| Amazing how a private Christian university is what classical liberal education used to look like, and the state secular university is what classical religious education used to look like. But this is where we’re at on a grand scale today. You cannot find a program where teaching is not a political act. As Helen Pluckrose put it, “Teaching is now supposed to be a political act, and only one type of politics is acceptable—identity politics, as defined by Social Justice and Theory.” To prove this wrong simply enter, say, a program in gender studies, literature, education, mental health, you name it, and attempt to debate your professor, present alternative research or come out with your own reasoned conclusions on the subject. You can’t. Well, you can but you will likely not leave with a passing grade, or an intact reputation (or, if you drive to school, an intact windshield). And its not a matter of proving anything. Scholars today openly identify themselves as activists. Pluckrose notes a relevant example: “One particular infamous 2016 paper in Generos: Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies even favorably likened women’s studies to HIV and Ebola, advocating that it spread its version of feminism like an immune-suppressing virus, using students-turned-activists as carriers.” Sandra Gray, activist and scholar, argued that similar to how early universities expected their students to take their training in Lutheranism out to the countryside and educate the illiterate peasant masses, today’s university-trained students should also act as emissaries of the new cause : “While not suggesting that our students should be out in society professing Lutheran ideals, I would like to think we provide the tools of critique, debate and research to students to enable active citizenship and even inspire some to take up activist roles… there is a need for academics as part of their normal working lives to form alliances and connections, and even at times to become members of political and advocacy organizations. Rigorous research carried out ‘for a cause’ must again be accepted as legitimate knowledge generation.” |
| We must also remember that man’s life is in God’s Hands. Only He determines the moment of death and the destiny of every soul on separation from the flesh. For this reason, attempts to produce experiments in this field are in conflict with the Will of God and bring the experimenter into contact with the fallen spirits of that world. As a result, the data will be inaccurate and the conclusions will be false. In regards to this, Hieromonk Seraphim Rose writes the following: “Many present day researchers acknowledge or at least sympathize with occult teachings in the realm of the out of body condition, only because it is based on an experiment, which is also at the root of science. But, experimenting in the material world differs in essence from experiments in the realm of out of body experiences. In the material world, the objects of study and the laws of nature are morally neutral and can consequently be objectively studied and corroborated by others. On the other hand, the current objectives of study are hidden from man, not easily captured and frequently display their own will with the purpose of deceiving the pg. 127-128]. This happens because the spiritual sphere closest to us is filled with demons, consciously evil beings, who are specialists in the realm of deception. They gladly partake in any experiments and give the experiments their own spin. Because of this, we must take seriously Hieromonk Seraphim’s warning. And so, in our time a string of researchers, having started with authentic medical cases of clinic death, have moved on to personal examinations of out of body experiences. Without the guidance of Christian teachings and the many centuries of knowledge and experience of the Orthodox Church, they started studying the condition of the “astral” body and fell into the labyrinths of occultism. Unfortunately, this happened to Dr. Moody, the female psychotherapist E. Kubler-Ross, and several others. As an example, Dr. Moody, who published three valuable books full of authentic data, began to experiment in the areas of Theosophy and transcendental meditation. He recently published a book on this theme, titled “Coming Back,” in which he lays out the typical Hindu gibberish regarding reincarnation. (Please refer to the conclusion for an unraveling of this teaching). The Stories of those |
| “Six or seven out of ten young people will leave the church in college and never return.” This quote, or others like it, has been used by anxious youth workers and campus ministers for at least the past decade. For parents who want their kids to stay connected to the Church, this sounds terrifying, and it is. But there is a caveat. In a 2011 report, the Barna Group– who conducted the original research to which people are usually referring– clarified a few things. Perhaps most surprisingly was this observation: College experiences are generally not the main reason young people disengage from church life or lose their faith. David Kinnaman, the director of research for the Barna study, says that it is not the experiences of anti-Christian academic courses, Saturday night parties, or even the casual hook-up culture alone that draw students away from the Church. Rather, the bigger issue is their lack of preparedness to face such obstacles and turn to Christ and His Church when college life gets difficult. ’The problem arises from the inadequacy of preparing young Christians for life beyond youth group.’ Kinnaman pointed to research findings showing that ‘only a small minority of young Christians has been taught to think about matters of faith, calling, and culture. Fewer than one out of five have any idea how the Bible ought to inform their scholastic and professional interests. And most lack adult mentors or meaningful friendships with older Christians who can guide them through the inevitable questions that arise during the course of their studies. In other words, the university setting does not usually cause the disconnect; it exposes the shallow-faith problem of many young disciples.’ The Barna Group further points out that many young people feel “emotionally disconnected from church before their 16th birthday.” This changes the conversation about preparing our young people for college entirely. Instead of putting our primary emphasis on teaching high schoolers how to stay out of trouble or how to intellectually assent to a set of Orthodox tenets, our emphasis has to be on forming whole persons who have internalized God’s love and His commandments and who know where to turn when they face the world’s challenges. |
| We must also remember that man’s life is in God " s Hands. Only He determines the moment of death and the destiny of every soul on separation from the flesh. For this reason, attempts to produce experiments in this field are in conflict with the Will of God and bring the experimenter into contact with the fallen spirits of that world. As a result, the data will be inaccurate and the conclusions will be false. In regards to this, Hieromonk Seraphim Rose writes the following: «Many present day researchers acknowledge or at least sympathize with occult teachings in the realm of the out of body condition, only because it is based on an experiment, which is also at the root of science. But, experimenting in the material world differs in essence from experiments in the realm of out of body experiences. In the material world, the objects of study and the laws of nature are morally neutral and can consequently be objectively studied and corroborated by others. On the other hand, the current objectives of study are hidden from man, not easily captured and frequently display their own will with the purpose of deceiving the observer. " pg. 127–128]. This happens because the spiritual sphere closest to us is filled with demons, consciously evil beings, who are specialists in the realm of deception. They gladly partake in any experiments and give the experiments their own spin. Because of this, we must take seriously Hieromonk Seraphim " s warning. And so, in our time a string of researchers, having started with authentic medical cases of clinic death, have moved on to personal examinations of out of body experiences. Without the guidance of Christian teachings and the many centuries of knowledge and experience of the Orthodox Church, they started studying the condition of the «astral» body and fell into the labyrinths of occultism. Unfortunately, this happened to Dr. Moody, the female psychotherapist E. Kubler-Ross, and several others. As an example, Dr. Moody, who published three valuable books full of authentic data, began to experiment in the areas of Theosophy and transcendental meditation. He recently published a book on this theme, titled «Coming Back,» in which he lays out the typical Hindu gibberish regarding reincarnation. (Please refer to the conclusion for an unraveling of this teaching). The Stories of those who committed Suicide |
| Then as for the words, And now you know what withholds, i.e., you know what hindrance or cause of delay there is, that he might be revealed in his own time; they show that he was unwilling to make an explicit statement, because he said that they knew. And thus we who have not their knowledge wish and are not able even with pains to understand what the apostle referred to, especially as his meaning is made still more obscure by what he adds. For what does he mean by For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now holds, let him hold until he be taken out of the way: and then shall the wicked be revealed? I frankly confess I do not know what he means. I will nevertheless mention such conjectures as I have heard or read. Some think that the Apostle Paul referred to the Roman empire, and that he was unwilling to use language more explicit, lest he should incur the calumnious charge of wishing ill to the empire which it was hoped would be eternal; so that in saying, For the mystery of iniquity does already work, he alluded to Nero, whose deeds already seemed to be as the deeds of Antichrist. And hence some suppose that he shall rise again and be Antichrist. Others, again, suppose that he is not even dead, but that he was concealed that he might be supposed to have been killed, and that he now lives in concealment in the vigor of that same age which he had reached when he was believed to have perished, and will live until he is revealed in his own time and restored to his kingdom. But I wonder that men can be so audacious in their conjectures. However, it is not absurd to believe that these words of the apostle, Only he who now holds, let him hold until he be taken out of the way, refer to the Roman empire, as if it were said, Only he who now reigns, let him reign until he be taken out of the way. And then shall the wicked be revealed: no one doubts that this means Antichrist. But others think that the words, You know what withholds, and The mystery of iniquity works, refer only to the wicked and the hypocrites who are in the Church, until they reach a number so great as to furnish Antichrist with a great people, and that this is the mystery of iniquity, because it seems hidden; also that the apostle is exhorting the faithful tenaciously to hold the faith they hold when he says, Only he who now holds, let him hold until he be taken out of the way, that is, until the mystery of iniquity which now is hidden departs from the Church. |
