Micah Exhorts the Israelites to Repent (Micah 7:1-20) via Wikipedia

By: Brenda Shoshanna

Most of us spend our lives seeking and struggling to find that which will bring meaning and wholeness to our lives. Searching on the highways and byways, most of that which we find, soon loses value. Perhaps it is because we search in the wrong way and for the wrong reason.

Then the time comes to Turn Around, take a new look, return to that which will never fail to provide joy, understanding and fulfillment. But, before we can return, we must know where it is we are returning to, and where we are right now. In Judaism , the Jewish New Year, and particularly the month of Elul, the month leading up to the New Year, is the time for turning around. The process is called Teschuvah. Wherever we are in our lives, we must stop our usual behavior, take stock, reconsider. We must turn to that which is greater and wiser. It is our job to find it.

The place to return to is called HaMakom, another name for Gd. It is the place in which we can rest, be renewed, find our deepest Center and become whole. This is a very crucial time. During this month, it is said that God and true wisdom are closer to us than usual, more energy is available to make changes, each deed of worth we do has extra power to affect lasting changes. This time of return is also a time of testing. We are shown ourselves more clearly, must face the truth, so we know what it is that must be transformed during this precious time. Teschuvah also means repentance, purifying ourselves. The process of repentance is a Jewish koan, a question we struggle with that does not have a set answer, but that we must face on our own. How do we make repentance real in our lives? It’s one thing to beat our chest and beg for forgiveness, it’s another to truly wash our hearts and minds and come to life with clean hands.

To begin to explore the true nature of repentance it is useful to see that the word for “sin” in Judaism means error, or to miss the mark. Whatever errors we have made can be corrected. In fact, they are natural, inevitable in human life. When we turn around, look at ourselves simply, in quietness, , we stop grabbing at the outside world and blaming others for our pain. Instead we see what it is within that needs correction and instruction.

One of the best ways to heal errors is to ask for forgiveness. All during the month of Elul an important instruction is to call anyone we know who we might have offended in the past year and ask to be forgiven. Many do not know what exactly they must be forgiven for or how their behavior has affected another. It is necessary to look and see. It is a great gift to give to another to ask for forgiveness, and of course, a great gift to yourself.

A great aid is to sit simply, quietly with oneself, turn the attention and focus around and instead of asking for something for ourselves, look and see what we have truly given to others, how have we used our lives to uplift and enhance all that we meet. Only then are we able to recognize the pain our actions, or lack of actions, may have caused – and how this pain can be healed.

It has been said that all loneliness and sorrow ultimately come from separation from God, each other and ourselves. The process of teschuvah, repentance and return is a process of letting go of separation of finding our wholeness and unity once again. As we do this, we discover our oneness has never been lost, only covered over with misunderstanding and confusion, covered by the walls we have created and that we can now take down.

The Torah asks, where is God? The answer comes; God is wherever you let him or her in. As we turn around, we find ways to let God and one another in, in a brand new way.

About The Author

Learn new ways of making peace in award winning book, Jewish Dharma (A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen), http://www.jewishdharma.com. Written by Dr Shoshanna, top psychologist, workshop leader who is dedicated to life transformation and creating authentic peace of mind. Contact her at: topspeaker@yahoo.com, (212) 288-0028.
The author invites you to visit: http://www.brendashoshanna.com

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Major religions distribution via Wikipedia (click for larger image)

by: Joseph Knapp

It’s a world of diversity. So diverse that of all the billions of people in this world, not any of us are the same. Not one person is exactly like another. That’s the beautiful thing about our world.

But, it is getting scarier and scarier with each new day that approaches and each new war that erupts. It seems that we can’t seem to get along because of our differences. I admit that some differences are intolerable. People who consciously commit crimes cannot be tolerated. People who intend to hurt others cannot be tolerated. People with differences such as these are not the kind of differences I am referring.

What I am talking about are the various people of different religions, cultures, belief systems, traditions and the like. Our differences are beautiful and I have no idea why we can’t simply embrace our differences rather than let our differences bother us.

It is in our human nature to be apprehensive. When you see someone with a drastically different hairdo and clothing style than yours, you might find yourself a little shocked. That shock tends to turn into worry because it is in the human nature to question those differences we have among ourselves. If a person is different in one way, are they different in other ways?

That’s being human. It starts at the surface with a simple hairdo and boils down to the deepest thoughts of whether or not they share our values. It’s important that we feel safe around people who are drastically different than ourselves. So, we need to know if they share our values.

