortion people should be the law for unbelievers or for that matter a believer with different views on abortion.
The problem is that many who call themselves "pro-life" are not pro-life at all but simply anti-abortion. Many Christians who call themselves "pro-life" bless and baptize practices condemned by the same Church Fathers and Biblical writers who they use to support the rights of the unborn. They support the death penalty despite the aversion and opposition to it by the Early Church a and the evidence that in many states that the practice is abused and sentences often wrong. Many advocate for harsh treatment of aliens and exhibit a xenophobic attitude towards some immigrant groups, especially those that are not Christian. Likewise the belief that the economic Social Darwinism of unfettered Capitalism is not only Biblical but God's best ordained economic system is promoted as the Gospel. The same people often treat the poor and the elderly with distain and treat their political opponents as agents of the Devil rather than people that God might actually care about.
Local governments and even home owners associations have acted to quash home churches and Bible studies. Some have acted to zone land so that the construction of religious buildings, edifices or displays is illegal all of which have been protested and fought in the courts by the groups involved particularly Evangelical Christians of various denominations. Even churches that neighbors have deemed to be too loud in their expression of worship have been penalized by local governments and courts.
Yet many Christians had little problem with using the government to suppression other religious or splinter groups. The tragic example of the Branch Davidians at their Waco compound looms large. David Koresh was a labeled as a "dangerous" cult leader. Nor do many Conservative Christians have a problem in limiting the rights of American Moslems and protest if a Moslem clergyman becomes a military Chaplain or if Moslems want to build a Mosque in their neighborhood. I think that religious intolerance is often in the eye of the beholder. As David Barton the President of "Wallbuilders" an organization that seeks to promote America's "Christian heritage" quoted William Penn "Whatever is Christian is legal; whatever is not is illegal."
Barton's friend and ally Gary North wrote:
"We must use the doctrine of religious liberty to gain independence for Christian schools until we train up a generation of people who know that there is no religious neutrality, no neutral law, no neutral education, and no neutral civil government. Then they will get busy in constructing a Bible-based social, political and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God."
So as you can see the subject of religious liberty and the freedom to practice our religions is one that is not as clear cut as we would like to admit.
To play the Devil's advocate here let me ask this question: "Should we limit the rights to the free exercise of religion for any group?" If we do so where do we draw the line? If we say "everything goes" does this mean for everyone or just us? Could it be that in the enshrining of this right that the Founders actually meant the expression of rational and enlightened religion and not religious expression that limits the rights of other groups or supports the abolition of others Constitutional Rights? Those are all hard questions. As you can see there are a tremendous amount of issues at play when we attempt to legislate or regulate religious practice.
I think that our religious liberty is something to be cherished. But I can see times and places where there would be a need for the community or state to limit such expression. This would not be to take it away but to ensure that such expression is not used as a weapon against others, just as religious beliefs have been used in the past and present by people and governments around the world.
You see the lawyer that dwells deep within my heart that my fellow seminarians saw could argue the point for any position in this debate, which I guess kind of, makes me a bit of a prostitute. But still there are valid points to be made on all sides of this issue and to the extenuating civil, social and even economic and national security concerns that the absolute right to the freedom of religious expression impacts.
The waters get pretty muddy and my concern is that those on various sides of this issue are more about promoting their agenda, be it religious or secular. As I said at the beginning of this essay the issue is about legal precedence and sometimes the unintended consequences of decisions reached hastily when those on the various sides of an issue go to court or establish a new law which enshrines any group with the ability to discriminate against others based on the majority's religious beliefs.
The question of religious liberty and the tension between competing Free Exercise rights and concerns about the "excessive entanglement" of religion in government will be with us for a long time. I think the result of the heated and often litigious nature of the debate will actually turn people away from the Christian faith and will actually do great damage to the First Amendment protections that we all enjoy.
This causes me great concern as I value the right to the free exercise of religious expression and the right of others not to have the religious views of any group made the law of the land.
Religion can and often has been abused and used by the faithful as a dictatorial bludgeon and those who now advocate so stridently for their faith to be made the law of the land should well remember the words of James Madison:
"Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other sects?"
Filed under christian life, civil rights, faith, laws and legislation, pro-life anti-abortion, Religion
Tagged as abolition movement, american indians treatment of, anabaptists, anti abortion protests, anti-abortion, baptists, bill of rights, branch davidians, catholic bishops and sexual abuse cover ups, catholic church, catholic martyrs of england, child labor laws, chinese immigrants to california, clergy sexual abuse, david barton, david koresh, early english baptists, earth religions, english reformation, enthusiasts, episcopalians, established state religious, first amendment, france, fred phelps, freedom of worship, freedom of worship rockwell painting, fundamentalist moslems, gay marriage, huguenots, indonesia, iran, islamic terrorists, james madison, jews, king james, king james bible, kosovo, laws against religious assembly, metropoitan community church, mosque at twin towers site, native american religions, orthodox church, ottoman empire, presbyertians, prohibition, prosecution of jews, protestantism, religion in public square, religious freedom, religious liberty, religious persecution, religious right, religious symbols, rhode island colony, saudi arabia, slavery, slaves counted as 3/5th a human being, sudan, transcontinental railroad, treatment of native religions in european colonies, twin towers, virginia baptists, virginia statute on religious liberty 1779, wahabi islam, wallbuilders, westboro baptist church, wicca, william penn, workers rights, world trade center
March 7, 2013 · 23:41
The Toxic Faith of "Americananity" and its Antidote
"The notion of a Christian commonwealth should be exploded forever. … Government should protect every man in thinking and speaking freely, and see that one does not abuse another. The liberty I contend for is more than toleration. The very idea of toleration is despicable; it supposes that some have a pre-eminence above the rest to grant indulgence, whereas all should be equally free, Jews, Turks, Pagans and Christians." John Leland
There is a form of religion and indeed the "Christian" faith that is toxic and if not treated leads to the spiritual and sometimes the physical and emotional death of the infected person.
There is a nationalized version of this faith which in this country with respect to the Christian tradition I will call "Americananity." It is a bastardized version of the Christian faith overlaid with the thin veneer of a bastardized version of American history. Its purveyors are quite popular in the world of "conservative" American Evangelicalism and Catholicism. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson wrote "[I]n our country are evangelists and zealots of many different political, economic and religious persuasions whose fanatical conviction is that all thought is divinely classified into two kinds — that which is their own and that which is false and dangerous."
Pat Robertson, evangelist and founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network is an example of what Leland and Jackson warned us about. Robertson said on his program that "You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense, I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist." — Pat Robertson, The 700 Club, January 14, 1991. The late David Chilton was another. He wrote: "We believe that institutionally Christianity should be the official religion of the country, that its laws should be specifically Christian"
It is quite fascinating when you look at it. This faith is a combination of a selective reading of American history, Christian teaching and Biblical interpretation which mixes and matches a wide variety of mutually conflicting and contradictory traditions. This Toxic Americananity is based on a reading of American and Western History which negates, marginalizes or willingly distorts the views or contributions of those who were not Christian or who like Baptists, John Leland and Roger Williams due to their own experiences of religious persecution refused to buy into any form of state sanctioned religion.
I find it interesting that Conservative Icon and champion of limited government Barry Goldwater had great reservations about those that sought to establish the superiority of any religion. Goldwater said on the Senate floor: "The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent."
The leaders of this new and quasi "Christian faith" are many and include some of the most popular religious leaders in the United States such as Pat Robertson, the pseudo-historian David Barton, James Robison, Gary North, Bryan Fischer, James Dobson, Gary Bauer Phyllis Schafley and a host of others. For them the Gospel has been equated with government legislation of "Christian" values which conveniently are defined by them and their political allies often in complete contradiction to the Gospel and to nearly 2000 years of Christian experience. North, one of the most eloquent expositors of the Dominionist movement wrote:
"The long-term goal of Christians in politics should be to gain exclusive control over the franchise. Those who refuse to submit publicly to the eternal sanctions of God by submitting to His Church's public marks of the covenant–baptism and holy communion–must be denied citizenship, just as they were in ancient Israel."
That is quite a statement and those who think that they can co-opt people like North, Robertson or others are quite mistaken. Goldwater realized this. What is fascinating to me is to watch these men and women advocate religious and political positions in regard to Church-State relations that completely opposite of what early American Christian and non-Christian civil libertarians imagined when our country was founded. Positions that quite often are at odds with even the historical tenants of their own faith. Their only claim to innocence can be because not a one of them have any training in history and often are even worse when it comes to their understanding of the Christian tradition, which did not begin in and will not end in the United States.
In this confused and often hateful "faith' we see men and women who hate centralized government but extol a centralized religion. I was talking with a friend who is adamantly opposed to a powerful Federal Government but extols the perfection of the centralized bureaucracy of his Roman Catholic Faith. He could not see the contradiction. I watch others who extol an almost Libertarian understanding of the government and the Constitution who supposedly in their religious tradition are from the "Free Church" who advocate the supremacy of the Church over the State and in doing so their particular and limited understanding of Church over that of the Church Universal.
In this confused and contradictory setting there are Catholics espousing political views that are in direct opposition to the understanding of government supported by the Magisterium of the Church. There are Evangelical and Charismatic Protestants that mix and match the untenable and contradictory beliefs of Dominionism and Millennialism which involve on one hand the takeover of earthly power by the Church and the ushering in of the Kingdom of God and the understanding that earthly power is ultimately under the dominion of Satan and must be overcome by the Second Coming of Christ.
Leland wrote:
"These establishments metamorphose the church into a creature, and religion into a principle of state, which has a natural tendency to make men conclude that Bible religion is nothing but a trick of state."
John Leland
Leland was one of the most important persons in regards to the relationship of the Christian Churches to the American Government. He was a champion of the religious liberty enshrined in the Bill of Rights and helped influence both James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. He noted in 1791:
"Is conformity of sentiments in matters of religion essential to the happiness of civil government? Not at all. Government has no more to do with the religious opinions of men than it has with the principles of mathematics. Let every man speak freely without fear–maintain the principles that he believes–worship according to his own faith, either one God, three Gods, no God, or twenty Gods; and let government protect him in so doing, i.e., see that he meets with no personal abuse or loss of property for his religious opinions. Instead of discouraging him with proscriptions, fines, confiscation or death, let him be encouraged, as a free man, to bring forth his arguments and maintain his points with all boldness; then if his doctrine is false it will be confuted, and if it is true (though ever so novel) let others credit it. When every man has this liberty what can he wish for more? A liberal man asks for nothing more of government." John Leland, "Right of Conscience Inalienable, and Therefore, Religious Opinions Not Cognizable By The Law"
When the adherents of a faith, any faith, but especially the Christian faith enlist the government to enforce their understanding of faith they introduce a toxicity that is eventually fatal when consumed and acted on.
I think that much of what we are witnessing today is much more the product of fear mongering preachers that see opportunity in their political alliances and that are willing to reduce the Gospel to a number of "Christian values" in order to achieve a political end; even if that end is ultimately destructive to the Church and to the Gospel.
The message of the Apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth was this: "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us." (2 Cor 5:18-19 NRSV)
The early church thrived when it had no early power. It thrived when it was persecuted and when the Roman government openly supported almost every religion but it. However, once it became powerful and worldly it became ensnared in affairs far from that simple message of reconciliation.
It was in this country that the various sects of the Christian faith had the opportunity to make a new start, unencumbered by the trappings of power. But instead, like those that came before us we have all too often been seduced by the toxin of power. John Leland understood this and fought to ensure that all people of faith were free and unencumbered by state supported religion. He wrote:
"The liberty I contend for is more than toleration. The very idea of toleration is despicable; it supposes that some have a pre-eminence above the rest to grant indulgence; whereas all should be equally free, Jews, Turks [Muslims], Pagans and Christians. Test oaths and established creeds should be avoided as the worst of evils."
Leland's friend James Madison wrote to Edward Everett toward the end of his life:
"The settled opinion here is, that religion is essentially distinct from civil Government, and exempt from its cognizance; that a connection between them is injurious to both; that there are causes in the human breast which ensure the perpetuity of religion without the aid of the law; that rival sects, with equal rights, exercise mutual censorships in favor of good morals; that if new sects arise with absurd opinions or over-heated imaginations, the proper remedies lie in time, forbearance, and example; that a legal establishment of religion without a toleration could not be thought of, and with a toleration, is no security for and animosity; and, finally, that these opinions are supported by experience, which has shewn that every relaxation of the alliance between law and religion, from the partial example of Holland to the consummation in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, &c., has been found as safe in practice as it is sound in theory. Prior to the Revolution, the Episcopal Church was established by law in this State. On the Declaration of Independence it was left, with all other sects, to a self-support. And no doubt exists that there is much more of religion among us now than there ever was before the change, and particularly in the sect which enjoyed the legal patronage. This proves rather more than that the law is not necessary to the support of religion" (Letter to Edward Everett, Montpellier, March 18, 1823).
That is the antidote to the toxic faith of what I now call "Americanity." It stands against any idea of a state sanction or religion or a religion that like in Saudi Arabia or Iran controls the state. It stands in opposition to the beliefs of so many "Christian" religious leaders work to ensure that they control the powers of government. Attempts that try to proclaim their superiority above even the ultimate message of the Gospel which proclaims "for God so loved the world…."
By the way there are always results. The Puritans who many extoll were some of the most intolerant of dissenters of any group that has every held the reigns of power over the state and religion ever known in this country. Their victims included Quakers as well as American Indian converts to Christianity. The picture below of the Puritans hanging Quakers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony should give pause to anyone who thinks that such actions are not possible today should any religion gain control of political power.
PS. I do not expect some people to agree with me. It is a free country and I am not God, the Pope or Bill O'Reilly and thus quite fallible. While I welcome opposing viewpoints and comments I do expect them to be civil and respectful and done in a spirit of dialogue. Those that are not civil, respectful or which simply attempt to beat me down or which are sermons will not be approved and I will not answer them. It gets really old and I have learned that in some cases no matter how hard I try to respect the beliefs of others are treat others as I would want to be treated that some people just love to destroy everything and everyone in their path. I don't have time for that and having allowed people to do it on this site in the past I won't do it again. If you are that kind of person feel free to start your own website and attack my viewpoints on it and not here. After all it is a free country and you have that right. I promise not to come on your site and attack you. Like I said, I don't have time for that kind of stuff.
Filed under christian life, faith, History, laws and legislation, News and current events, Religion
Tagged as 2 cor 5:17-21, americanity, baptists, barry goldwater, bill of rights, christian dominionism, christian faith, christianity, david barton, david chilton, free church, gary bauer, gary north, james madison, james madison letter to edward everett, james robison, john leland, massachussetts bay colony, pat robertson, phyllis schlafly, puritans, quakers, religious freedom, religious liberty, religious persecution, roger williams, roman catholic church, toxic faith, united states
May 10, 2011 · 23:50
The Gift of Religious Liberty and the Real Dangers to It
"no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." Thomas Jefferson in the 1779 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
What about adherents of Wicca and other Earth based religions or Native American religions? Some of their practices would not be welcomed by those of many Christian denominations as well as secularists and atheists but if they are not hurting anyone else why should others object? Likewise why should people object if a religious symbol is displayed on private property or on state property where it has been displayed for decades or longer? Is it hurting anyone? Not really but hurt feelings and being offended count as much as real injury to the litigious and as such there have been long, expensive and divisive court proceedings that have served little purpose. Now am I in favor of the government using such symbols to advance the rights of a given religion? Absolutely not, but there are times where religious symbols and American culture, particularly that which seeks to honor veterans from previous wars is not about the advancement of any religion but simply a memorial with intent of promoting a religious cause.
Likewise there are those that would attempt to limit the free speech rights and religious rights of Christians and others that protest the practice of abortion using civil disobedience to do so, some in polite and well mannered demonstrations but others in pretty unseemly manners. At the same time there are Christians who call themselves "pro-life" who bless and baptize practices condemned by the same Church Fathers and Biblical writers who they uses to support the rights of the unborn. They support the death penalty despite evidence that in many states that the practice is abused and sentences often wrong. Many advocate for harsh treatment of aliens and exhibit a xenophobic attitude towards some immigrant groups, especially those that are not Christian. Then there is a now popular belief that the economic Social Darwinism of unfettered Capitalism is not only Biblical but God's best ordained economic system while treating the poor and the elderly with distain and treat their political opponents as agents of the Devil rather than people that God might actually care about.
Local governments and even home owners associations have acted to quash home churches and Bible studies, acted to zone land so that the construction of religious buildings, edifices or displays is illegal all of which have been protested and fought in the courts by the groups involved particularly Evangelical Christians of various denominations. Even churches that neighbors have deemed to be too loud in their expression of worship have been penalized by local governments and courts.
Yet many Christians had little problem with the suppression of the Branch Davidians at their Waco compound after all David Koresh was a "dangerous" cult leader. Nor do many seem to have a problem in limiting the rights of Moslems that happen to be American citizens and protest if a Moslem clergyman becomes a military Chaplain or if Moslems want to build a Mosque in their neighborhood. I think that religious intolerance is often in the eye of the beholder. As David Barton the President of Wallbuilders an organization that seeks to promote America's "Christian heritage" quoted William Penn "Whatever is Christian is legal; whatever is not is illegal."
You see the lawyer that dwells deep within my heart that my fellow seminarians saw could argue the point for any position in this debate, which I guess kind of makes me a bit of a prostitute but still there are valid points to be made on all sides of this issue and to the extenuating civil, social and even economic and national security concerns that the absolute right to the freedom of religious expression impacts. It seems that the waters get pretty muddy here my concern is that those on various sides of this issue are more about promoting their religion if they have one and do not really care about the religious rights of others while the devoted secularists would seek to expunge religion from the public square. As I said at the beginning of this essay the issue is about legal precedence and sometimes the unintended consequences of decisions reached hastily when those on the various sides of an issue take it to court.
The question of religious liberty and the tension between competing Free Exercise rights and concerns about the "excessive entanglement" of religion in government will be with us for a long time. I think the result of the heated and often litigious nature of the debate will actually turn people away from the more strident groups in the debate and will actually do damage to the First Amendment protections that we all enjoy. This causes me great concern and if you value your rights to the free exercise of your religion or expression or your right not to have the religious views of any group made the law of the land. Religion can be abused and used as a dictatorial bludgeon and those who now advocate so stridently for their faith to be made the law of the land should well remember the words of James Madison:
Filed under faith, History, laws and legislation, philosophy, Political Commentary, Religion
Tagged as 11 attacks, abolition movement, american indians treatment of, anabaptists, anti abortion protests, anti-abortion, baptists, bill of rights, branch davidians, catholic bishops and sexual abuse cover ups, catholic church, catholic martyrs of england, child labor laws, chinese immigrants to california, clergy sexual abuse, david barton, david koresh, early english baptists, earth religions, english reformation, enthusiasts, episcopalians, established state religious, first amendment, france, fred phelps, freedom of worship, freedom of worship rockwell painting, fundamentalist moslems, gay marriage, huguenots, indonesia, iran, islamic terrorists, james madison, jews, king james, king james bible, kosovo, laws against religious assembly, metropoitan community church, mosque at twin towers site, native american religions, orthodox church, ottoman empire, presbyertians, prohibition, prosecution of jews, protestantism, religion in public square, religious freedom, religious liberty, religious persecution, religious right, religious symbols, rhode island colony, saudi arabia, slavery, slaves counted as 3/5th a human being, sudan, transcontinental railroad, treatment of native religions in european colonies, twin towers, virginia baptists, virginia statute on religious liberty 1779, wahabi islam, wallbuilders, westboro baptist church, wicca, william penn, workers rights, world trade center


