Religious Ideology and Politics Blog! » religious movement

An Overview of Various Uses of Psychoactive Medications

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:25:14 +0000

Being a curious human being, one might seem to want or experience another state of consciousness. We all know that this can be done by children through spinning, sliding, and swinging, all as form of play. It is in a person’s instinct to have the urge to alter one’s consciousness, much like quenching one’s thirst, hunger, and sexual desires. Today, so many people experiment with mind-altering substances or psychoactive medications, which are chemical substances that basically acts on a person’s central nervous system and alters the brains’ functions. The use of these drugs cause short-term changes in mood, perception, behavior, and consciousness.

These medications are divided into five types that correspond to five different uses of the drug.

shop now for affordable psychoactive medications

Psychoactive medication includes the use of general anesthetics. Now this is a class of psychoactive medication that is used on patients who need help in minimizing pain and other hurtful sensations. Most of these anesthetics cause the patient to become unconsciousness, thereby allowing doctors to proceed with surgery or other medical procedures without inflicting physical pain or causing emotional trauma. Another type of this class of medication comes in the form of painkillers. Since psychoactive medication are often prescribed to manage pain, certain neurochemicals can be chemically influenced to manage or reduce a patient’s uncomfortable pain. This class also includes narcotics like codeine and morphine, and also aspirin and paracetamol. Psychiatric medications are for the treatment of mental health problems, specifically mental and emotional disorders. Medications for psychiatric treatment have six classifications, namely: antidepressants (treatment for depression, anxiety, dysthymia, eating disorders, etc.); stimulants (used to treat ADD, narcolepsy and for suppression of appetite); anti psychotics (for the treatment of psychosis such as schizophrenia and mania); mood stabilizers (for treating bipolar disorders and shizoaffective disorder); anxiolytics (for anxiety disorder treatments); and depressants (used for hypnotics, sedatives, and anesthetics).

Looking at another approach for the use of these psychoactive medication would be through the use of recreational drugs. Since this particular kind of medication can alter a person’s mood and perception, some can be abused, including those with accepted use in medicine and psychiatry. Frequently used drugs for recreation (or more appropriately, used illegally) include stimulants, hallucinogens, hypnotics, and analgesics. All these can elevate sensations transmitted via a person’s central nervous system. These drugs are abused for their euphoric and performance-enhancing effects. People who abuse these drugs experience perceptual changes, cognitive distortions, and inebriation. Examples of such commonly abused mind-altering products include caffeine, alcohol, LSD, cocaine, and heroine.

Another reason for the use of these medication involves the conduct of certain rituals and spiritual activities. Specified psychoactives, mainly hallucinogens, have been used for religious purposes since time immemorial. Native Americans have used peyote, a mescaline-rich cacti, as a symbolic and material object for religious ceremonies. Another substance used for ritual purposes is the muscimol-containing amanita mushroom, which was widely used by prehistoric tribes in Europe. Various other hallucinogens like jimsonweed, psilocybin mushrooms, and cannabis have also been used in different religious ceremonies for ages. Within the period of 1960-1970, new religious movements have began the use of LSD and other hallucinogens as sacraments. Of course, legality is always on the surface, and that the use of the hallucinogens for religious activities should be strictly regulated.

Blasphemy and Apostasy in History – I

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:29:13 +0000

Basan A. Yahya, Ph.Ds

This is a series of articles on blasphemy and apostasy. If you do not like philosophy. You may stop here. This article will not be boring though, because many expatriates and religiously illiterate do not know what blasphemy is, or may be they do. So you are still reading this article to defend yourself from the unfair accusation to some, concerning the term “religiously illiterate”, that’s good, then a little more information doesn’t hurt. Or does it? While the world is taking new course in history of human civilization under the slogan of globalization, almost one hundred years ago, H. B. Bonner wrote (1912) “Blasphemy … varies with the temper of the age in which it is administered and of the judge who has administered it.” Does freedom has limits in the case of blasphemy and apostasy? We will not answer quickly. Because the matter of freedom is not an easy one. It took too much and too many lives across history with justification of those who administer it or judge it. Some of the assumptions underlie this article are: all religions share in common principles and doctrines cherished, respected and practiced with little freedom to cut ties with it by their followers; In the age of swift reason, unfortunately, emotions lead, and therefore, control reason in many instances to the wrong decision in the so-called enlighten rational world. And those most secular nations are not less dogmatic in their doctrines than religious nations when it comes to freedom of expression as far as the attack is on OTHERS’ belief and practices. The western human beings as well as many Eastern societies are stripped from the power of thinking about what is right and what is wrong for themselves when it comes to freedom limitations, much of their decisions are controlled by mass media, availability of money, and overhead policy directions and above all sort of “taboos” of certain kind. In no way, westerners or Easterners are free in terms of destroying their value system without rational as well as irrational justified defense. Saying this, the issue of blasphemy and apostasy has taken its course in human history. In this article we will investigate the two concepts in Islam in the East, and Christianity in the West. Therefore, we will show the Islamic tradition dealing with these concepts for the purpose of lasting peace and productive normalization between religions and cultures. And show in the second part how these concepts were developed. This investigation is a part of large research project began fifteen years ago. Taking into account the hypothesis which says: Islam is the most misunderstood religion across history even-though Islam shares Christianity and Judaism perceptions in terms of blasphemy and apostasy. Generalization of misunderstanding is common among religions and cultures toward each other. This, I believe, a dogmatic cherished curse common to all religions or ideologies of the past as well as of today. Especially when they consider materialism as a supreme power and goal for political life, and do not give more than a fraction to thought to spiritualism in life (or after life). H. B. Bonner wrote in 1912 “Blasphemy … varies with the temper of the age in which it is administered and of the judge who has administered it “. In his opinion, Orthodoxy has persecuted heresy in the last five hundred years ….. it has sometimes killed the heretic, he said, but it has never killed the heresy. Apostasy, Linguistically, apostasy means: a defection or revolt, from former religion. It is a term generally employed to describe the formal abandonment or renunciation of one’s religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy. In a technical sense, as used sometimes by sociologists without the pejorative connotations of the word, the term refers to renunciation and criticism of, or opposition to one’s former religion. One who commits apostasy is an apostate, or one who apostatizes. Apostasy is generally not a self-definition: very few former believers call themselves apostates and they generally consider this term to be a pejorative. One of the possible reasons for this renunciation is loss of faith, another is the failure of alleged religious indoctrination or brainwashing.