Across all the religions and spiritual beliefs, there are similarities we all enjoy. Many of these are easy to recognize without diving deep into doctrine. All religions and spiritual beliefs embrace that it is wrong to murder others. We also have at our core of beliefs that we do not steal from others and we do not lie to each other. These are just a few of the values that we all share.

Even a person who does not follow a religion or have a spiritual belief is embedded with these same core values. Community raises us up to at least have respect for each other and that would be where most of these core values come. A person who has never killed before finds it hard to do when encountered with that scenario. That is because embedded deep down is a set of laws that it takes a great deal of energy or a moment of lapse to break.

So with these core values in place, why can’t we seem to get along with other people of other cultures? It is an astounding question. There are so many people who want to be different, but are put off by people who are different. There are quite a few people in this world who want to conform and are closed to the options in this world that could make their lives more fulfilling.

The more we learn about those around us, the more comfortable we get in our world. You will find that our differences are a beautiful thing to embrace. You will also find that there are more similarities than you think.

About The Author

Joseph Knapp’s service awakens your heart to experience Divine Grace – the source of all transformation, healing and release from undesired patterns. Joseph’s level of self-realization, combined with a lifetime of study and service, distinguishes him from other healers and truly makes him a “healer’s healer.” Find out more about him and Sacred Ecology at – http://pathofthesacredhealer.org – Path of the Sacred Healer.

The author invites you to visit: http://pathofthesacredhealer.org

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Samudragupta's coin of the horse sacrifice ritual (Ashvamedha) via Wikipedia

By: Jared B. Hobbs

In the Vedic culture, ritual sacrifice, or yajna, was a central feature of many facets of society. As the Aryans abandoned nomadicism for an agrarian lifestyle, the rituals were no longer an entirely mobile event. Increased food production led to an increased population with specialized occupations. These changes induced a transformation in the ritual sacrifice contributing to its expanding complexity. This sophistication inferred a central importance and power to the ritual. It held a grand purpose and meaning, involving the Vedic people, deities, literature, and recitation of the literature.

The meaning and purpose of the ritual sacrifice are intertwined. For the individual, the sacrifice was an attempt to gain entry into the heaven realms after death. Socially, it gave purpose to people of different castes, allowing them to perform their karma (ritual action) and fulfill their dharma (duty in alignment with the many-tiered order of reality). On a more encompassing scale, the performance of the yajna supported the maintenance of Rta, or the cosmic order.

The sacrificer, or yajamana, worships on his own behalf. He is usually a householder, whose purpose it is to live an actively engaged life within the worldly affairs which helps uphold the social order. He hires the Brahmin priests to perform the ritual. They ensure a precise performance, and the yajamana pays his daksina, wages or priestly gift, which secures the benefits of the sacrifice as his own. The householder reaps his spiritual benefits, the Brahmins get paid, and both perform their karmic and dharmic responsibilities.

The recitation of the Vedic literature by the Brahmins is an important part of the ritual sacrifice and was considered very powerful. It reified the reality of the gods and the Veda, which was memorized and reproduced orally before the composition of the Rig Veda. Sanskrit was supposedly designed with each syllable reproducing a significant vibration, thus the precision of the recitation was considered of utmost importance. The performance of the mantras was not only considered to solidify the reality of the gods and their virtues, but the speech itself is what escalated them to the status they enjoy now. Words and syllables are symbols, pointers to a transcendental or abstract reality. This quality was anthropomorphized in the goddess Vac, possibly for an increased ease of understanding and manipulation.

For these reasons the Brahmins were considered to have a crucial role in Rta. As the keepers of the oral tradition they actually had access to the secrets of reality. The recitation of the literature ensured the maintenance of the universe for the benefit of the social and cosmic good.

Cosmically, the ritual emulates creation, reiterating the prime events that birthed existence, the universe, ritual itself, all of the beings within the universe, and their social orders. The sacrifice was consumed as sustenance by the gods, and the mantras were of such power that the gods could not reject them. These conditions ensured the continual workings of Rta and the virtuous qualities the gods embodied.

The creation stories feature many intricate speculations on the cosmic meaning of the ritual. In all, creation is considered a ritual. For instance, a primeval being named Purusha was sacrificed (Rig Veda 10.90) in a Vedic ritual, and his many body parts became portions of the cosmos or social structure. To perform a ritual action is to carry out karma, which contains a power linked to the very first ritual action. As in other creation stories of the Rig Veda, this has a self-referencing power. An example of this can be found in the Rig Veda 10.121, where an unknown god is a golden embryo that hatches and brings forth the universe. He is the golden egg, is born from the golden egg, and himself lays the golden egg. These paradoxes point to a transcendental event in which karma is an important aspect. This is how the Vedic sacrifice upholds Rta.