She is best known for her acting skills – and for looking good while flaunting them.
But now Jessica Alba is turning her hand to the unlikely world of diapers, creating and selling a line of eco-friendly household products that are far from the usual A-lister's sideline of fashion or perfume.
The 30-year-old star's new Honest Co range, launched last week, includes cleaning products, baby skin care, bath products and, of course, diapers.
Speaking with the New York Daily News, the mother-of-two said she had an 'a-ha moment' for the new venture when she had an allergic reaction to a baby-safe detergent.
It turned out that the brand, like most products on supermarket shelves, was full of chemicals.
Tapping into her love for children – she has two girls with Cash Warren – and a new-found spirit of adventure, Honest Co is all about biodegradable, safe and affordable products that also look good, she said.
'I'm like, just because it's eco why does it have to be brown, beige, or have a green leaf on it' she said.
As such, packaging is fittingly bright and the line of diapers is emblazoned with ice-cream cones, skull-and-crossbones, anchors and pink stars.
But she is also on a mission to change the usually high prices that go hand-in-hand with being green and chemically-conscious.
The resulting line has kept the Spy Kids 4 star in the office, manning phones. She told the Daily News that she has even been giving baby advice to moms who contact the company.
As much of a mom as she may be, there is a streak of celebrity-charged fashion-awareness in the Honest line, which has seen unglamorous diapers being given something of a style makeover.
She said the skull-and-crossbones patterned diapers are an 'homage' to late British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen.
LIZ JONES FASHION THERAPY: Which diffusion lines should you have designs on this season?
Is Nicole Richie designing a fashion line for QVC?