| This call to prayer is also counseled by St. Mark the Ascetic who so veraciously described forgetfulness as noted above: With the help of God…descend into the depths of the heart, and search out these three powerful giants of the devil–forgetfulness, laziness and ignorance…. Take up the weapons of righteousness what are directly opposed them: mindfulness of God, for this is the cause of all blessings…and drives out of itself the darkness of ignorance. Modeling In previous articles I have pointed out how important it is for parents and child caretakers to “practice what they preach.” This advice is based on the copious research on child development indicating the crucial role of modeling in influencing child behavior (Bandura, 1986; Morelli, 2005a,b, 2006). In another article I point out the efficacy of the various models children are exposed to which significantly influence their behavior: If a parent capitulates to the culture, then the culture will assume the teaching authority of the parent. Several decades ago research psychologists demonstrated that there was no real difference between real life and mediated models (cartoons, movies, books) in terms of their effect on a child’s perceptions about sexuality and other important moral issue. (Morelli, 2007) This same behavioral research demonstrates that modeling has an important effect in shaping values. Values can be produced or altered vicariously by the child observing favorable or unfavorable experiences of significant valued others (models). (Barnwell, 1966) The importance of values in influencing behavior cannot be over-stressed. Bandura concludes: “The degree of change in evaluative reactions predicts the amount of behavior change.” This means the role of parents, child caretakers and other authority figures is of crucial importance in determining the values of children. Two factors have to be considered: their roles as models in terms of the behavior they themselves are displaying, and the role of other models to which they allow their children to be exposed. |
| The first quotation, taken from Bertel L. van der Waerden’s work, Science Awakening (Vol. II, 1974, pp. 281, 282), deals with the ability of the Babylonian astronomers to calculate the time that a planet entered a certain zodiacal sign or the position it held when it could not be observed because of clouds or because it was too near to the sun. These calculations presuppose that Babylonian astronomers had worked out theories for dating and locating certain recurring planetary phenomena and had tables at hand that listed planetary positions at regular intervals. Such lists, which were termed “ephemerides” by Professor Otto Neugebauer, are called “cardinal tables” by van der Waerden. All extant tables of this kind are late, almost all dating from the 3rd to the 1st centuries BCE. The next quotation, erroneously ascribed to van der Waerden, is actually from Otto Neugebauer’s threevolume work, Astronomical Cuneiform Texts (1955, Vol. II, p. 281). Neugebauer’s work does not deal with the observational tablets but is exclusively devoted to the arithmetical astronomical texts (mainly the tables of ephemerides mentioned above) from the last few centuries BCE. It is in his discussion of such texts that Neugebauer points to “the minute role played by direct observation in the computation of the ephemerides,” a statement that Furuli greatly stresses by repeating it in extra bold type in a box on the page. What does Neugebauer really mean? To be able to work out theories about the regular occurrence of planetary phenomena, the Babylonians needed numerous observations of the planets over long periods. Such observations were provided by the astronomical archives available since the middle of the 8th century BCE. When planetary theories were finally worked out, planetary tables could be used for calculating planetary positions when direct observations were not possible. Astronomical observational tablets, therefore, such as diaries and planetary texts, contain observations as well as occasional calculations. This is pointed out by van der Waerden in Furuli’s 3rd quotation. |
| On their way to the specified area to carry out the task which, according to al-Joumhouria's information was ready and approaching its conclusion-- liberating the priests, their car encountered a foreign group. Khoury reveals that initial information indicates that the kidnappers are Chechens and when they saw that two of those riding in the vehicle were laypeople, they threw them out of the car and fled with Metropolitans Yazigi and Ibrahim in an unknown direction. Khoury confirms that the fourth, unidentified person is " a close confidant of Metropolitan Yazigi " and he believes that he was playing a fundamental role in the operation to release the priests who had been taken hostage. He reveals that this person and the driver were both thrown onto the road. After several hours, news arrived from Fatuh's family who contacted the Metropolitan's office in Aleppo and informed them that his son had found him murdered and had identified