The difference between apostasy and heresy is that the latter refers to rejection or corruption of certain doctrines, not to the complete abandonment of one’s religion. Heretics claim to still be following a religion (or to be the “true followers”), whereas apostates reject it. Arab countries I believe, are mostly and conveniently be described as heretics. While they do not reject Islam as a religion, but their daily practices negate principles of Islam. Many religious movements consider it a vice or sin, a corruption of the virtue of piety in the sense that when piety fails, apostasy is the result.

This article tries to investigate blasphemy in the last millennium. Blasphemy and apostasy may be analyzed in terms of three concepts: opinion, manner, or place in which it was (or it will be) occurred. (843 words) www.hasanyahya.com

Peace on Earth?

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:29:21 +0000

It’s been said that Satan’s gratest tool, his greatest helpmate is RELIGION! But is Satan, Lucifer, that snake in the grass a HE? Is there such a being? Where does this being live? Is this Satan really just our ego, or maybe a dark force that shadows our every move? Let’s let those questions wait while I tackle the easy question. Is RELIGION one of God’s greatest enemies (re-phrasing the question).

Wherever there has been wars and killings there’s been a RELIGIOUS movement involved (and usually two or more). In the NAME OF GOD various religions kill others. Christianity has a bad trck record when it comes to establishing PEACE ON EARTH! But, most religions have that same track record.

Kill, kill, killl!

Hans Kung has been the object of his faith’s retribution. Hans Küng is a Catholic priest, a Swiss theologian, and a prolific author. But, the Vatican has rescinded his authority to teach Catholic theology. Though he had to leave the Catholic faculty, he remained at the University of Tübingen as a professor of Ecumenical Theology, serving as Emeritus Professor since 1996. Neither his bishop nor the Holy See have revoked his priestly faculties. If one does not fully BELIEVE like a denomination INSISTS then you’re out!

Some 30,000 “Christian denominations” are proof of the egoic will of mankind. I think we’ve had God all wrong.

Hans Kung siad it well when he voiced this thought, “There will be peace on earth when there is peace among the world religions. No future for the planet without world peace; no world peace without peace between the nations; no peace between the nations without peace between religions; no peace between religions without religious dialogue.” The way of Jesus travels many roads.

Every fourth Sunday, the InterFaith Ministry of Houston conducts a tour of two local-area faiths. One can experience two dozen different faiths. It’s sad though that most fundamentalists pastors, preachers, and denominational leaders forbid or discourage their adherents attendance at such. The fear is that they might pick up a demon, become infected with false doctrine, or get led astray! Let the people be free!

In the first two months we’ve visted Jewish, Quaker, Jain, and Zoroastrian faiths. So, what’s to fear?

1-People will see the love of various religious beliefs

2-People will have compassion for people of other faiths.

3-People will ask their religious leaders questions they can’t answer.

4-People will see that God is everywhere at work in all faiths.

5-People will be set free to question their own faith (a major fear).

So, this Sunday, I’ll get to “experience” the Baha’i and Sikh faiths and hopefully do what little I can to love people of all faiths and make a small impact for peace on earth, here in Houston, Texas. Remember, God is most defined in Jesus, but confined to Jesus- nor your city, denomination or church.

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His Divine Grace Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:29:30 +0000

His Divine Grace Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Hindu teacher and the founder of the International Society of Krishna Conciousness, known worldwide as the Hare Krishna Movement. His mission was to spread the word of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism form of Hinduism throughout the world. He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a prominent devotional scholar and founder of dozens of branches of Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic Institutes), he convinced the young Prabhupada to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge in the Western world. Prabhupada became the student of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, becoming his formally initiated disciple eleven years later. At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine. Recognizing Srila Prabhupada’s philosophical learning and devotion, the Gaudiya Vaisnava Society honored him in 1947 with the title “Bhaktivedanta.” In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, and four years later he adopted the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. Srila Prabhupada traveled to the holy city of Vrndavana, where he lived in very humble circumstances in the historic medieval temple of Radha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (sannyasa) in 1959. At Radha-Damodara, Srila Prabhupada began work on his life’s masterpiece: a multivolume translation and commentary on the 18,000-verse Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana).