(born 1929). The innovative American composer, conductor, and percussionist Harold Farberman wrote musical compositions that ranged across styles and schools, melding many genres, including rock and jazz. As a conductor, Farberman was especially known as a champion of the American composer Charles Ives.
Harold Farberman was born on November 2, 1929, in New York, New York, into a family filled with percussionists—his father was a drummer in a klezmer band, and his brother and cousins were also drummers. In his teen years Harold studied the drums with his cousin, and by the time he was in high school he was able to play all the percussion instruments in the school band and orchestra. Farberman studied at the Juilliard School of Music on a scholarship, and after graduating in 1951, he became the percussionist and first timpanist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra—at which time he was its youngest member.
Although he had never had any formal training in composition, in 1954 Farberman wrote Evolution, which was composed for seven percussionists, a soprano, and French horn (and scored for over 100 percussion instruments), in part because he was frustrated with traditional percussion writing, which he found limited. After hearing this piece, the composer Aaron Copland urged Farberman to study composition; Farberman attended the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, where he received a master's degree in composition in 1957. Also from 1957 to 1961, he was conductor of the New Arts Orchestra in Boston. Farberman left the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1963, embarking on a conducting career. He was conductor at the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra from 1967 to 1970, and from 1971 to 1979 he conducted the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. He was also often a guest conductor and recorded with many orchestras. In 1974 he received the Charles Ives Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for research and recording of Ives' work. In 1975 Farberman founded the Conductors' Guild, and in 1980 he established the Conductors' Institute to train young conductors.
In addition to Evolution, Farberman wrote a number of works with innovative percussion parts, including Greek Scene for mezzo-soprano, piano, and percussion (1957) and Concerto for [Five] Timpani and Orchestra (1962). Also noteworthy was For Eric and Nick for jazz octet (1964) and If Music Be for symphony orchestra, rock group, jazz singer, and films (1968). Other works include New York Times—August 30, 1964, for mezzo-soprano, piano, and one percussion (1964), which was based on stories in the New York Times about the bombings in Alabama during the civil rights struggle; the opera The Losers (1971), about life in a motorcycle club, and which called for a jazz quartet and singers on stage, as well as an electric guitar, six percussionists, and other instrument, all amplified as needed; and War Cry on a Prayer Feather (1976), a song cycle with text by Nancy Wood, a Ute Indian. Farberman is the author (with Thom Proctor, editor) of The Art of Conducting Technique: A New Perspective (1997).