him from distinguishing characteristics. The whereabouts of the fourth person are still not known. However, Khoury confirms that the fourth person is free and that " he is the one who made it known that the kidnappers did not attack the two of them, but rather threw them on the side of the road before each left in a different direction. He confirms that the party that found and murdered Fatuh are unconnected to the kidnappers. " Khoury recounts that, " the agreement to release the hostages required Metropolitan Yazigi to come from Turkey while Metropolitan Ibrahim set out from Aleppo, and that they would meet at an agreed-upon location in order to carry out the operation to liberate the priets. " Khoury, who is responsible for the patriarchal residence in Bab Touma in Damascus and is currently overseeing the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate, explains that the fourth person confirmed this story and said that the kidnappers' features indicate that they are foreigners. Chechens are distinguished by their accent and coloring (beards, light skin, and blue eyes, in addition to language) and so we deduce it from the information that we have from Metropolitan Yazigi's friend. |
| “And leaving it as is preserves the evidence of what Daesh did here,” he told Catholic News Service. At another church, owned by the Assyrian Church of the East, the body of an Islamic State fighter poked out of a pile of garbage in front of the sanctuary. Father Youkhana, who went to high school in Mosul, also photographed several houses that belonged to Christians, but had been given or sold to Muslim families by the Islamic State. While he doubts Christians will return, he believes they will be able to recover the value of their properties, notwithstanding attempts by the Islamic State to destroy local government records. “Christians aren’t going to come back to stay. The churches I saw were not destroyed with bombs, but by the everyday business operations of the community. How can Christians return to that environment? It’s unfortunate, because Mosul needs their skills. Most Christians were part of the intellectual and professional class here, they were doctors and lawyers and engineers and university professors. But I don’t see how they can return,” he said. Father Youkhana would make no predictions how long peace will last once the Islamic State is driven completely out of Mosul, a predominantly Sunni Muslim city. The Iraqi army units that expelled the Islamic State are largely Shiite Muslim. Several of the military’s armored vehicles sported flags of the Popular Mobilization Units, a Shiite militia, and Father Youkhana said he saw several examples of graffiti written by Shiite soldiers calling for violence against the Sunnis. “Why do they do that?” he asked. “They are undermining their achievement. People are thanking them for liberating them, and in return they try to provoke them. Just because they have the upper hand now. “They should think about sustainability,” he added. “The residents are welcoming you as a savior, so don’t wear out your welcome by provoking them.” Father Youkhana also visited Qaraqosh, a Christian town 20 miles southeast of Mosul that he described as “a ghost town.” While Mosul was bustling with busy markets and people digging out from the rubble of war, the streets of Qaraqosh were eerily silent, with most houses blackened by fire but still standing. |
| During the Fervent Prayer, petitions were lifted up for deliverance from the coronavirus infection. After the Fervent Prayer His Eminence Hilarion lifted up the prayer read during the spread of a pernicious infection. After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk read out a message of greeting from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on the occasion of the Metropolitan Hilarion’s 55th birthday. On behalf of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Dionisy presented the DECR chairman with an old icon of the Saviour and a bouquet of white roses. Speaking on behalf of His Beatitude John, Patriarch of Antioch, Metropolitan Niphon extended to His Eminence Hilarion best birthday wishes. He wished the hierarch good health and further success on his high post in the service of the Russian Church. He said in particular, “You, dear Eminence, give to those who serve with you an example of commitment to the Church and the Motherland. You use your manifold education for the benefit of the Church; you head the oldest synodal department that strengthens relations between Churches and nations. Your brilliant pastoral word, fascinating theological books and elevated music reveal to people the richness of the Holy Church. May the Lord send His grace for the fulfilment of your good intentions for the glory of the Russian Church and Great Russia”. A message of greeting also came to Metropolitan Hilarion from His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine. Bishop Anthony of Moravici read out a congratulatory message from His Holiness Porfirje, Patriarch of Serbia. The birthday message from His Beatitude Rostislav, Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, was read out by Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky). Birthday massages from Primates of the Orthodox Churches of Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Orthodox Church in America were read out by Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk. Then the congregation was addressed by Metropolitan Hilarion: |
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