In 1965, Swami Prabhupada set sail for America, with only eight dollars and a box of books, he was fulfilling the instruction he had received to spread Vedic teachings throughout the Western world. He founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City in 1966, temples were established in New York and San Francisco, Prabhupada and his disciples travelled throughout America popularizing the movement through street chanting (sankirtana), book distribution and public speeches. Some disciples were then sent to London where they made contacts with The Beatles; George Harrison spent much time with Prabhupada and later produced a record with members of the Radha Krsna Temple. Prabhupadac ontinued to travel the globe, spreading the word and establishing temples throughout the world; by the time of his death in 1977, ISKCON had become a widely known expression of Vaishnavism on an international basis. While some classify it as a new religious movement however its core philosophy is based on scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana and the Bhagavad-gita, which are over 5,000 years old. The distinctive appearance of the movement is derived from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition which had it’s origins in India in the 1400s. ISKCON spread the practice of bhakti yoga (devotion to God) in which devotees (bhaktas) dedicate their thoughts and actions towards pleasing the Supreme Lord, Krishna. ISKCON is now a worldwide confederation of more than four hundred centres, sixty farm communities, fifty schools and ninety restaurants. The movement’s devotees are commonly referred to as Hare Krishnas which comes from the mantra that devotees sing aloud or chant softly with the intention of achieving a state of pure Krishna-consciousness. Srila Prabhupada prescribed four regulative principles in relation to dharma as the basis of spiritual life – No eating of meat, fish or eggs; No illicit sex; No gambling; No intoxication (including alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and other recreational drugs.) Many devotees worship at their local mandir (temple) or in the privacy of their homes. Devotees are actively evangelistic, members try to spread Krishna consciousness, primarily by singing the Hare Krishna mantra in public places and by selling books written by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The movement also sponsors a project called Food for Life which distributes pure vegetarian meals (Prasadam) to those who need/desire them.

What Exactly Is Freedom?

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:40:36 +0000

Everybody loves freedom. Everybody wants it. But a lot of questions need to be answered. For example: What is freedom exactly, and can it be accurately defined? How is freedom related to liberty? Liberty conveys the idea of the right or the ability of the individual to do what he wants. Freedom on the other hand is a word which contains inbuilt restrictions. My freedom to swing my hands stops at my neighbor’s nose. A free society contains individuals who are free to do what they do, whilst respecting the freedoms of others. Freedom is a wonderful thing….but to be truly free…is there ever really such a thing? Well…at least free within the limits of the law and my budget that is.

The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act on July 18, 1947. The Act created two dominions, Indian Union and Pakistan. It also provided for the complete end of British control over Indian affairs from August 15, 1947. The Muslims of the Sub-continent had finally achieved their goal to have an independent state for themselves, but only after a long and relentless struggle under the single-minded guidance of the Quaid.

The boundaries of Pakistan emerged on the map of the world in 1947. This was accomplished on the basis of the Two-Nation Theory. This theory held that there were two nations, Hindus and Muslims living in the territory of the Sub-continent. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was the first exponent of the Two-Nation Theory in the modern era. He believed that India was a continent and not a country, and that among the vast population of different races and different creeds, Hindus and Muslims were the two major nations on the basis of nationality, religion, way-of-life, customs, traditions, culture and historical conditions.

Pakistan came into existence as a dominion within the Commonwealth in August 1947, with Jinnah as governor-general and Liaquat Ali Khan as prime minister. With West and East Pakistan separated by more than 1,000 miles of Indian territory and with the major portion of the wealth and resources of the British heritage passing to India, Pakistan’s survival seemed to hang in the balance. Of all the well-organized provinces of British India, only the comparatively backward areas of Sindh, Balochistan, and the North-West Frontier came to Pakistan intact. The Punjab and Bengal were divided, and Kashmir became disputed territory. Economically, the situation seemed almost hopeless; the new frontier cut off Pakistani raw materials from the Indian factories, disrupting industry, commerce, and agriculture. The partition and the movement of refugees were accompanied by terrible massacres for which both communities were responsible. India remained openly unfriendly; its economic superiority expressed itself in a virtual blockade. The dispute over Kashmir brought the two countries to the verge of war; and India’s command of the headworks controlling the water supplies to Pakistan’s eastern canal colonies gave it an additional economic weapon. The resulting friction, by obstructing the process of sharing the assets inherited from the British raj (according to plans previously agreed), further handicapped Pakistan. (L.F.R.W.)

“We have one God, one Quran, one Ka’aba, and one Prophet. Let’s have one organization, one platform, one flag and one leader”

~ M.A Jinnah, Srinagar, 19441

Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the father of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam, gave them the earthly glory promised in the holy Quran and in the process, altered the entire course of history of the subcontinent for decades to come.

It is incredible to note that the struggle for Pakistan enjoyed the kind of mass support it did despite the very definition of it being in doubt all through the pre-partition phase. It is even more remarkable that the Pakistan arguably not “sufficiently imagined” came into existence less than a decade after its struggle was initiated. In a geopolitical scenario as complex as British India, there were bound to be a number of forces that aggregated to bring about such a momentous event in the history of Indian subcontinent. Arguably, one of the most significant architects of the whole process was the man called Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

A striking aspect of Jinnah’s personality was his love for constitutional, orderly means both in his political and personal life

“His life was a model of order and discipline.