The literature plays a large role in the sacrifice, being what guides the ritual, what is spoken during it, and what gives it its power. The Vedas can be found in four distinct sections, each of which has a specific purpose in the ritual and is handled by a separate Brahmin. A Brahmin known as the Hotar will recite passages from the Rig Veda, which contain the base versions of the creation stories, hymns of praise for the gods, and ritual recitations. The Udgatar sings from the Sama Veda, a book of songs based on the Rig Veda, but with instructions on proper pronunciation. The Adhvaryu speaks mantras from the Yajur Veda, containing liturgies for the ritual. The Atharva Veda holds hymns for individual health and prosperity for the daily life of the householder and may not be represented in a ritual demanding Brahmins. A specific Brahmin known as the Brahman scrutinizes the ritual to catch mistakes made so that they may be arduously corrected.

The intricacy involving the meaning and purpose of the people, deities, ritual, and literature are inextricably interwoven. The people of every caste serve as needed members and perform necessary actions on behalf of the proper operation of the social and cosmic orders. The gods accept the sacrifice of the ritual, performed according to the Vedic literature. The many elements surrounding the sacrifice each possess their own significance, contributing to the all-encompassing importance of the Vedic ritual.

About The Author

For more information on Hindu topics such as vedic society, please visit Jared B. Hobbs at his blog Meditations for all topics spiritual, psychological, philosophical, and more!
The author invites you to visit: http://www.jaredbhobbs.com

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A modern Western worship team leading a contemporary worship session via Wikipedia

by: Robert Hinchliffe

The history of music in Christian worship is a substantial one which can trace its origins all the way back to pre-Christian times in the Old Testament. In those very early days we read of the Jewish people singing, playing instrumental music and even dancing. Such activity was widely used as a means of expressing faith. Music played an important role in many acts of celebration and worship. It was into that society that Jesus was born.

Over the two thousand years since Christ’s life the use of music in Christian worship has gone through many phases and many musical idioms. It is really over the second of those two thousand years that church music, as we know it today, has developed.

One of the most important events in the whole of the world of music came about through the work of a Benedictine monk, Guido of Arrezzo who lived from about 995 to 1050. He didn’t actually ‘invent’ staff notation but he perfected it, completing the evolution of the earlier neumes into plainsong script, which was the forerunner of what we know today as ‘tonic-solfa’. All music had previously been passed down by aural tradition so the facility to write down music for others to read and perform was a massive step forward. Almost all musical expression since that time has come as a direct result of that development.

From that time on, composers were able to create substantial works for use in worship. This early church music was written to form the framework of an act of worship. The music was performed primarily by professional musicians attached to the church and was not for congregation participation. Composers did eventually begin to incorporate chorales (hymns) into the liturgy which gave the congregation the opportunity to join in at certain points in the service.

Many of the greatest composers over the centuries have added their voices to the ever growing repertoire of great church music. Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and many others have given us masterpieces adding to the wealth of music in Christian worship. We tend to know many of these works today through concert performances, forgetting that many were originally created as liturgical pieces for use in church services.

At times of spiritual revival (the Protestant Reformation, the missions of Moody & Sankey, the evangelical energy which led to the founding of Methodism and the Salvation Army, etc.) there was a burst of hymn writing surrounding these events. These highly creative times in church music led to the appearance of many of the greatest and most popular congregational hymns of all. The hymns from these eras of church history have stood the test of time and are still to be heard today in even the most contemporary of worship situations.

Over the last 50 years worship music has gone through a whole new phase of development. Since the early 1960′s composers of church music have gained much inspiration from the popular music of their day. We now regularly encounter worship bands accompanying church singing rather than the traditional organ. More and more, we hear the term “worship song” rather than the word “hymn” and congregations are becoming much more attuned to worship music in a popular contemporary idiom. This can be a contentious issue at times but it is important that all Christians have the right to express their faith in a manner which suits them. Many churches are coping with this by having both traditional worship and contemporary worship on a Sunday.

So, music in Christian worship continues to develop and change. We now have a massive repertoire of music in many, many different styles and idioms to choose from. At all costs, we must avoid the blinkered view of focusing on music of one idiom and ignoring the rest. Every generation adds to the rich tapestry of worship music we have available to us.