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Home News #Swedishmade: The story of Alfred Nobel and the dynamite
#Swedishmade: The story of Alfred Nobel and the dynamite
Swedes in the States
In #Swedishmade we introduce famous brands, apps, artists, DJs, and companies that are made in Sweden. We're skipping H&M, IKEA, and ABBA because we know that you already know they're Swedish treasures – instead we are highlighting equally as awesome people, brands, and companies, that we are guessing you didn't know were Swedish. Are we right or are we wrong? Don't forget to vote in the poll below the article!
Today is December 10, known in Sweden as Nobeldagen – the day of Nobel. So it is with no further ado that we would like to introduce Alfred Nobel, and his most famous invention – the dynamite.
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1833. He was one of eight kids and the son of the inventor Immanuel Nobel, also an inventor and the founder of Sweden's very first rubber factory. Although a bright man with many successful ventures under his belt, he would never have the same impact on the world as his son would have one day.
At the age of nine, Alfred and his family moved to St. Petersburg, Russia. At first, the family was so poor that Alfred was forced to sell matches on the street. Although the family was struggling during their first years in Russia, it wouldn't be long before Alfred's father managed to grow his small workshop into a real business, even acquiring the Tsar of Russia as one of his clients. The company was successful up until the Russian revolution when Alfred, his parents, and brother had to move back to Sweden.
Upon returning to Sweden, Alfred traveled to the United States for an internship with the famous Swedish inventor, John Ericsson, and later on to France as an apprentice for the chemist Théophile-Jules Pelouze. It was during his internship with Pelouze that Alfred's interest in explosives was ignited, in particular, the chemical nitroglycerin.
Dynamite. Picture borrowed from www.nobelprize.org
The dynamite and nitroglycerin
While learning about Nitroglycerin, Alfred quickly realized how volatile and dangerous the chemical was. At the time, it was commonly used as an explosive but the chemical was extremely sensitive and the risk of getting hurt or even killed when dealing with Nitroglycerin was high. Alfred had even lost his own brother in a nitroglycerin accident that took place in one of his own factories.
In a factory in Hamburg, Alfred began experimenting with nitroglycerin with the intention of finding a way to lower the risks of working with the chemical, without compromising its strength and efficiency. He tried mixing coal and sawdust in an attempt to manage the substance by diluting it. But it was the Diatomite earth that, together with the Nitroglycerin, created a formidable and stable dough, which would become the composition of the very first dynamite.
The invention of dynamite revolutionized the construction and mining industries. Ironically, given the options, the dynamite saved a lot of lives by providing a safer way of working with explosives.
Alfred patented the dynamite in 1867, which would skyrocket him to fame and also make him one of the richest men in Europe.
In 1888, a French magazine made the mistake of confusing the death of Alfred's brother as the death of Alfred, and published an obituary for Alfred saying: "The merchant of death is dead". This affected Alfred deeply, and he worried about how he would be remembered when he was gone. Being a philosopher and pacifist, "the merchant of death" was the last thing he would want to be remembered as.
When Alfred Nobel died in 1896, many were surprised to find that he had willed the vast majority of his assets, 94% to be exact, to the start of a foundation is his name. The foundations' most important job was to award people who had significantly contributed to a better world within the fields of physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine, and literature. This was the birth of the Nobel prize, the world's most prestigious and famous award.
Alfred Nobel managed to patent 355 inventions during his lifetime, some of them being; artificial rubber, a gas meter, an apparatus for measuring water and other liquids, and of course, the dynamite. You can find the full list of his patents on Nobelprize.org website.
In Sweden, we commemorate and celebrate Alfred Nobel every year on the day of his death, the 10th of December. The day is called "Nobeldagen" and is also the day Nobel's legacy is celebrated by awarding scientists, entrepreneurs, authors, and heroes in his name. A legacy not only Alfred Nobel would be proud of, but one that all Swedes can be proud of.
Alfred Novel patented 355 inventions during his lifetime
A school in Chicago was named after him in 1911, the Nobel School.
His brothers, Robert and Ludvig, began extracting oil in Baku, Russia. They later went on to start the oil company Branobel, with backing from Alfred Nobel. It quickly became the world's second-largest oil company after Rockefellers Standard Oil. 12% of Alfred's estates consisted of shares in the oil company.
Alfred spoke Swedish, Russian, French, German, and English fluently. He also started speaking Italian later on in life.
Alfred Nobel never married but would write poems about his longing to love. His poems were collected and published in 2006 titled "Dikter/Poems by Alfred Nobel".
The famous Nobel Museum, located in Gamla Stan, Stockholm is worth a visit to learn more about Sweden's most famous inventor.
When Alfred Nobel died, the Swedish and French governments had a conflict regarding where Nobels will would be legally carried out. It was later decided that a man's home is where he keeps his horses. Since Nobel kept his horses at Björkbo Herrgård in Sweden, his will and estate were taken care of by the Swedish government.
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Swedish Superstar Environmentalist Greta Thunberg Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize | Swedes in the States March 14, 2019 At 6:13 pm
[…] Swedish superstar environmentalist, Greta Thunberg has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. One of the many prizes awarded by the Nobel Foundation, founded in honor of Swedish inventor Alfred …The prize has previously been awarded to people like Malala Yousafzai, Barack Obama, and even the […]