“Among his Moslems Jinnah had no friends, only followers”

” If Jinnah had died even after the announcement of partition in June 1947, there would have been no Pakistan”

The historical, cultural, religious and social differences between the two nations accelerated the pace of political developments, finally leading to the division of British India into two separate, independent states, Pakistan and India, on August 14 & 15, 1947, respectively.

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Abortion Counseling: Why It Is Important

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:41:00 +0000

In most societies, especially those under heavy influence of religious traditions and beliefs, abortion is considered a very ugly term. As such, even the mere thought of doing it is something that couples should not even contemplate on. In such societies, the mantra is that abortion is murder and violates human morality as well as an infraction on the laws set forth by God. Pro-life movement proliferates in societies like this with the end of encouraging couples to give even the unborn a fair opportunity to live, even those children who are unwanted by couples because of their own reasons.

Abortion Made Safer by Science

However, with the forward press of societies, communities have come to accept that abortion may be an option that should be seriously considered in order for a couple to give a decent life to their children. Moreover, abortion practices are now done by professionals in the medical field, increasing the chances that the process will be done safely, without adverse effect to the health of the woman.

Abortion: A Very Distressing Issue to a Woman

If abortion is a touchy issue to some societies, it is even more critical for a woman because it is her health that is on the line here. For a woman, abortion is more than just a health issue: it is personal and challenges her own faith, beliefs, and in some cases, it may even cause a change in personality. And the change may be headed for the worst. As such, every woman who is contemplating on aborting her pregnancy is required to undergo abortion counseling to better help her weigh her options and make the choice that she will not regret in the future.

Why Abortion Counseling Is Important

Abortion counseling is just one of the numerous facets that has arisen on matters related to reproductive health, especially more on the welfare of women. Although the term counseling may be too general to identify its specific scope, in abortion, the term is used to refer to the dispensing of advice, information, support, education, and therapy to the woman. Various forms of abortion counseling exist, but what matters most is that every information obtained in the counseling process should remain confidential. On an ideal level, counseling must provide a woman who is considering abortion with non-judgmental and non-directional opportunity to sort out her feelings and thoughts, emphasizing which matters most to her and which choice she can easily dispense. In some cases, counseling invites the presence of a parent or the partner, although judgment should not be primarily made by them, their presence being only to help the woman clarify her thoughts..

Who Administers Abortion Counseling

Abortion counseling may be administered by the woman’s doctor although the considered experts in the field are psychologists. One such feature that all abortion counselors share is their extreme ability to listen to detail, without being overwhelmed by the enormous volume of information that the woman may provide. Whatever the case the most important thing to bear in mind is that an abortion counselor is there only to provide guidance without leading or hinting the woman to make choices she may regret later.

Wooden Bookcase in Sale

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:41:14 +0000

A bookcase, or bookshelf, is a piece of furniture, used to store books. When books were written by hand and were not produced in great quantities, they were kept in small containers which owners (usually the wealthy or clergy) carried with them. As manuscript volumes accumulated in religious houses or in homes of the wealthy, they were stored on shelves or in cupboards. These cupboards are the direct predecessors of today’s bookcases. Later the doors were discarded, and the evolution of the bookcase proceeded.

The oldest bookcases in England are those in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, which were placed in position in the last year or two of the sixteenth century; in that library are the earliest extant examples of shelved galleries over the flat wall-cases. Long ranges of book-shelves are somewhat severe in appearance, and many attempts have been made by means of carved cornices and pilasters to give them a less austere appearance.

The movement happens as long as the human activities. People are always curious which make them looking for something by reading books as the source of the knowledge and information. A number of book or newspapers in our house spur our creativity to make our house more beautiful and neat. The human interest on reading is influence the wholesale modern furniture making innovative design of bookcase. Based on the shape bookcase consist of several types like:

Quad Bookcase

Quad bookcase is bookcase which shape in various sizes. This multi-sized shelves design can store your CDs, DVDs, folders and books all in one clever product. For even more storage space, separate units can be joined together.

Built-in Bookcase

The very permanence of a built-in bookcase—custom-designed and stocked to your needs and tastes—adds to a house’s character and substance in a way that freestanding bookcases simply can’t. Enormously flexible, built-ins can fit just about anywhere. Besides familiar locations like lining a wall or flanking a fireplace, a bookcase can create an alcove, surround a window or door, sit under a stairway, follow you up the steps, and even gracefully divide a room in two. The accuracy of choosing the fit place is important regarding that built-in bookcase is permanent can’t move.

Leg Bookcase

Leg bookcase means a rack or shelf with leg under. You can choose bookcase with long leg for small room to give a touch of wider.

Folding Bookcase

Folding Bookcase is something that is very innovative and a lot of people like this idea. This is practical, beautiful, elegant, attractive and luxurious. All things are envisaged in the picture above. Bookshelves made of wood, the fact can have a different slope positions, both in the 900 and 900 Vertical Horizontal.

Hanging Bookcase

Hanging shelves is a shelves placed on the wall or hanging. Hanging shelves is suitable for a narrow area because it can save space.