Copyright (c) 2010 Robert Hinchliffe

About The Author

Robert Hinchliffe is a professional musician and Methodist local preacher. This article is a result of his recent research into the history and development of music in Christian worship. Would you like to know more about his research? If so please visit http://www.robsworshipmusic.com/mcweb.htm and find out how you can access a FREE copy of Robert’s contemporary Christmas song, “The Greatest Gift”.

The author invites you to visit: http://www.hinchliffe-music.com

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Universum - C. Flammarion, Holzschnitt, Paris 1888, Kolorit : Heikenwaelder Hugo, Wien 1998 via Wikipedia

By: Scott F. Paradis

About The Author

Scott F. Paradis, author of “Promise and Potential: A Life of Wisdom, Courage, Strength and Will” http://www.promiseandpotential.com publishes “Insights” and a free weekly ezine, “Money, Power and the True Path to Prosperity”. Subscribe now at http://www.c-achieve.com

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An angel comforting Jesus before his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane via Wikipedia

by: Bob and Penny Lord

In the history of the world, there have always been great gaps, separators which isolate one land mass from another. As a result of these natural boundary lines, countries have been formed; ethnic cultures have developed; physical and social separation were created. Whether mountains or rivers, or lava from a volcano spewing out a separating line of black rock, or a crack in the earth deep into its core, from an ancient earthquake too violent to be measured on the Richter scale, the bottom line results have always been the same, complete and utter division.

The religions of the world have not been spared from this inundation of factions. The earthquake that occurred on that first Good Friday, after Jesus had uttered His last cry, “Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit”, tore apart the curtain in the temple, and fractured the temple area. The rumble from that outrageous act of murder against the Body of the Son of God could be felt around the world. It caused a split high up on a mountain in Italy, called Alverna, at the moment of Jesus’ death. This same mountain is where St. Francis of Assisi received the wounds of the Stigmata, some twelve hundred years later.

Perhaps a worse crack formed when the Christians split from the Jews. Granted, it was a spiritual or emotional fissure, but a devastating break nevertheless. Originally, it was clean; deep, but clean. The Jews would not accept Our Lord Jesus as their Messiah. That was it, pure and simple, the only line of separation. Other than that, everything about the new way of Jesus was on a parallel with Judaism. Christians even went to the temple to worship; then they would gather together at someone’s home to break bread, and share about the Messiah. This is the ancient beginnings of our Mass.

But when the Jews refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah, the Gentiles were evangelized and converted. Changes began to work their way into the Christian religion, and away from the Mosaic laws, (i.e. circumcision and some Kosher dietary laws) causing the gap to widen and deepen, until eventually, it became too wide and too deep, too impossible for humans to cross without help. As time went on, it took more than accepting Jesus as the Messiah for a Jew to join the Christian movement. There were Jewish laws which had nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus, and so they were not observed. This was something Jews who had joined the church, could not obey; at first they fought and then they left.

And so separation came about! This separation was obviously a plan of the evil one to form a deep and permanent gap between Jews and Christians, which was never meant to be. Jesus had come for His chosen people the Jews, dying for them as well as those who would come later, the Gentiles. Lucifer’s plot was designed for Jews and Christians to kill one another, eventually destroying the Church.

But it does seem strange that the perpetrators of the plot, the fallen angels, should have failed to consider the one entity, God had made strong enough to foil that plot, to bridge that gap, to cross that great chasm separating the old and the new, without fear of falling deep into the ravine, was their brothers, the good Angels. This bridge would stand for all time, as Jesus stood on the other side of the water, waiting for His beloved people to cross over to Him and His Church.

Angels have been a major factor in the Judao-Christian tradition, from the very beginning. While Bible Scholars of different Christian denominational persuasions disagree on just about everything in Scripture, as do our brothers and sisters of the Hebrew belief, there has always been one area where there has never been a dis-agreement, and that is the Biblical recognition of the authenticity and role of the Angels.

That Angels bridge the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament is a well-known fact. Their existence and activities can be traced as far back as Genesis, and continue up through the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, where they play a major part in the prophecy of the end times. Through Scripture, we see their roles as varied, as are their powers and gifts. Because of these special qualities of leadership, we believe the Angels have distinct personalities, to perform individual tasks. But no matter how we view the Angels personally, they are always there in Scripture, at crucial times, and they play important roles. They are right up there standing in attendance with God.

Expulsion of Adam and Eve, circa 1880, Cleveland Museum of Art via Wikipedia

The Angels themselves are mentioned no less than 320 times in the Old and New Testaments, as well as, in every main event in the Life of Jesus. The Angels are mentioned in the Garden of Eden. After the expulsion of Adam and Eve, God put Cherubim as guards of the gates of Eden. “He drove out the man; and at the east of Eden He placed the Cherubim, and the flaming sword, which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.”