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The study says causes of air pollution and climate change are intricately linked and needed to be tackled together.
The air Indians breathe is turning more toxic by the day and an average of two deaths take place daily due to air pollution, says a new study. According to medical journal The Lancet, over a million Indians die every year due to air pollution and some of the worst polluted cities of the world are in India. The study released this week but based on 2010 data estimates that globally 2.7-3.4 million preterm births may be associated with PM2.5 exposure and South Asia is the worst hit accounting for 1.6 million pre-term births.
The study says causes of air pollution and climate change are intricately linked and needed to be tackled together. The Lancet concludes that climate change posed both a "potentially catastrophic risk to human health", while conversely being "the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century" if the right steps are taken.
The smog over northern India is extracting a heavy toll, every minute two lives are lost in India due to ambient air pollution, the study published in The Lancet says. Further, according an estimate by the World Bank, this would amount to a whopping USD 38 billion loss in income towards labour in India. Air pollution has also emerged as the deadliest form of pollution and the fourth leading risk factor for premature deaths worldwide, it says.
Recently, 48 leading scientists released the study and they find that Patna and New Delhi the worst polluted cities of the world for PM 2.5 levels or the fine particulate matter that hurts the heart most. The study notes that a broader evidence base on interrelated health and climate change trends will notably help demonstrate clear co-benefits of action. An estimated 18,000 people die every day due to air pollution exposure, making it the world's largest single environmental health risk.
The World Bank in turn estimates it costs the global economy USD 225 billion a year in related lost labour income. Contradicting some of the Indian reports, The Lancet says coal fired power plants contribute to 50 per cent of the ambient air pollution. Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Anil Madhav Dave recently admitted in Parliament that the country spends a mere Rs 7 crore annually on monitoring air pollution for a vast country of India's size with a 1.3 billion population.
Meanwhile, called The Lancet Countdown, this study will report annually in The Lancet. With inputs from across the world, some 16 institutions are academic partners of the initiative, including University College London, Tsinghua University and the Centre for Climate & Security among others. This is special collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to promote synergies, collaborate on data sources, and ensure strong engagement with Ministries of Health.
Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of the Health and Climate Change team at the World Health Organization, says, "The Paris Agreement was a landmark achievement – the challenge now is to meet the targets agreed by world leaders.
According to the WHO, compared with a future without climate change, the following additional deaths for the year 2030 are projected, 38,000 due to heat exposure in elderly people, 48,000 due to diarrhoea, 60,000 due to malaria, and 95,000 due to childhood undernutrition. The WHO projects a dramatic decline in child mortality, and this is reflected in declining climate change impacts from child malnutrition and diarrhoeal disease between 2030 and 2050.
On the other hand, by the 2050s, deaths related to heat exposure (over 100,000 per year) are projected to increase. Impacts are greatest under a low economic growth scenario because of higher rates of mortality projected in low- and middle-income countries. By 2050, impacts of climate change on mortality are projected to be greatest in south Asia. These results indicate that climate change will have a significant impact on child health by the 2030s.
The World Bank estimated that 5.5 million lives were lost in 2013 to diseases associated with outdoor and household air pollution, causing human suffering and reducing economic development. The reports calls air pollution and climate change a "potentially catastrophic risk to human health". The silver lining is that citizens are waking up and the study finds that almost 60 per cent of the people surveyed in India feel climate change substantially harms people.


New research indicates that the prevalence of arthritis in the United States has been substantially underestimated, especially among adults <65 years old. The Arthritis & Rheumatology findings indicate that research is needed to better monitor arthritis prevalence in the US population and to develop better prevention strategies.
"Our findings are important because of underestimated, yet enormous, economic and public health impacts of arthritis including healthcare costs and costs from loss of productivity and disability, including in adults younger than 65 years of age," said Dr. Jafarzadeh. "Studies have reported a rising rate of surgeries such as total knee replacement that outpaced obesity rates in recent years, especially among younger adults affected by arthritis." He noted that current arthritis surveillance methods, which have been used since 2002, should be revised to correct for inherent limitations of the survey methods and to increase accuracy.