That is short explanation of bookcase types hoping can add your references to choose a fit bookcase for your house. Besides, we have to know that book is made of paper which vulnerable of termite. Termite is rise by the humid condition. Thus, look for open bookcase which having no door to keep your book in a good condition.

Looking for more information about wood bookcase furniture please visit www.modernfurnitureindonesia.com, the leading innovation manufacturer and wholesale wood furniture from Indonesia..

Golden Triangle Tour Information India | Tour Package Itinerary

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:41:19 +0000

Namaste, The Tour North India Delhi (Golden Triangle) Delhi, Agra and Jaipur are one of the most important destinations of northern India. The Americans, diplomats, business people, delegates, companies from India, always love to make this short trip for a few days. It would not be fair to say that the Golden Triangle in any event can become a piece to show what India has done.

Golden Triangle Tour is made up of three tourist Destinations Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

Delhi Capital of India with 10 million inhabitants, the town is divided into two sectors: the old city, Old Delhi and New Delhi, the new city founded by the English. Both cities lie on the right bank of the Yamuna. The old city is made of an intricate network of alleyways clustered around the major axis Lotus Temple, Chandni Chowk, Red Fort and the Friday Mosque Jama Masjid.

Agra (1 million inhabitants) is one of the main cities of the state of Uttar Pradesh, located 200 km from Delhi. The current Agra was founded under the Mughal era in 1566 by Akbar, which he made his capital. Under the reign of his grand-son Shahjahan (seventeenth century), the splendor of the city reached its peak. Aurangzeb moved the capital to Delhi. The city was conquered in 1761 by the Jats and the Marathas in 1779. In 1803 it was occupied by the English.

Here you find the Red Fort and Taj Mahal which is a miracle in itself. Today it is considered one of the best wonders in seven wonders of the world.

Jaipur – (2 500 000 inhabitants) is the capital of Rajasthan. The walls and doors painted the walls pink Jaipur gave his nickname “Pink City”. In the north a chain of hills, rise of ancient fortifications. Jaipur, the “city of Jai” is named after its founder, Prince astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II who did design and build the city in 1727.

Tailor Made
If you want to extend your visit, just look at the following destination to add to the Golden Triangle.

Varanasi “The Ganges”
Varanasi, formerly known as Benares, is one of the most important religious cities in India. When the streets of the old town, near the River Ganges, you will see holy men, sacred cows, sacred temples and the whole place.

Pushkar – The City of Lord Brahma
Pushkar is also known as the City of Brahma, as the famous temple dedicated to Lord Brahma, the only one you find in India, is here. Pushkar, surrounded by five rivers (ie, Suprabha, Prachi Nanda Saraswati, Kanaka and Pushkar) and over fifty ghats is a good stop on your trip to Rajasthan.

Ranthambhore National Park
Ranthambore has been declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and is part of Project Tiger in 1973. Sawaimadhopur is the entry point to Ranthambore National Park, which is surrounded by VinJouras and the Aravali Hills. In the midst of vast expanses of arid and barren desert of Rajasthan is the ecology of the oasis of biomass. The Ranthambore National Park covers an area of 392 square kilometers of dense forest with waterfalls and Nullah.

Every moment spent on the Indian subcontinent makes you feel it is huge, diverse and brimming with the energy of its one billion people, which is stimulation of the senses. Like no other place on earth, this stimulation comes from trees, sounds like an attraction for all the senses is a country filled with color, passion and constant movement are few places frequented. It is a country filled with color, passion and constant movement.

India presents visitors with a panorama of colors, cultures, sounds and lights. A visit is a feast for the senses, but more than that, it’s a way to see and learn about aspects of nature and culture are far from our ordinary experience.