By the time Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, the battle between the good Angels and the followers of Lucifer, had already been fought and decided. Lucifer was given the form of the serpent. So even then, before what we humans consider the dawn of creation, battle lines had been drawn. Sides had been taken; roles had been allocated; the good Angels trying to help man; the fallen angels trying to destroy man. But even that early in the game, it was very obvious that man was just a tool, a scorecard in the hands of Satan, to show God how powerful he was, and what a waste of God’s time mankind was.

The Angels were appointed right from the beginning, by God Himself, to watch over us, to guide and protect us.

“For to His Angels He has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways. “Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

“You shall tread upon the asp and the viper; you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.”

Although these words from the Psalms, are prophecy of the Angels’ protection first and foremost to our Lord Jesus, they are no less meant for us, His children.

Our Faithful God promised His chosen people protection for their long journey from Egypt to the Promised Land:

“See, I am sending My Angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.”

But Loving and All-Wise Father, He also warned them:

“Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him. If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to all your enemies and a foe to all your foes.”

“My authority resides in him.” The Lord’s authority resides in His Angels! When we know that our Angel is guiding us to go one way and we choose the other path, we are not only defying him, but God Himself! Defy God Himself? When I believed with the mind of a child, I used to think the God of the Old Testament was an angry, punishing God who wasn’t very loving. As I began to grow up spiritually, I began to recognize how involved He has always been in His people’s lives, always faithful even in their unfaithfulness. He was always with them, never leaving them alone, even when they rejected Him and tried to block Him out of their lives. Always loving, He was ready to take them back, like the father of the prodigal son. That’s when I realized the God of the Old and the New Testament were of One Heart and one Mind. Father and Son and Holy Spirit in One God, One Love.

God, our Father, the One Who created us, knows us perfectly; He knows what makes us happy, what is best for us. He does not punish us here on earth; we punish ourselves. We suffer because we go against His Will; His Plan for us is peace and joy. Throughout Salvation History, God sent His Messengers to help us live in this world.

In the Old Testament, Angels appeared to humans seventeen times. Although the Old Testament does not re-fer specifically to Guardian Angels, there is no doubt who accompanied Jacob on his journey: “While Jacob was going on his way, Angels of God encountered him, and on seeing them he said, ‘This is God’s Camp…’”

Copyright (c) 2010 Bob and Penny Lord’s Site

About The Author

Bob and Penny Lord are renowned Catholic authors and television hosts on EWTN, Global Catholic television. They are prolific writers about the Catholic faith, especially the Saints for which they have been dubbed “experts on the Saints.” Their website is http://www.bobandpennylord.com

The author invites you to visit: http://www.bobandpennylord.com

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First appearance of Pope John Paul II in 1978 via Wikipedia

by: Bob and Penny Lord

In the Spring of 1994, the four of us from Holy Family Mission had just arrived in Rome for an audience with Blessed Pope John Paul II.

We had previously been traveling throughout Poland gathering information and taping the lives of the Polish Saints and Martyrs. Saints like Faustina Kowalska and Martyrs like Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko and the Nuns of Nowogrodek were part of the schedule. In addition we had traveled throughout Poland and Lithuania gathering information on Shrines like Our Lady of Czestochowa and Saint Maximilian Kolbe.

We even had the fortunate experience to go to Mass with President Lech Walesa in his private chapel during the trip.

While we were there we had an audience with Cardinal Glemp, the Primate of Poland and he told us a lot about the Polish people and his friend Pope John Paul II. We went to Wadowice the hometown of Pope John Paul II and gathered information and tape on his early years and childhood in Wadowice. Subsequently, we made a documentary on his life.

Cardinal Glemp explained how Blessed Pope John Paul understood the soul of the Polish people and also understood the workings and minds of the Soviet enforcers.

One particular account comes to mind to clearly point out the situation at that time. John Paul as the Cardinal of Kradow was kept up to date about the plans of the authorities in regards to his flock. On one occasion, he was informed that the authorities wanted to reduce the number of Catholic Churches in Poland by 50%. So John Paul devised a plan. He immediately asked for a meeting with the top level authorities to talk about the Catholic Churches in Poland. The authorities were jubilant – those in charge believed this would be their chance to accomplish the goal. At the start of the meeting John Paul immediately asked for an additional 1000 Catholic Churches to be built right away. The authorities were upset and proceeded to do what they always did compromise – compromise! They negotiated John Paul down to 500 additional Catholic Churches to be built! Blessed John Paul was a genius and the authorities thought they won that battle!