Are you healthy? Most people would answer yes - except for this pain, my arthritis or allergies, my high blood pressure, etc. As an industrialized nation most of us have come to define health as the absence of disease above a certain level of distress to our bodies. Below that level, we think we are healthy in spite of the pain, sleeplessness or other stressors that plague the happiness of life. Above that level is "disease". Diseases have names, symptoms, and pills or surgery to counteract them and bring us back within the level we consider "healthy".
One dictionary defines health as "soundness of body; freedom from disease"; another states that health is "optimal functioning with freedom from disease and abnormality". Throughout our day we deny, accept, and live with our lack of health, yet, when we wake in the middle of the night feeling discouraged, in pain, and lost, we know we are not healthy.
Gwenio.com goes where few have gone before…seeking optimum health. Optimum Health is not just the absence of disease. It is soundness of body, a creative mind and stability of emotions. Pain, fear, and doubt are characteristics of the lack of optimum health. Gwenio will guide you toward optimum health by teaching you how to bring yourself into resonance with your environment.
Resonance occurs when two natural vibrations come into harmony with each other. When we are in resonance with our environment, micro-organisms cease to cause colds and flu. The stagnation of our energy and blood that causes pain is relieved. We wake in the morning rested and ready for our day knowing we are physically, mentally and emotionally ready for anything.
The name of this site is taken from the Seneca the name "Oh-yeas-seh-noh-ne-gi-wa-gwen-i-yoh" which means "She Who Restores Truth". It is the responsibility of every individual to restore their own truth. With that restoration, optimum health is achieved.
However, Optimum Health is not a substitute for treatment of disease by trained medical practitioners. The idea of this website is to show how each of us can achieve Optimum Health ourselves so we can reduce the cost of medical care in America. With 75% of medical costs currently spent on diseases that result from life style choices such as poor diet, lack of exercise and stress; a simple, effective way to restore our own health is certainly indicated. Nowhere in the current money-driven debates has the concept of health education been fostered.
This is not another diet/exercise program. Gwenio is based on the knowledge of Traditional Chinese medicine. For over 5,000 years this knowledge has explained how the vibrations within our bodies interact with the physical, mental and emotional functioning of our bodies. Gwenio is also based in Seneca philosophy. The Seneca Nation of Indians have for centuries taught the concept of our relationship with the world around us. Like Taoism that is the well from which Chinese medicine drinks, Seneca philosophy is grounded in Motherearth. Combining these two great philosophies in simple to follow exercises allows us to move stagnated vibrations throughout our bodies so we choose healthier foods, exercise more effectively, and improve our relationships by simply speaking the truth.
We don't have to be health practitioners to learn how to care for our own bodies. When Gwenio first began teaching over 20 years ago one of her students asked: "Why don't we get a shop manual for how to fix our bodies when we are born?" Gwenio.com is that shop manual.
With Gwenio we explore two pathways to health: Optimum Health and Councils in Truth. Below is a chart of the discernments between the two. Throughout the site both pathways are linked to the other path so you can explore conveniently. You're invited to explore both in your personal search for Optimum Health.
What is this path? This is the path of our senses. This is the path of our thoughts.
How do I begin? Observation. Questioning.
Where is this material coming from? This approach is grounded in the earth. This approach is linked to our inner knowing.
How does it work? Through observation we find and process the dissonance between our individual vibrations and those of our environment. Through Entering into the Silence, we assess our relationship to our environment.
How do I measure change? Change occurs on the physical, emotional and mental levels and is witnessed by the release of tension, pain and distraction. Change occurs on the physical, emotional and mental levels and is witnessed by more energy, new ideas, and improved relationships.
Our gracious Seneca guide, Twylah Nitsch - a Seneca Elder and woman of wisdom, explained the importance of gratitude in all aspects of life, including health. Read the following poem. It is based on the Seneca word, NYAH WEH, which means "thank you".
Thousands of years ago Native Americans developed the medicine wheel as a symbol for their understanding of their environment. It included all that they then knew and all that they did not yet understand. It became a foundation as well as a guide to living.
The Seneca refined the medicine wheel concepts into three great wheels: The Pathway of Peace, The Cycles of Truth and the Body Wisdom Wheel. Twylah taught the Pathway of Peace and the Cycles of Truth as taught to her by her grandparents and parents. Her grandfather, Moses Shongo was the last of the traditional Seneca medicine men. When she initiated Gwenio into the Wolf Clan, she gave her the quest of recovering the Body Wisdom Wheel. These three great teaching wheels are presented in the Councils on Truth.
Though circles have no beginning or ending, each of the wheels has a natural opening to facilitate learning. In all we will explore each wheel three times (nine individual Councils) expanding and deepening our understanding with each trip around the wheels.
In nature based cultures like the Seneca and the Chinese, wisdom is passed from one generation to the next in teaching stories, sometimes called medicine stories. They are called "medicine" stories because their purpose is to help the listener heal themselves within the structure of their environment – the nature around them. These stories carry multiple messages depending on what the listener is facing in he or her life at the moment.
As we begin to discover ourselves through the medicine wheels, we'll see the story they tell in different ways. Each time we revisit each stepping stone of the three medicine wheels, it is like visiting an old friend. We already know a lot about them, but there is always something new to learn. Keeping this in mind we can gain the wisdom we are seeking with an open heart and willing hands.
Our story of the three medicine wheels begins with the Body Wisdom Wheel. According to Chinese medicine our Shen enters our body with our first breath and is then housed in our hearts. The story of the Body Wisdom Wheel is the story of our body, its energy and its purpose in manifesting as "our" body. It is the story of the Temple that houses all our inner desires, all our thoughts and all our emotions.
The Body Wisdom Wheel is the love story between yin and yang within the limits of our physical vehicle. It is here in the cauldron of chemicals that we call a body that we have the most - indeed the only – control over our environment. For the purpose of having a body is to draw the Yang – Sky Energy down into the earth as we draw the Yin Earth Energy up into the Sky. This is the exact same purpose that all of nature has.
In this process, as with any machine, energy in the forms of heat and light are released. There the work of the body ends. It has transformed yang into yin and yin into yang. Now it is up to the mind and the emotions to determine what to do with the by products of heat and light that our bodies have produced.
The Mind and Emotions in the natural worlds of the Seneca and the Chinese are housed in the heart, not in the brain. They both gain information about the world around them through our senses. They are accessed through chemical reactions throughout the body and they are very powerful. However, they differ in their approach to change.
The Mind, represented by the Pathway of Peace looks at the world in a logical, rational manner. It thinks. If there is this, this and that, what can we do with them? It is concerned with the future. The favorite question if Mind is: What does the future hold in store for me?
Emotion determines its position in the world through relationships. It is concerned with survival. The future is a dream beyond its ken. Emotion keeps track: What happened the last time these energies combined? Emotion's favorite question is: Who am I right now?
In the past we have seen Mind and Emotions as enemies… a battle between instinct and intuition while our bodies, the starving child, is caught between them. It's no wonder that so many of the world's problems revolve around hunger, and its sister – greed and the whole issue of scarcity and abundance.
We are at a critical point, as a species and as a planet.
Who are we and what future are we going to create?
We are at the point where our mere survival not only depends on following our instincts, our ability to get food, shelter and clothe ourselves, but also on our ability to recognize the direction our logical, rational minds are taking us and make the changes necessary to let our planet heal and all on her not only survive but thrive.
Through our struggle we have earned the ability to create. Now we need to learn to create from resonance so no energy is wasted in maintaining destructive postures.
Take these simple western medical tests to find out how healthy you are according to western medicine. Click on the weight/height chart below to begin exploring your personal relationship to health. Don't worry no one will see your answers but you!
This is a series of talks about walking. Sam and Reba discuss Optimum Health, walking as exercise, and a healthy diet. Click here. Also check out Reba's site Food for Thought for tips on food and yoga, another optimum health exercise program.