Sadducces, Pharisees, And The Church

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:51:32 +0000

What the Sadducees believed. The Sadducees had their roots in the time of the Hasmonaean dynasty. After the Israelites returned from the Babylonian Captivity, it was the tradition that the high priest must be of the tribe of Levi, the family of Aaron, and the family of Zadok, Solomon’s high priest (1 Kings 2:35 and Ezekiel 40:46). Descendants of this family (called Zedukim, or “Sadducee” in English) were the temple authorities throughout the time before Jesus was born. Descendants of Zadok and their supporters, many of them priests, were also called Sadducees. They were wealthy and politically active (having the favor of the Romans and of the support of Herod), and they were a large majority on the Sanhedrin. This gave them far greater influence than their small numbers justified (some scholars believe there were fewer than 1,000 actual Sadducees). They also controlled the economy of the temple, for which they were criticized by the Essenes and confronted by an angry Jesus. Apparently, many were Hellenistic in lifestyle, though faithful to the temple rituals. The Sadducees were the conservatives of the time. They held that only the written Torah was authoritative, rejecting the oral law completely. And even holding the prophets and other writings of less value than Torah. They opposed the Pharisees in every way they could up to the time the Temple was destroyed in AD 70. They denied a bodily resurrection and most of the Pharisaic doctrine of angels and spirits. They held completely to the letter of Torah with no room for the creative applications of the Pharisees. This was especially true in cases involving the death penalty. Extenuating circumstances made no difference.The Sadducees’ authority was one of position and birth, unlike the Pharisees, whose authority was based on piety and knowledge. They hated the Pharisees, believing the synagogue and study of the Torah and its interpretations as a form of worship undermined the temple ritual. They frequently dealt brutally with anyone who undermined the temple, its economy (their income), and its ritual. Also with Roman support were capable of severe punishment. The Sadducees offered worship that brought God down to the people. In their eyes, worship was an act of homage to the divine ruler, not an exercise in understanding. Their power was largely based in Jerusalem and Judea through the Sanhedrin, the ruling religious council, used by the Romans and Herod’s as the instrument to govern the Jewish people. The Sadducees had the most to lose because of Jesus. Any popular movement jeopardized not only their place as the majority on the Sanhedrin, but also the support of the Romans who ruled through it (John 11:49, 53), a fact that would have profound consequences. This was the one group most likely to wish Jesus removed from the scene. The early church, now a growing movement, faced a similar reaction from the Sadducees (Acts 4:1, 5:17), although a large number of priests who became believers in Jesus probably were Sadducees (Acts 6:7). When the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the Sadducees ceased to exist. Like the Sadducees of Jesus’ day, modern Sadducees also do not teach the whole plan of God and they seem to disagree amongst themselves on specifics. These are partial Christians which are not Christians but use only a few choice scriptures instead of the whole word of God. See Matthew 4:4. Nearly all will not teach that we are to be born again by his grace, (As seen at Calvary, read John 1:29 and Hebrews 9:15-22.) and our active faith through our water baptism (John 3:5, Mark 16:16, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 2:8-10, and Luke 24:45-47.) to be part of God’s family. Neither teach that we are begotten through the spirit of God, which enters in after our baptism in the one name (Acts 4:12, Colossians 3:17, John 14:6, and 1 Peter 3:21) that now saves us. Also see Matthew 3:12-17, Romans 6:4, and Colossians 2:12. Some deny that there are eras of God’s Church. Read Revelations 1:4 and Revelations 2:21-3:21. Most do not consider that the top priority of the Church should be proclaiming the Gospel to the world as a witness. Mark 16:15-18. Acts 1:8 and 2:1-42. We read in Smith’s Bible Dictionary says that the Sadducees “were for the most part judges, and individuals of the governing class. The leading tenet of the Sadducees was the negation of the leading tenet of their opponents. The second distinguishing doctrine of the Sadducees was the denial of man’s resurrection after death.” Halley’s Bible Handbook says the Sadducees “were a priestly clique, irreligious, they were rationalistic and worldly minded.” In addition Josephus wrote, “Sadducees, think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom they frequent. Sadducees say that they may act as they please. But the behavior of the Sadducees ones towards another is in some degrees wild; and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them.” Thus the Sadducees were a mixture of independents and semi-independent individuals. Scripture confirms that many of the Sadducees were associated with the priesthood and that they were somewhat hostile to the true Church, “Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison” (Acts 5:17-18). And the Sadducees may have been prophesied, “How can you say, “We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us’?…Behold they have rejected the word of the Lord; So what wisdom do they have?” (Jeremiah 8:8-9). The Sadducees apparently considered human governance and position more important than God’s as John wrote, “The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” ” (John 19:15). They also would not teach the whole plan of salvation, “For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and no angel or spirit” (Acts 23:8). “Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him. Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?” ” (Mark 12:18/24). What The Pharisees believed. The Torah was of great importance to the Pharisees. It was the focus of every part of their lives. They believed that Moses had given a two-part law: the written law of the Torah itself and additional oral commandments that had been passed through generations to help the faithful understand and apply the written law. The Pharisees continued to interpret and expand the Torah to cover every possible occurrence of unfaithfulness to the written law. This oral law became a complex guide to everyday life often beyond the comprehension of the average person. Yet its intent was to help people understand Torah, much as a creed or catechism is intended to help summarize and interpret the Bible today. It is important to recognize that the word “law” can mean either (or both) of these “Torahs” when used in the Bible. It is often the oral Torah that Jesus criticized, though he kept it in many respects. The Pharisees had many beliefs in common with Jesus and the New Testament. They believed in the physical resurrection of the dead (While the Sadducees did not!) and a coming day of judgment followed by reward or punishment. They anticipated the Messiah at any moment. They believed in angels. They recognized a combination of free choice and divine control in human life. They thought of God as all-wise, all-knowing, just, and merciful. They taught that he loved his people, calling them to a life of obedience. The Pharisees believed that everyone had the power to choose good or evil, and die Torah must be his or her guide. And since their lives revolved around the study of the Torah, the Pharisees made the synagogue their community center, though they supported the Temple as well. There were more than 6,000 Pharisees by Jesus’ time, and they were the dominant influence on the people’s spiritual lives. The “yoke of Torah” (or method of obeying) taught by the Pharisees was a heavy burden, sometimes obscuring the very law they sought to obey. The Pharisees desired to raise the spiritual character of the Jewish people to help them draw nearer to God (Psalm 73:28, 34:18, and James 4:8 for a New Testament expression of the same idea). Halley’s Bible Handbook says that the, “Pharisees were the most numerous and influential of the religious sects of Jesus’ day. They were strict legalistic. They stood for the rigid observance of the letter and forms of the Law, and also for the Traditions”. According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, “The fundamental principle of the Pharisees is that there was an oral law to complete and explain the written law, given to Moses”. A scriptural example of that would be Matthew 15:1-2, “Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus saying, ‘Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread’”. The Pharisees were very concerned about ‘the tradition of the elders’ even though there was no biblical requirement to wash hands before eating bread. Modern Pharisees are focused more on traditions than the Bible. The man made trinity tradition developed in Babylon and passed to all cultures was then brought in by Greeks (Justin Martyr 145 A.D. in water baptism and Tertullian 200 A.D. in Godhead.) and adopted by Catholics and later Protestants, fits this mode or tradition. Jesus often called the Pharisees hypocrites (Matthew 15:7,16:3, 22:18, 23:23-29, and Mark 7:6). According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the Greek word Jesus used that was translated as hypocrite means, “an actor under an assumed role”. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:23-24). “Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves” (Luke 7:30). Today one may decide to be either a Sadducee, Pharisee, or a saved believer of God. And now more than ever we are looking up for Jesus, as our redemption draws nigh. It’s not about looking busy rather we are about our father’s business of seeing souls saved by his name. He told all to “Occupy till I come” (Back. Found in Luke 19:13). Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing” (Mat 24:42,46). He also said, “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is” (Mark 13:33). Also, look at what we are warned in the book of Ezekiel (the book must be warning people who at least have read the Bible), Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. (Ezekiel 14:13-16). God can save anyone from anything if it is his will. Nothing is impossible with him. Now depending on others will not save you. That is why Paul says in Philippians, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12). And Peter plainly said this with the support of the other Apostles and all of the church. Acts 2:38-40 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. And nobody will serve God long with true love and acceptance of his word. We must be like the first believers. They all gladly heard, believed, and received the word. 1 Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Acts 2:41-47 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. They all had things to be worried about yet they focused their faith in him who changes not. Therefore they were in perfect peace through the Prince of peace. In Isaiah 26:3-4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Psalm 29:11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. Today, if you have accepted Jesus Christ by name in all things then you are the people of God. Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. And your are safely saved by his name which is the strong tower. The righteous run into it. May the peace and purpose of God be always in your heart and life, until his soon return.