Let us now share one more account before returning to the account of the audience: This account will give you great incites into the Polish mindset. The Catholics in Czestochowa wanted to have a procession with the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The authorities did not want to permit the procession, but also knew they had to obey the laws. Next the Catholics petitioned the authorities for a permit to process the Image in the back of a truck. The authorities were jubilant again, and this time they issued the permit, then refused to permit a driver for the truck. The Catholics simply placed two large wooden poles under the truck and carried the truck with the Image of Our Lady of Czestochowa processing through the streets as planned.

Now back to the audience. We had arranged to be in the Polish group for the audience and were very excited with the Archbishop asked us to step out of the crowd and go to a special place where Pope John Paul II would greet each one of us individually.

Our most memorable moment is when he spoke to each one of us individually. He told the four of us to continue to make television programs for Mother Angelica and EWTN Eternal Word Global Television Network. He stated that television and media was very important.

He stated over and over how important television and media was and we responded that we would heed his advice. Since then we have produced over 200 television ready programs and to this day we continue with that commitment.

The meeting was literally out of this world! Wow!!

We have never lost the determination to produce more media for evangelization.

Copyright (c) 2011 Bob and Penny Lord’s Site

About The Author

Bob and Penny Lord are renowned Catholic authors and television hosts on EWTN, Global Catholic television. They are prolific writers about the Catholic faith, especially the Saints for which they have been dubbed “experts on the Saints.” For more information about Saints in the Catholic Church like Blessed John Paul II go here http://www.bobandpennylord.com

The author invites you to visit: http://www.bobandpennylord.com

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Woman by aeneastudio via Flickr

By: Veronica fasan

Many people in places of worship find it difficult to intervene even when they suspect  a person is being spiritually abused. Spiritual abuse in this case means a form of power and control being used by one in position of authority in the place of worship or under the pretense of a religious belief. This can include sexual abuse, verbal, emotional, ritual, spousal abuse, whatever robs the other person of his or her dignity, confidence, trust in leaders, in men in the church. Intimidation may be used, economic abuse, brainwashing, using  isolation, coercion, threat, put downs, harass shifting responsibility, blame, mind games, guilt trip, humiliation . False prophesy to hold people bound and not  leave or to donate more money than they can afford under undue influence.

Those who are supposed to help are in denial or turn a blind eye because the abuser may be a person of influence, a big donor, child of the leader of the organization or that of an influential member’s child . There have been cases where a deacon’s son impregnated a  faithful single parent’s daughter and even when the  victim is a minor, there are cover ups and blames heaped on the minor. Threats, gossips, warnings  and possibility of excommunications.

Like Eli’s sons in the bible , there were lots of complaints but because of their position as the leaders’ children, nothing was done about it till judgment  came upon that family.

In most cases, parents are reluctant to seek help themselves from social services, or  from those who can help because  they believe their children might be taken from them .Some members of the organisation that express their concern  might be treated  like  traitors, The abuser might be a saint, respected  in the place of worship  and transforms to  a tyrant that bullies his wife  and abused his family. They command fear and absolute obedience, using scripture out of context to suit their need to bully, punish and terrorize  them.

Some have anger issues  and slap their wife or victim into submission. To  notice signs of extreme control and abuse, one should first realize that a place where there is no freedom of worship has something missing . most people join a place of worship for freedom, to be free from loneliness, rejection,to  be in a family where they can worship God together  with joy , peace of mind and grow in a safe environment and community.

Secrecy  feeds the power and control of the abuser. If you are not comfortable telling a member of the church or place of worship tell a friend , family member that  can  be trusted with confidentiality. How  do you know when an abuse starts and recognize them, and how do you get out of it before it begins to mess with your brain.

Signs of extreme  control in the church or place of worship are : to ask yourself this questions   are you made to look like there is something wrong with you  when you  say what  you are going through, are you made to look like  no body will believe you any way , are you made to believe you would  destroy the  reputation  of the organization?,

Evaluation of the situation  to determine the least harmful environment for you and your family might need to be  done  so you don’t keep up you morale and self esteem down .Those who attend places of worship joined voluntarily and must be free to leave  without  been made to feel guilty and stigmatized . They should not think all churches and places of worship are all the same . do a lot of research look before you join and if there is any thing illegal, unethical or unspiritual going on ,flee. Those who have been through years of  spiritual abuse need to heal, emotionally and if there was sexual abuse or ritual abuse  report should be made to the appropriate  organization so that other people will not go through  the same  kind of abuse. as some might lead to death if it is witch hunting, or a ritual abuse. Counter – cult counseling is available, life coaching and other ways of dealing with unresolved  issues and healing emotional wounds. It is important to break the silence,stop the cycle of abuse.No one  has the right to batter you, physically or verbally.