England skipper Joe Root says that Keaton Jennings can force his way back into the England set up with a mountain of County Championship runs.
Jennings was dropped from the England squad to face the West Indies in a day/night Test at Edgbaston later this month.
Surrey opener Mark Stoneman will debut in Jennings place while new boys Tom Westley and Dawid Malan get another chance to impress.
Root told Sky Sports: "It's pretty obvious what Keaton needs to do.
"Go get a volume of runs, go back to the County Championship and show everyone what a great player he is. I have no doubt that he will be able to do that.
"He's a great character and was a big part of our dressing room to beat South Africa."
Jennings loss is Stoneman's game and Root feels that competition for places will help England find their best XI.
The skipper added: "He's scored a volume of runs this summer and in previous seasons.
"It was difficult to leave Keaton out, he would've loved to have scored more runs personally but this is a great opportunity for Mark to stamp his authority on Test cricket."
England raised eyebrows by picking untested leg-spinner Mason Crane, who averages over 40 with the ball in first class cricket.
The young man is clearly being picked on his potential but will certainly take heart from other leg-spinner's debut performances against the West Indies.
Root said of Crane: "He's a very exciting prospect for us.
"It's important not to put too much pressure on his young shoulders.
"But of course this is a great opportunity for him ahead of the winter which could be a big one for many guys."


text:
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Avalanche Continues Road Trip in Pittsburgh
Colorado faces Pens in second stop of Eastern tour
by Miranda Einhorn / ColoradoAvalanche.com
In a rematch from Wednesday's game in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche (16-6-5) faces the Pittsburgh Penguins (10-10-5) for the second time in a week on Tuesday. The clash at PPG Paints Arena marks the final time the two teams will meet during the regular season.
Colorado holds a 20-8-6 all-time record against Pittsburgh (since 1995-96), which includes an 11-4-2 mark on the road. The Avs swept the Penguins (2-0-0) during the 2017-18 season series and have been victorious in four of the last five matchups against Pittsburgh.
Following the game, the Avalanche heads to Florida to battle the Panthers on Thursday. The four-game road trip ends in Tampa Bay over the weekend before the club heads back to Denver to face the Edmonton Oilers next Tuesday.
On Sunday, Semyon Varlamov stopped all 24 shots he faced to earn a 2-0 shutout victory against the Detroit Red Wings. After a scoreless first period, Colorado struck on the power play as Nathan MacKinnon netted his 19th tally of the season. Fellow linemate Gabriel Landeskog found the back of an empty net late in the third frame to seal the victory for the Avalanche. Mikko Rantanen registered assists on both goals, and the Avs outshot Detroit 29-24.
The Penguins fell 4-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers at home on Saturday. Sidney Crosby and Riley Sheahan both notched goals for Pittsburgh, but it was not enough as four different Flyers forwards lit the lamp. The Penguins outshot Philadelphia 32-26 as goaltender Casey DeSmith made 22 saves.
Last Time They Met
Six different Avalanche players scored to lift the team to a 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh when the two squads met last Wednesday at Pepsi Center. Samuel Girard scored in the first period while Erik Johnson and Colin Wilson found the back of the net to give Colorado a 3-0 lead midway through the second frame. Those goals were matched by a natural hat trick from Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, but the Avs rallied in the third with three more markers. Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Carl Soderberg all lit the lamp late in the game to secure the victory for the Avalanche. It was the first four-point game of the season for MacKinnon (one goal, three assists), while linemates Landeskog (one goal, one assist) and Rantanen (two assists) registered multiple points in the outing as well. Netminder Philipp Grubauer made 22 saves as the Avs outshot the Penguins 26-25.
Avs Accomplishments
The Avalanche enters Tuesday's game with an 11-game point streak. The team has not lost in regulation since Nov. 9, and the 9-0-2 mark is Colorado's best stretch it has posted since a 12-game run (10-0-2) from Feb. 27 to Mar. 25, 2007. The Avs' point streak is also accompanied by a six-game win stretch on the road, the longest since Oct. 8 to Nov. 1, 2013. In addition, Mikko Rantanen is on an eight-game point streak after registering four goals and 12 assists since Nov. 18. Seven of the forward's eight games included multi-point performances, which brings his season total to 15 multi-point nights in 27 outings. With 45 points and 34 assists in the 2018-19 campaign, Rantanen is first in the league in both categories.
Against The East
The Avalanche holds a 9-2-2 record against the Eastern Conference so far this year. This is the second season series that the Avs will finish against an Eastern team after sweeping its set with the Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-0) on Oct. 6 and 22. Colorado will meet each team from the opposing conference twice this season. The Avs also have a league-leading 22 points after 16 road games this campaign (10-4-2).
Colorado's top line of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog continues to perform with each member of the threesome registering points on both goals in Sunday's win at Detroit. Of the Avalanche's 99 total tallies this season, 16 have included all three members of the top trio. At least two forwards from the line have been involved in 46 markers to date and 56.6 percent of all Avalanche goals have received contributions from at least one player of the group. The teammates' combined 118 points (46 goals, 72 assists) in 27 games are the most of any trio in the league.
Colorado: Defenseman Ian Cole
After beginning his career in St. Louis, Cole spent parts of four seasons with the Penguins before finding his way to Colorado. In 218 games with Pittsburgh, Cole racked up 59 points (nine goals, 50 assists) and 190 penalty minutes. The defenseman won two Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins (2015-16 and 2016-17), playing in 54 playoff games and registering 14 points (one goal, 13 assists). He has notched eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 27 games this season and leads the NHL with 79 blocked shots. This is the third game Cole has played against his former team since departing on Feb. 23, 2018, but it will be his first back in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh: Center Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby is on a four-game point streak, having notched seven points (five goals, two assists) since Nov. 24. The forward is first on the team in goals and second in scoring with 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) after 22 games this season. Crosby has posted 10 multi-point performances this year and leads the team with a plus-8 rating (tied).
Lineup Notes
After missing four games with a lower-body injury, Tyson Barrie is expected to return to Colorado's lineup. The Avalanche has yet to announce a starting goaltender for the contest versus the Pens.
Tuesday's clash between the Avalanche and Penguins is slated for 5 p.m. MT. The game can be watched live locally on Altitude or streamed on select devices with the AltitudeNOW app (in market) or NHL.tv (out of market). The radio broadcast can be heard on Altitude Sports Radio FM 92.5 in the Denver area or online at ColoradoAvalanche.com.
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Fiona Themann (born 18 April 1990), also known as Fiona Fowler, is a Scotland netball international. She represented Scotland at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2015 Netball World Cup. At club level, she has played for Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, Melbourne University Lightning in the Victorian Netball League, Victorian Fury in the Australian Netball League and for Adelaide Thunderbirds in Suncorp Super Netball. She captained Fury when they won ANL premierships in 2015 and 2016. In 2016 she helped three different teams win league titles. In addition to captaining Fury, she also helped Lightning win the VNL Championship and Newbridge win the LVFNL premiership.