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The Historically True Jesus!

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:41:40 +0000

The historical Jesus is the figure of the first-century Jesus of Nazareth as reconstructed by scholars using historical methods that include critical analysis of gospel texts as the primary source for his biography, and non-biblical sources for the historical and cultural context in which he lived. Use of the term “the historical Jesus” implies that the figure thus reconstructed may differ from that presented in the teaching of the ecumenical councils (“the dogmatic Christ”) and in other Christian accounts (“the Christ of faith”). Though the reconstructions vary, they generally include these basic points: Jesus was a Jewish teacher who attracted a small following of Galileans and, after a period of preaching, was crucified by the Romans in Iudaea Province during the governorship of Pontius Pilate. The historical Jesus was a Galilean Jew living in a time of messianic and apocalyptic expectations. He was baptized by John the Baptizer in the Jordan River, and after John was executed, Jesus began his own movement in Galilee. He preached the Kingdom of God, using pithy parables with startling imagery and was renowned as a teacher and a healer. Many scholars credit the apocalyptic declarations that the gospels attribute to him, while others portray his Kingdom of God as a moral one, and not apocalyptic in nature. He sent his Apostles or disciples, out to heal and to preach the Kingdom of God. Later, he traveled to Jerusalem in Judea, where he caused a disturbance at the Temple. It was the time of Passover, when political and religious tensions were high in Jerusalem. Apparently the temple guards (believed to be Sadducees) arrested him and turned him over to Pontius Pilate for execution. The movement he had started survived his death and was carried on by his brother James the Just and the other apostles. It developed into Early Christianity. Was Christ Real? You and everyone must decide for themselves based on factual evidence presented here and elsewhere, and this will give all a good picture for matching up the truth versus fiction. Now that there are some who claim he could not of been or existed, that is a fact. But many men once believed the earth flat. That is until it was proven to be round by Columbus.
The manuscript evidence of the Classics and The New Testament in comparison.
Author When Written Earliest Copy Time Span Copies
Plato 427-347 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,200 yrs. 7
Tacitus 100 A.D. 1,100 A.D. 1,000 yrs. 20
Ceasar 100-44 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,000 yrs 10
Livy 59 B.C.-17A.D. — — 20
Pliny 61-113 A.D. 850 A.D. 750 yrs. 7
Thucydides 460-400 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 yrs 8
Suetonius 75-160 A.D. 950 A.D. 800 yrs 8
Lucretius Died 55 or 53 A.D. — 1,100 yrs 2
Euripedes 480-406 B.C. 1,100 A.D. 1,500 yrs 9
Aristotle 384-322 B.C. 1,100 A.D. 1,400 yrs 5
New Testament 48-100 A.D. 125 A.D. 25 yrs 4,000 The New Testament writers actually saw Him and lived with Him. Peter and John and the others were contemporary eye witnesses, and not the “friends of friends,” they themselves saw Jesus heal lepers; they saw the nails pierce His hands; they put their fingers into the hole in His side when He came back from the grave. Here are Peter’s words: “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of His majesty. For when He received honour and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain.” But have we just their word that they were there? Not at all! Hundreds of references in writings of those days confirm that Peter and John, Paul and Luke and the other writers of the New Testament history books were well-known figures of the time. In his public defence before King Agrippa, Paul says: “the king knows about these things, for this was not done in a corner.” In his letter to the Corinthians, he states that Jesus, after His Resurrection, “appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time most of whom are still alive,” and all the thousands of references to Paul in the letters of those days confirm that both the eye-witnesses and the things they wrote about are true. The writings of men like Clement, Barnabus, and Ignatius in the first century are filled with references to the written records of the men who observed Jesus first-hand. Even the next generation recorded their personal interviews with these eye-witnesses of the Son of the Creator: Papias, born in 60 A.D., records what the old apostle John told him about the writing of the gospels: “Mark, having become Peter’s interpreter, wrote accurately all that he remembered; though he did not record in order that which was done or said by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed Him; but subsequently, as I said, [attached himself to] Peter who used to frame his teaching to meet the [immediate] wants of his hearers; and not as making a connective narrative of the Lord’s discourses.’ So Mark committed no error, as he wrote down some particulars just as he recalled them to mind. For he took heed to one thing, to omit none of the facts that he heard, and to state nothing falsely in his narrative of them.” Irenaeus, who lived until 203 A.D., tells how Polycarp, who died in 154 A.D. “would describe his intercourse with John and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord, and how he would relate their words. And whatsoever things he had heard from them about the Lord and about His miracles and about His teaching, Polycarp, as having received them from eyewitnesses of the life of the Word, would relate it altogether in accordance with the Scriptures.” But, if “this was not done in a corner,” surely even historians who were hostile would make references to the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth! And so they do non-Biblical, non-Christian historians like Porphyry, Celsus, Josephus, Pliny, ect. These all confirm that the New Testament writers wrote truthfully about the events they observed personally in Palestine in the first century. Tacitus, the leading historian of Imperial Rome writes: “The author of that name (Christian) was Christ who in the reign of Tiberius suffered punishment under his Procurator Pontius Pilate,” while the Jewish historian Josephus writes, “There was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day.” The public nature of the record and the objective corroboration of the facts recorded by Paul and Peter and the others is evidenced most plainly in the statement of Tertullian, the juris-consult, familiar with the Roman archives. “Tiberius accordingly, in whose days the Christian name made its entry into the world, having himself received intelligence from Palestine of events which had clearly shown the truth of Christ’s divinity, brought the matter before the senate, with his own decision in favour of Christ. The senate, because it had not given the approval itself, rejected this proposal. Caesar held to this opinion, threatening death against all the accusers of the Christians.” No other ancient history has better corroborated eye witness records! The only true argument that remains, is that Jesus was just a legend or myth. There is little likelihood that Jesus’ claims were legends. There simply wasn’t enough time for any legendary development of the story to replace what really happened. For instance, we now know that the Gospels were written 30 to 50 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. More dramatically, we now date some of the early Christian creeds, proclaiming the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, from 3 to 10 years after His crucifixion. This would include Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, Romans and Galatians. Finally, if Jesus’ claim of deity was a myth, the early Jewish opponents of Christianity would surely have presented the fact that these claims never happened. Unlike modern skeptics, the Jewish rabbis never denied that Jesus made the claim that He was God. Instead, they called Him a liar, and tried Him for blasphemy. Some critics say that Christianity is nearly a duplication of the Horus myth. Though true Christianity is not, Catholicism borrowed it’s trinity from Pagan sources along with some holidays and worship days. This was a blend of both. It was in a vain attempt to win pagan. Yet it instead took away the power of God. (It is in the name of Yeshua or Jesus, he hold all saving and command power for all things. Acts 4:12, Colossiaans 3:17, and Matthew 28:18) Now the trinity and other changes reduced Catholicism to a mere powerless religion. It does not now resemble the word of God at all. Here are the claims of the critics. The Egyptian mythical Horus, god of light and goodness has many parallels to Jesus. (Leedom, Massey) For some examples: Horus and the Father as one Horus, the Father seen in the Son
Horus, light of the world, represented by the symbolical eye, the sign of salvation.
Horus served the way, the truth, the life by name and in person
Horus baptized with water by Anup (Jesus baptized with water by John in the Jordan river)
Horus the Good Shepherd
Horus as the Lamb (Jesus as the Lamb)
Horus as the Lion (Jesus as the Lion)
Horus identified with the Tat Cross (Jesus with the cross)
The trinity of Atum the Father, Horus the Son, Ra the Holy Spirit
Horus the avenger (Jesus who brings the sword)
Horus the afflicted one
Horus as life eternal
Twelve followers of Horus as Har-Khutti (Jesus’ 12 disciples) Yet historically, it was shown that Jesus or Yeshua was resurrected. And that his Holy Spirit power inspired miracles, baptisms, and healings in his name. Again, there is enough data on the subject of Christ to prove he lived, died, and was resurrected. Nobody doubts Julius Ceasar’s birth, life, or writings. Yet for all his fame, nobody can saved by his name. You can be safely saved by the Holy One. It is not religion that saves a person, but God himself can and will do so. That is if you are willing and obedient to his word and will. He never forced anyone to serve him. That is true love at it’s best. Trust God and his word alone, without additions or add ons. As that is all that is needed, to have his grace added to your active faith in him.

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