About the Author

Veronica has a legal and educational background, a member of the Law society England and Wales, National Association of Licensed paralegal, An Institute of Leadership management member, she is a Life coach and owner of F C Coaching and consultancy. She is a leader in Prayer and faith Clinic London.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – What to do if you are being abused spiritually

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John the Baptist baptizing Christ via Wikipedia

A note from the editor: I usually stay away from articles that are this strong. But when you think about it, so many religious writers imply that their beliefs are best (while subtly undermining others), without having the guts to come out and say so directly. So with that in mind, I thought I’d try posting this article at Earthpages.org. After all, being open-minded is to consider all views. Not just sugarcoated, diplomatic and politically correct ones.

—MC

Christianity Is Best

by Anthony Keith Whitehead

If the proverbial “visitor from Mars” came to earth looking for God, who might have a persoanl interest in him, he would have an extremely wide range of choice, taking account of all the various religions there are in the world. He would, however, surely be struck by the particular claims of Christianity, for it goes far beyond any other world religion in its view of the deeply personal nature of God’s involvement with the people he has created.

No other religion comes anywhere near the conception of a God so intimately involved with his people. Nor one prepared to offer himself to them at such individual levels and with such intensely personal relationships. Consider a few:

GOD BECAME ONE OF HIS CREATED BEINGS

Myths abound with gods taking human form. But with Yahweh it was so different. God actually became one of us in every respect except sin (2 Corinthians 5. 21) — and to do it, he left behind all the power and glory associated with God (Philippians 2. 6 – 8).

How much more involved can involvement become? Well, quite a lot! For God then proceeded to live cheek-by-jowl for thirty-three years with those he had created. Why? Simply to give them an example they could follow of the kind of life God wanted from them — and to show what was possible in their lives.

How much greater personal commitment can there be than that? Well, in fact, quite a lot! For as King he then subjected himself to his subjects, allowed them to crucify him — and all so that he could save them from their own stupidity and intransigence! (e.g. Romans 5. 18, 19).

THE GRANT OF HIS OWN POWER

Jesus, as the Christ, having suffered every ignominy possible, returned in glory to his Father’s side — and mainly so that the power which had been manifest in his own life on earth could be made available to his people (e.g. Luke 24. 49; John 16. 7). So, as God had made spiritual gifting available to a small selection of his people throughout the period covered by the Old Testament, now he made that empowering available to every one of his people, as he had promised. (Joel 2. 28 – 32. See also our book “The Empowering Of God’s People” on our web site, [address below]).

From the Day of Pentecost onwards that empowering became the potential inheritance of every Christian disciple. “Potential” because many would not bother to accept what was offered to them through a range of charisms which, in principle, is infinite.

THE GRANT OF HIS OWN PRESENCE The relationship which the God of Christians desires is so personal that he has promised to continue to live with them and to be actively a part of their lives in several “unbelievable” (if the reader will excuse the pun) ways.

He gives himself in the form of the Holy Spirit to dwell within every baptised Christian (e.g. Mark 1. 8). This is so astounding a fact that we have a tendency to become blase about it because, when we consider its reality, it is so difficult to comprehend a God who would give himself in that way. Oh, certainly, we accept it as a tenent of our belief, but the actual reality often escapes us. Or why do so many of us apparently live such chunks of our lives without reference to him? To his advice? To his counselling? To his directing?

The “man from Mars” might be able to understand how this happens. But for us, our excuses are poor.

But there is more. God always continues with us through his Spirit, but Jesus also promised that he would be with us whenever and wherever we were prepared to gather together with other Christians in his name (Matthew 18. 20). Yet another personal touch.

Is there still more? Well, yes, but more controversially for Christians. For those who do not run away from the reality of it, as did many of Jesus’ first disciples when he initially “floated” the idea (John 6, especially vv30 – 65 and then v66 and to the end), he is physically present in the bread and wine which is consecrated in remembrance of him (e.g. all Last Supper accounts in the synoptic gospels) and which is something Paul himself accepted (1 Corinthians 10. 15 – 17;11. 23 – 32). So besides a spiritual presence of jesus there is also a physical one.

MARTIAN PERCEPTION

All this would surely present an overwhelming case to the intelligent Martian looking for evidence of a personal God. Not a god who has a multiplicity of manifestations, who is in everything and is everything but is still essentially impersonal and distant from our lives. Not a god who sends messages of violence and destruction, nor one who is represented by a mere man who can never be surpassed.

Rather he would see a God, so perfect in his justice that sin had to be dealt with, but one so infinite in his mercy that he dealt with it in the only way possible: through his own self-sacrifice. And one who loves his people so much that he cannot but live with them, daily and continuously and who is prepared to share his power and his nature with them (2 Peter 1. 3,4).

About The Author: Anthony Keith Whitehead

This article is copyright but may be reproduced providing that all this information is included

Over twenty three years in Christian healing teaching writing ministries. Wide range of secular employments before being called by the Lord into full time independent ministry in 1987. With his wife Iris he has ministered both in the UK and USA. Has written several books on healing meditation and various aspects of spirituality. Formal qualifications include: B.A. M.Phil. Cambridge University Certificate in Religious Studies Post Grad Cert in Education.

Web Site: http://www.christianword.co.uk

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The end of the road by TimOve via Flickr

Author: Roseanna Leaton

You know what it feels like when love is first blossoming; you find that it is almost impossible to not smile, you feel as if you are walking on air and you wake up early each day feeling fantastic. To be in love feels good. Having close relationships and intimate ties to other human beings is not only good for our mental and emotional health; it is also good for our physical health as well.

This is a fact which nobody can deny; there is too much evidence which proves the point. There have been many different types of studies conducted, in communities all over the world which indicate the healing powers of love and friendship.

One study which is often cited relates to the town of Roseto in Pennsylvania, which was up until relatively recently inhabited by immigrants from a small town in Southern Italy. This community of Italian-Americans in Roseto remained very close in terms of family ties and traditions, maintaining their cultural values and religious beliefs through several generations. The inhabitants of this small town experienced significantly less heart disease than in either of the two similar sized neighboring tons. They also lived significantly longer.

When scientists began researching the Roseto phenomenon they could not find anything significantly different in terms of diet, exercise or work which could account for this community’s good health. The only thing which was different was their social cohesion and supportiveness. Researchers began to suspect that it was Roseto’s stable structure which could have protected the inhabitants from heart disease and also led to longevity.

These suspicions turned out to be well-founded, as was evidenced by the dramatic increase in heart disease in the 1960′s and 1970′s as the previously close and cohesive community began to fragment and become more isolated. Many different studies have ensued and each supports the basic belief that when we feel isolated or unsupported, our health is endangered. By contrast, when we are involved either in an intimate and loving relationship, or in a supportive community our health tends to be a whole lot better.

The thing to bear in mind is that it does not matter what type of supportive relationship you are involved in, so long as it provides you with a feeling of being cared for. For some people their religion is what provides them with this feeling, this perception of being part of something bigger and being cared for as an integral part of that community. For some this may take the form of going to church and being an active part of a church group; for others it may be a perception of our spiritual nature which provides a feeling of cohesion and connectedness.

Everyone is different in how they perceive their world and a major key to good health is to feel cohesion and connectedness. Many people may on the face of things live a life with lots of support, family and friends around them, but they might still feel a sense of isolation, and this feeling is one of the strongest predictors of heart disease. It is a matter instinctive importance to the human soul to feel supported as opposed to isolated. Yet it is not what is happening around you that matters so much as how you feel about it. One person may be alone, bur feel spiritually connected, whilst another could be surrounded by many and still feel alone.

I am reminded of a quote by Viktor Frankl which loosely runs along the lines of “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; his ability to choose his thoughts in any set of circumstances”. This quote is very empowering. This gentleman very elegantly describes how we do in fact choose our thoughts and it follows that we can change our thoughts should we wish to do so. If for any reason you are feeling isolated or alone, you can change this feeling. It may take a little effort on your part, but never the less, you can change how you feel, and you will find that hypnosis mp3 downloads are very helpful in your desire to feel a greater sense of well-being.

This is a huge topic and I am only scratching the surface here. The risk factors predicted by a sense of isolation do not just relate to heart disease and an earlier death. The whole spectrum of disease comes into play.

In a community where social cohesion has been left behind, it is important to seek new ways in which to provide yourself with a feeling of togetherness and support, to encourage the belief and understanding that you are not alone. A journey into spirituality may be just what you need.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis mp3 downloads for health and well-being.

About the Author:

With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading practitioners of self-improvement. You can get a free hypnosis download from http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and peruse her extensive library of hypnosis downloads for hypnosis empowerment.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Healing Power of Love and Good Relationships