Early life and education
Themann was born in Shepparton, Victoria, Australia and was raised in the nearby town of  Mooroopna. Between 2006 and 2007 she attended Caulfield Grammar School. Between 2008 and 2011 she attended Victoria University where she gained a BEd in Health and Physical Education.

Playing career

Victorian leagues
Themann began playing netball aged 10 in Mooroopna. She eventually began playing for clubs in local Victorian leagues, including Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley Football Netball League. Throughout her senior playing career, Themann would continue to play in local leagues. Between 2010 and 2012 she played for Maldon in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League. In  2015 she played for Strathfieldsaye in the Bendigo Football Netball League. In 2016 she was a member of the Newbridge team that won the Loddon Valley Football Netball League premiership.

Melbourne Phoenix
Between 2006 and 2008, while still attending Caulfield Grammar School, Themann played for   Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.

Melbourne University Lightning
In 2010 Themann began play for Melbourne University Lightning in the Victorian Netball League. When she started playing for the team they were known as VU-Western Lightning. In 2012, together with Brooke Thompson, she was a member of the Lightning team that finished as runners up in the VNL. In 2016, together with Shannon Eagland and Elle Bennetts, she was a member of the Lightning team that won the VNL Championship. In 2020 Themann returned to Lightning following pregnancy.

Australian Netball League
Themann has played for three different teams in the Australian Netball League. In 2008 she played for Canberra Darters and in 2012 had a second spell in the ANL with Territory Storm. Between 2013 and 2016 Themann played for Victorian Fury. She a member of the Fury team that won the 2013 ANL title. She subsequently captained Fury when they won further titles in 2015 and 2016.

Adelaide Thunderbirds
In 2016 Themann signed for Adelaide Thunderbirds of the Suncorp Super Netball. She attracted the attention of several senior teams following her performances for Scotland at the 2015 Netball World Cup. However, having declared for
Scotland, she was reclassified as an import player and in 2015 a deal to sign for Queensland Firebirds collapsed as a result. However a second opportunity for Themann to play at a senior level came in 2016 when Dan Ryan signed her for Thunderbirds. Themann subsequently played for Thunderbirds during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

International
Australia
Themann represented Australia at under-16 and under-19 levels.

Scotland
In 2013 Themann declared for Scotland. She was eligible to play for Scotland because her father was Scottish. In April 2014 she made her debut for Scotland during a home series against Trinidad and Tobago. She subsequently represented Scotland at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2015 Netball World Cup. She helped Scotland qualify for the 2019 Netball World Cup but missed the tournament itself because of pregnancy.

Teacher and coach
In 2012 Themann began working as a primary school teacher at  Flemington Primary School. When playing for Adelaide Thunderbirds she took two years unpaid leave. While playing for Thunderbirds, she also worked as a netball coach at Pedare Christian College  and as a teacher, coach and mentor at the South Australian Aboriginal Sports Training Academy (SAASTA). In 2020 she became a netball coach at the Maribyrnong Sports Academy.

Honours
Victorian Fury
Australian Netball League
Winners: 2013, 2015, 2016: 3
Melbourne University Lightning
Victorian Netball League
Winners: 2016: 1
Runners up: 2012: 1

References

Living people
1990 births
Scottish netball players
Australian netball players
Australian netball coaches
Victorian Netball League players
Suncorp Super Netball players
Australian Netball League players
Melbourne Phoenix players
Adelaide Thunderbirds players
Territory Storm players
Canberra Darters (ANL) players
Victorian Fury players
Netball players at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Netball players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games competitors for Scotland
Netball players from Victoria (Australia)
People educated at Caulfield Grammar School
Victoria University, Melbourne alumni
Australian schoolteachers
Australian people of Scottish descent
People from Mooroopna
People from Shepparton

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Hadj Bouguèche (Arabic: حاج بوقاش; born December 7, 1983 in Arzew) is an Algerian football player who plays for Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 2 club WA Tlemcen.
On July 16, 2010, it was announced that Bouguèche signed a two-year contract with Emirati-side Emirates Club, joining the club on a free transfer. On August 20, 2010, Bougueche made his debut for the club starting in the 3-1 win over Al Wahda in the 2010 UAE Super Cup.
On July 13, 2011, Bouguèche signed a one-year contract with Saudi Professional League side Al-Qadisiyah FC. Bouguèche moved to Al-Nassr club in January 21, 2012, they lost final in the 2012 King Cup of Champions against Al-Ahli losing 4-1 scores. His standing record in Al-Qadisiyah and Al-Nassr is 23 appearances and 12 goals. Bouguèche signed with Al-Taawon club.
On August 17, 2004, Bouguèche received his first cap for the Algerian National Team as a starter in a friendly against Burkina Faso. In the 54th minute of the game, he provided an assist for Salim Arrache. The game ended 2-2. Two weeks later, he was called up to the team, this time for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Gabon. With the team losing 2-0, Bouguèche was inserted into the game as a 79th-minute substitute for Slimane Raho. However, Gabon added a third goal in the 88th minute and won the game 3-0.
^ La Fiche de Hadj BOUGUECHE - Football algérien DZFoot, Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "Transferts: Hadj Bouguèche à l'Emirates Club". 16 July 2010. Archived from the original on 19 July 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
^ Ahmed Rizvi,Emirate stun Al Wahda to lift Super Cup The National, Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ Transferts: Hadj Boughèche signe à Al-Qadisiya DZFoot, 13 July 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
^ EN: Algérie 2-2 Burkina Faso; DZFoot.com, 17 August 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "E.N.: Algérie - Gabon - L'Equipe type DZFOOT". DZFoot. 29 August 2004. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
This page was last edited on 17 January 2019, at 09:28 (UTC).


G.BUB releases his first video off his "A Walk Through The Gutta" Video Series Dir: by Mills Miller titled "Highs & Lows". This is one of four videos being released this spring. For information log on to www.bonafiedmusicgroup.com.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub