Jesus Is God Irrefutable Proof

"1. "

"Isaiah 48:12-13, 17 "

"Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I AM THE FIRST AND I AM THE LAST". My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. [17] This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God."

It is clearly Understood when God spoke of being the first and the last, it meant his eternal state. It was not a metaphor.

However, In Revelation, Jesus claims the same thing.

Revelation 1:17-18 "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

So why should we believe that he is speaking metaphorically? Also, how can two things be the first and last at the same time relatively speaking? Unless they are the same thing.

2.

Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, Prince of Peace."

Obviously this was referring to Jesus, the prophesied son, "will be calledMighty God and Everlasting Father.

Even though kings in the Bible shared the title "God" they were NEVER given the title Everlasting Father. That title was only given to God alone and would be considered blasphemy.

3.

Micah 5:2 (New International Version)

2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans [a] of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

WHOSE ORIGINS [B] ARE FROM OF OLD,

FROM ANCIENT TIMES. [c] "

Micah 5:2 (New American Standard Bible)

2But as for (A)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Too little to be among the clans of Judah,

From (B)you One will go forth for Me to be (C)ruler in Israel

His goings forth are (D)FROM LONG AGO,

FROM THE DAYS OF ETERNITy."

Once again it is referring to Jesus. However its stating that his origins are from ancient times.

4.

John 10:30-33 "I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me? We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, "A MERE MAN, CLAIM TO BE GOD"."

The Jews here made it clear that they charged Jesus with blasphemy for claiming to be God. John the author makes no mistakes when mentioning that the Jews thought that Jesus WAS CLAIMING TO BE GODnot an angel of heavenly courts, not a great prophet, but God.

5.

John 5:17-18 "Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself "EQUAL" with God."

Once again John the author is clearly stating that the "Son of God" is considered equal with God the Father. John uses the word "equal" making it distinct.

7.

Acts 20:28 "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which HE BOUGHT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD."

How can God purchase the church with his own blood?

8.

Isaiah 40:3 "A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway FOR OUR GOD."

Mark 1:1-3 "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" - "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD, make straight paths for him.'"

John the Baptist is obviously the messenger in Mark who is preparing the way for God by making it straight in the wilderness. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.

9.

Deuteronomy 10:17 "For the LORD your God is GOD OF GODS AND LORD OF LORDs, the great God, mighty and awesome"

1 Timothy 6:15 "which God will bring about in his own time - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDs."

Revelation 17:14 "They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."

God is called Lord of all Lords. That is an absolute statement. Yet, Jesus is also called Lord of all Lords. How can they both be Lord of all Lords at the same time? That is a logical contradiction. No two absolutes can occur at the same. Its like comparing two things with each other but being the best at the same time. Only one can be the best unless they are the same thing.

10.

1 Timothy 3:14-16

"14Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:"

"HE[C] APPEARED IN A BODY,[d]"

"was vindicated by the Spirit,"

"was seen by angels,"

"was preached among the nations,"

"was believed on in the world,"

"was taken up in glory."

based on the content of the preceding verses, Paul was only talking about God and makes no mention of Jesus at all. But how is it that he clearly says that He (God) manifested in the flesh?

11.

Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another"

Isaiah 48:11c" I will not yield my glory to another."

John 17:5 [Jesus prayed] "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

God says that he will not give any glory to one another. Interestingly enough, he gives it to Jesus. Also Jesus makes an interesting statement when he requests to receive glory he had with him "before" the World began.

12.

John 1 & 14"1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning."14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."So here we have it. In the beginning was the Word, which was God, who came down in the flesh and dwely among us. This Word came from the Father. This was obviously talking about Jesus.Revelation 19:13"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God."

This verse only reinforces that. Jesus is also names the "Word of God".

13. Here is the prophet Zechariah recording God's own Words in Zech 12:10

"In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem....and they will look on Me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son"

God is foretelling that he is going to be pierced from his enemies. When did God get pierced?

14.

"In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem....and they will look on Me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son (Zech 12:8a, 10b).

How can a finite created being take on the sins of the entire world let alone one man especially if the Bible says that no man can die for another.

Deuteronomy 24:16 it specifically says this:

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the father. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

In Exodus 32:30-35, Moses tries to offer himself as an atonement for the sins of the people. To be written out of God's book, means to be written out of the Book of Life, which means Moses was asking to die for the sins of the People. God's response was "No, it does not work that way, each man dies for his own sin:"

"And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Eternal; perhaps I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Eternal, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Eternal said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the Eternal plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. [Exodus 32:30-35]"

"The word of the Eternal came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Eternal God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Eternal God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."

"When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. [Ezekiel 18:1-4; 20-24; 26-27]"

It's very clear that a man can not die for another. The definition of a "man" meant that he was finite and created. However, if Jesus was just a finite man, he couldn't have died for your sins. But since he did, he cannot be finite and therefore an infinite being, being able to take on infinite sins!

He cannot "just" be a created finite man. He is God.

More related Blogs:

Historical Jesus and what the early Church Christians believe he was

Did Jesus die on the Cross and Resurrect?

Was Jesus a copy of the other gods like Horus?

Why does God allow Evil and Suffering?

Where did Morals come from?

What the Bible says about Reincarnation

What the Bible says about Astrology

Did Mary assume into Heaven?

Nephilim, Fallen Angels, Giants, and sons of God

Book of Mormon VS The Bible

Why Won't God Answer my Prayers?

Why I CAN'T be an Athiest. Athiesm is illogical

Why did God order Genocide and murders in the Bible

When The Shoe Fits A Book Review

And here I am, doing a book review on a religious (sort of) book, authored by (of all people) Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.Here's the inside poop (the U.S chapter) on Rajneesh - http://www.answers.com/topic/rajneesh?method=22:"In 1981, Rajneesh was taken to the United States in search of better medical care (he suffered from diabetes and severe back problems) and also, reportedly, to escape tax evasion charges in India. His followers, at his request, bought (for US6 million) a ranch in Wasco County, Oregon, previously known as "The Big Muddy", but later renamed Rajneeshpuram where they settled for the next several years.Disagreements over zoning rules and building codes in the beginning continued to escalate between not only his followers and the inhabitants of Wasco County, but eventually with the rest of the state. His followers, known as Rajneeshees, settled en bloc in Antelope, Oregon, and were able to elect a majority of the town council. Comments by his public spokeswoman, Ma Anand Sheela, only increased tensions. Matters were not helped by Rajneesh's vow of silence, or the 93 Rolls-Royces his followers bought him as gifts - they said that he wanted 365cars so that he had a new one for each day of the year (technically, he did not have income or own any property). One of his followers explains this in what is called "Face to Faith Parable of the Rolls Royces." When the Rajneeshees subsequently recruited homeless people from across the United States to settle at Rajneeshpuram, it was widely seen as an attempt to use the ballot box to seize control of Wasco County.At the same time the commune offered an international refuge for his followers to live Osho's teaching; the ideal of meditating, celebrating, and trusting in love. At its largest, Rajneeshpuram consisted of some 7,000 members on a 100-square-mile ranch in Antelope. It included homes, meditation centers, its own road system, power grid, bus service, schools for children, and even a small airport.In 1984, a bioterrorist attack involving salmonella typhimurium contamination in the salad bars of the 10 restaurants at The Dalles, Oregon, was traced to the Rajneeshee group. The attack sickened about 750 people; none died. It was the first known bioterrorist attack of the 20th century in the United States. Eventually Sheela and Ma Anand Puja, another of Osho's close advisors, confessed to the salmonella attack and to attempted poisonings on county officials. About this time, Sheela was removed from her post in the Rajneesh's service, and shortly afterwards left for Germany.While these controversial events brought much negative publicity to the commune, it is worth noting that Osho himself spoke very strongly against these acts, and that it was only a handful of people who were responsible out of the thousands of people who were living in the communce either permanently or temporarily. Osho never apologized to any of the victims of the germ attack, which was orchestrated by his own hand picked disciples. Some of the victims were women and small children.In May 1985, Sheela called a meeting of Rajneesh's inner circle to plot the assassination of Charles Turner, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, after the attorney was appointed to head a grand jury investigation into the commune. Catherine Jane Stubbs, known as Ma Shanti Bhadra, volunteered to be the killer. She later bought weapons and scouted Turner's property.In 1985, Rajneesh was arrested in North Carolina as he was allegedly fleeing the U.S. On October 23, 1985, a federal grand jury in Portland, Oregon had secretly indicted Rajneesh, Sheela, and six others of his followers for alleged immigration crimes. Two days later, a Wasco County grand jury returned indictments against Sheela and two others, charging them with the attempted murder of Swami Devaraj, Bhagwan's personal doctor. Rajneesh on advice of his lawyers entered an "Alford plea," also called a no-contest plea, and was given a suspended sentence on condition that he leave the country."Now, I am not, nor ever have been, a follower of this fellow. I've owned the book since the early nineties (it was recommended to me by a Tai Chi teacher). The title of the book is WHEN THE SHOE FITS - TALKS ON THE STORIES OF CHUANG TZU. I find it a very..."calming " read. It's basically an extended commentary on many of the stories of Chuang Tzu. For those of you unfamiliar with this gentleman, read here:Chuang-tzu or Chuang-tze (both: jwng-dzu(), c.369-c.286 B.C., Chinese Taoist writer. Little is known about his life. He was a native of the state of Meng, on the border of present-day Shandong and Henan provinces, and is said to have lived as a hermit. The collection of essays attributed to him, called the Chuang-tzu, is distinguished by its brilliant and original style, with abundant use of satire, paradox, and seemingly nonsensical stories. Chuang-tzu emphasizes the relativity of all ideas and conventions that are the basis of judgments and distinctions; he puts forward as the solution to the problems of the human condition freedom in identification with the universal Tao, or principle of Nature. He is less political in his orientation than the earlier Taoist Lao Tzu. He is also called Chuang Chou.Now, even though I'm an atheist, I confess a bit of a soft spot for Taoism: "Philosophical TaoismThe philosophical system stems largely from the Tao-te-ching, a text traditionally ascribed to Lao Tzu but probably written in the mid-3d cent. B.C. The Tao, in the broadest sense, is the way the universe functions, the path [Chin. tao=path] taken by natural events. It is characterized by spontaneous creativity and by regular alternations of phenomena (such as day following night) that proceed without effort. Effortless action may be illustrated by the conduct of water, which unresistingly accepts the lowest level and yet wears away the hardest substance. Human beings, following the Tao, must abjure all striving. The ideal state of being, fully attainable only by mystical contemplation, is simplicity and freedom from desire, comparable to that of an infant or an "uncarved block."Truth be told, I favor it mostly because it's so quiet in expression. No "Sturm und drang", no kick school mentality, no force enacted on another.On to the book now: I shall try not to digress (and it's tough, when you get to my age, trust you me).Rajneesh, I gotta hand this much to the fellow, was a fairly sharp fellow (During the 1960s he served as philosophy professor at the University of Jabalpur while touring India lecturing on his philosophy). Maybe not in judging human nature (it was, if memory serves, his inner circle that screwed up big time: he also got greedy, as shown here in Face to Faith - Parable of the Rolls-Royces), but his writings (this book at least, I've not read anything else by him) are filled with wit and insight. He salts his discussion on Taoism by liberally borrowing from Buddhism, Hinduism, and our all-time favorite, xtianity, not to mention funny anecdotes about some fellow named Mulla Nasrudin (who is his literary straight man, so to speak). The title comes from this:So, when the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten:when the belt fits, the belly is forgotten: and when the heart is right,'for' and 'against' are forgotten.Excerpt:"You must have heard the story of the centipede? A centipede walks with a hundred legs.A frog, a philosopher, saw the centipede, he looked and watched and he became very troubled;iti so difficult to walk even with four legs, but this centipede was walking with 100 legs.This was a miracle! How did the centipede decide which leg to move first and then which one next and then which one after that? And 100 legs!So the frog stopped the centipede and asked a question: I am a philosopher and I am puzzled by you.A problem has arisen which I cannot solve. How do you walk? How do you manage it at all? It seems impossible!The centipede said: I have been walking all my life, but I have not thought about it. Now that you ask, I will think about it and then I will tell you."For the 1st time thought entered the centipede's consciousness. Really, the frog was right - which leg should be moved 1st?The centipede stood there for a few minutes, couldn't move, wobbled, and fell down. And he said this to the frog:Please don't ask another centipede this question. I have been walking throughout my life and it was never a problem,and now you have killed me completely! I cannot move. And a 100 legs to move! How can I manage?"Life moves in a perfect circle, life moves perfectly, there is no problem.Chuang Tzu says of Chu'i that he could draw more perfect circles freehand than with a compass.You need a compass because you are not confident of life; you need moralities, precepts, principles,Bibles, Korans, Gitas to direct you because you are not confident of the inner force.That is your life. And these Bibles, Korans, and Gitas,they have created the same situation for you that the frog created for the centipede."I don't know about anyone else, but I find that an amusing metaphor of modernity. Interspersed throughout this book are constant salvos against the fragile construct of the ego: how it is unnatural, a superficial extension of modern man (what really cracks me up is each chapter is headed up by "pictures of Rajneesh". Sheesh!).There are so many bits and pieces that I'd dearly love to quote at you, however, I'm consciously trying to keep the post smaller. This book's not bad, but you'd be much better off reading Chuang Tzu.The story of the prince and the monkey, the tale of the fighting cock (this is ancient China, you hedonists, so no funky innuendoes, please!). My favorite (Chuang Tzu here) is this one:"Chuang Tzu with his bamboo pole was fishing in the Pu river.The prince of Chu sent two vice-chancellors with a formal document: We hereby appoint you Prime Minister.Chuang Tzu held his bamboo pole. Still watching Pu river, he said:'I am told there is a sacred tortoise offered and canonised three thousand years ago, venerated by the prince, wrapped in silk, in a precious shrine on an altar in the Temple.What do you think? Is it better to give up one's life and leave a sacred shell as an object of cult in a cloud of incense for 3000 years, or better to live as a plan turtle dragging its tail in the mud?''For the turtle' said the vice-chancellor, 'better to live and drag its tail in the mud!''Go home!' said Chuang Tzu. 'Leave me here to drag my tail in the mud.'"A good Mulla Nasrudin story:'It happened that Mulla Nasrudin entered a hospital. The surgeon who was going to operate said to him:Here we believe in speed, and we don't waste any time. After the operation, on the very first day, you have to walk for 5 minutes in the room; the next day, for 1/2 an hour, outside the hospital; the third day, a long walk of 1 hour. Here we don't waste time. Life is short and time is money. It has to be saved.Mulla Nasrudin said: Just 1 question do you mind if I lie down for the operation?"And one for our xtian friends:"Duke Hwan of Khi, 1st in his dynasty, sat under his canpopy reading his philosophy. And Phien the wheelwright was out in the yard making a wheel.Phien laid aside hammer and chisel, climbed the steps, and said to Duke Hwan:'May I ask you, Lord, what is this you're reading?'The Duke said: 'The experts, the authorities.' And Phien asked: 'Alive or Dead?' The Duke said: 'Dead a long time.''Then,' said the wheelwright, 'you are reading only the dirt they left behind.'The Duke replied: 'What do you know about it? You are only a wheelwright. You had better give me a good explanation or else you must die.'The wheelwright said: 'Let us look at the affair from my point of view. When I make wheels, if I go easy they fall apart, and if I am too rough they do not fit.'But if I am neither too easy nor too violent they come out right. The work is what I want it to be. You cannot put this into words, you just have to know how it is. 'I cannot even tell my own son exactly how it is done, and my own son cannot learn it from me. So here I am, 70 years old, still making wheels!'The men of old took all they really knew with them to the grave. And so, Lord what you are reading there is only the dirt they left behind them.'So, in short, an easy read, and if you filter out the more religious references (according to Rajneesh, Tao=God, which I don't think is correct), it's a little bit of all right.

Powerful Yantra For Money

Yantra in the literal sense of the word mean machine. In the ancient Hindu religious sense the meaning can be taken as unique geometrical forms associated with a particular deity or force of nature.Yantras are often associated with unique mantras, shapes or numbers associated with a particular deity. The combination of the shapes with the mantra or numbers are said to be generators of vibrations associated with that particular deity whom you would like to appease. This is considered to be an extremely powerful combination.Here I am giving two powerful Yantras of the Hindu Goddess of wealth Laxmi.These Yantras are useful in the generation of wealth by fair and clean means.These two Yantras are most powerful when inscribed on copper. However if you find it difficult to do so, you can draw them on a clean white peace of paper.I will appreciate if you inform me about you experiences, if you try them out.

Laxmi Yantra - To be kept in your purse amongst money

Laxmi Akshay Yantra - To be kept in your safe or the place where you keep you money.

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Hashem Yerachem Move To Israel Updated Again

Benji G. was deskbound one row out-of-the-way from me on my Aliyah flee. He stepped heart in Eretz Yisrael impartial seconds further on I did. I knew pick up out-of-the-way he was a very glowing guy.

Yesterday someone posted this on the Aliyah clause of OnlySimchas. I'm not a fan of position in OnlySimchas but I make an exeception for the Aliyah clause. (BY THE WAY I KNOW THREE PART INHABIT THAT BUMP BANK ACCOUNT FOR BEING PAID THAT CLAUSE FURTHER.) I consider it's very indispensable to lead the way by style. I consider position your Aliyah on OnlySimchas serves minimally to go others to make Aliyah as well.

Depict my panic about because I noticed tonight that someone seemed to sullied this holy clause (YES, I'M MAIN DRAMATIC BUT I'M NOT MAIN MOCKING) by position what appears to be a Yeridah. Now established I don't know all the truth and it can very well be this join up is making Aliyah, and impartial for the foremost do she came show to get her U.S. nationality.

Quiet at the very smallest amount of it doesn't belong in the Aliyah section! Quite a few inhabit prize open get the insincere position and consider it's a SIMCHA to "make '"Aliyah"' to America!"

I consider Benji's spot supervisor offer summed it up best close at hand this: "HASHEM YERACHEM. RESETTLE TO ISRAEL."

My sentiments scrupulously.

I consider that post would haughty right go here!

UPDATE: Some time ago position this Benji seemed to include deleted his spot. Most likely he was asked to by the orignal poster. As myself and unorthodox poster posted offer.

I Posted:

"My freind Benji G. is right! "IT IS PREFERABLE TO ANIMATE IN THE DESERTS OF ERETZ YISRAEL THAN THE PALACES OF CHUTZ LAARETZ" (BERESHIT RABBA 39:8)."

"Tali" posted:

"for whoever lives in the Mend of Israel may be considered to include a God, but whoever lives edge the Mend may be regarded as one who has no God. For it is believed in Torah "TO LEAVE BEHIND YOU THE MEND OF CANAAN, TO BE YOUR GOD"- ketubot 112 a,b dont go saying youve ended aliyah because youre living in america, the essence of extradite. and bump urself off this page so you dont sprint cringe-making yourself"

To this (AND BENJI'S SPOT THAT WAS PEACEFUL OFFER) "DANIEL" posted:

"Tali, Pinchas and Benji, allure get an little of slapstick. Hedva's naturalization IS a bona fide simcha. In position it time, our friends at onlysimchas.com gave us a hidden list of smachos under which this can be hush-hush. The best one that fit was Aliyah in a group of a amusing way. While I sat offer in the courtroom remark her and 92 others becoming population, I can not help but be whitewashed by the tumult of the support. It ended me consider about my great-grandparents came to the US, one of the few countries that has open sanctuary to so an assortment of subjugated and hard done by inhabit for so long. As one who is bigheaded to serve the inhabit of the Attached States in embassies round about the world, I thank HKBH for munificent us a avow in which we include customarily had full nationality and include had the space to be the bigheaded and openly frum Jews that we are today. If you consider about it, probably that's why so an assortment of Americans who make aliyah never put down their US nationality. Nucleus mikayem the mitzvah of yishuv haaretz is really a simcha, but don't detract from the simcha and hodaa to HKBH that Hedva and her friends and dwell on feel about her naturalization."

To This I Replied As Follows:

Gorgeous Daniel, If it's a "BONA FIDE SIMCHA" why not post it the categorize on the not here called "SIMCHAS?" Why detract from all the Olim that posted here? Altered weigh up. If someone posted a "ADVENTURE THEATRE DEVOTION" in the "TORAH DEVOTION" clause would you too say "ALLURE GET AN LITTLE OF SLAPSTICK" to fill that safeguarded Kavod HaTorah? Such clarification get from an total lack of appreciation of the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael and the immense previous importance of the Aliyah Swap prize place today. In EY this week we lain Parshas Shlach. Cleave to about it.

See you in two shakes of a lamb's tail in Eretz Yisrael! :)

But why do I even care? It's minimally OnlySimchas.com after all. I'll pay a visit to you why! Such as this demonstrates that the Jews in America - the "FRUM JEWS" in America include reached a level of arrogance where they view moving and living in America as a Simcha of at smallest amount of full-blown importance to moving and living in Israel.

"yishuv haaretz is really a simcha, but don't detract from the simcha and hodaa to HKBH that Hedva and her friends and dwell on feel about her naturalization."

"I thank HKBH for munificent us a avow in which we include customarily had full nationality and include had the space to be the bigheaded and openly frum Jews that we are today. "

I've quoted this further on and I'll quote it show once again ["brave find"]:

The classic work on Jewish history, Seder HaDorot, by R' Yechiel Halperin, statistics the moment watch in his document for the year 5380 (1620):

The designer of the see Sefer Meirat Eynayim (SMA) on the Shulchan Aruch explained why the Jewish community of Worms suffered far haughty stalking, pogroms and evil decrees than other congregations. That kehillah was founded by Jewish exiles who ended their way to Germany moment the Despoilment of the Unusual Place of pilgrimage. Some time ago seventy kick of extradite, an assortment of Jews returned from Babylon to Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem, but none returned from Worms. The community in Jerusalem wrote to the kehillah in Worms and urged them to harness their new pact in Jerusalem... but the bigheaded Jews of Worms dismissed this encourage out of hand. Noticeably, they responded, '"YOU Finish Where YOU ARE IN THE Whopping JERUSALEM, AND WE Strength of mind Lift up TO Finish Where WE ARE IN OUR Precise JERUSALEM!"' THIS Careless Response WAS DUE TO THE Prosperity AND Prestige THE JEWS OF WORMS ENJOYED IN THE EYES OF THE Wrap up GENTILES AND THEIR PRINCES.

The accomplish of Worms was its undoing! THE Prosperity OF THE JEW IN Send away IS Trifle Spare THAN A Spiritual Unassailable TO SEE WHETHER IT Strength of mind Make up THE JEW TO Overlook HIS National AND HIS Stock. Worms and the Rhineland spoiled and suffered jealously. In our own become old, the out of this world dimension of the German kehillah spoiled, Such as, AS MESHECH CHOCHMAH (BECHUKOTAI) OBSERVES, '"THEY BEGAN TO Nickname BERLIN, JERUSALEM!"' (The Artscroll Kinos pp 272-273)

Transitory 2: So Hedva's other half posted the moment (which was actually minimally up for a day - see beneath.)

Posted By Yosi ###### (6/15/2006)

Al naharos Bavel, sham yashavnu... As Hedva's other half, I would close at hand to garrulous our ambiance about America: The American Jewish colonize of ~5.5 million has not mature so 1960! Intermarriage impose involving the prime segments of the American Jewish community are at 50%+.

America has perhaps served to sit on the get out of bed of the Jewish inhabit supervisor the prior 45 kick as radically at Hitler did in the company of 1938 and 1945. America is a big, able, asinine, secure gas chamber.

Americans work longer hours, include patronizing impose of clinical low down and corpulence, cost haughty, and use up haughty than any other work avow. It is a saccharine-sweet industrial dystopia.

Our families include wandered floor the empires of Greece, Persia, Rome, Medieval Europe, the Ottomans, and the Soviets. They are all in leftovers,on the fritter away mass of history. Their legacy languishes in museums.

America is no one and the same. If Yisroel is not redeemed, America character be a dissolved cultivation and we character include rebuilt a Torah casino in our as a consequence inundate expanse.

Command, Costco, and Disney are respectable, but succinct. We are impartial abruptly floor.

And with that - the as a consequence day the post was in fact moved out of the Aliyah clause to the "SIMCHA" clause as not compulsory. All these other posts were deleted and for that reason ends this olden times.

And now for that poster that posted an "ALIYAH" to Nevada...

Wicca 101 Recomended Reading List Updated Wed Oct 19 2011 122 Pm Edt

There's so much out there to read....

I have been collecting books on Wicca, Witchcraft, Folklore, Paganism and Magick for several decades. There are hundreds of books I'd recommend for different reasons, and I'll be adding most oft he good ones in here. I'm redeveloping a list I created for a class I used taught about Wicca, and adding it here author by author with comments. You will find a lot of different information here about Wiccan traditions; noteworthy pagan authors, books that encourage spiritual development, the history of witchcraft, natural magic, divination, the cycle of seasons and pagan holidays, and more! I hope you enjoy this page and find lots of great books you didn't know about. :-)

It will take a little while to add everything I want to, so check back and feel free to make suggestions in the comments. :D

* A note on the order of authors: The person writing this page sees the value in the contributions that each of these authors have made to preserving and developing Wicca as a modern spiritual tradition which evolved from earlier Pagan ideas. They are not listed in order of importance, simply shared as suggestions for worthwhile reading.

Updated: Dec 1, 2010

*photo from Wikimedia Commons, source: Lin Kristenson, Timeless Books

Lacnunga Cxxxiii 74

This is a bit of fun at translating, interpreting and playing with a late Saxon charm.

LACNUNGA CXXXIII 74 With fleogendan attre asleah. IIII. Scearpan on feower healfa mid aecenan brande geblodga thone brand weorf on weg sing this on III.

+ matheus me ducath+ marcus me conseruaeth + lucas me liberat + hannes me adiuvet semper o amen. Contriue deus omnem malum et nequitiam per uirtutem patris et: filii et spiritus sci sanctifica me emanuhel ihsxps libera me ab omnibus insitiis inimici benebictiodomini super caput meum potens deus in omni tempore. AMEN

TRANSLATION:Against flying venom, score on the four sides (to the four quarters) with an oaken torch, make bloody that torch, throw on the way, sing this on 3 (times):

Matthew guide me, Mark consecrate/protect me, Luke free me, John always help me, Amen. Destroy, O God all evil and wickedness, by the power of the Father and son and spirit, sanctify me, Emmanuel, Jesus? free me from all enemies resident, (the) benedictionof the Lord (be) on my head, of a powerful god in all my time, Amen.

INTERPRETATION:The charm is very clearly Christian. In the first line the caller asks for fourfold help reflecting the actions to the four quarters. Then a triple aspect god is asked to destroy evil and bestow blessings. Finally the caller asks to be freed from local spirits (elves?) and asks his powerful god for life long blessings.

QUESTIONCould this charm be based on a pre-Christian charm and can we attempt to reconstruct any of this? The first paragraph describing the actions needs no alteration to appear pagan. We could however produce many possible pagan variations on the second paragraph. Here is a possible outline reconstruction:

PAGAN RECONSTRUCTED CHARMFace the four quarters in turn and sing the name of a god/goddess asking for help, the four that both left their mark in the names of places on our landscape and in the days of the weeks are: Woden, Thunor, Tiw and Frig so these would seem appropriate.Then ask a powerful god - Woden was the most important of the gods - to banish the evil and for blessing.Finally ask Woden to banish the bad local spirit (elves in late Saxon times but perhaps scucca in pre-Christian times) and bestow blessings for all of my days.

Reference: masonsofheaven.blogspot.com

Wiccan Sabbat Incense Recipes Beltane

Beltane is also called Floralia and Walpurgis Night. It was originally celebrated on April 31st or thereabouts. Beltane is a Greater Sabbat Day, and marks the beginning of Summer, which reaches its height on Litha at the Summer Solstice. Beltane is one of the four Fire Festivals that marked the Celtic calendar.

This Wiccan Sabbat incense recipe is to be compounded on the day of the Sabbat, preferably in circle. Pound the ingredients together into a rough form or a good powder, depending upon your preference. Consecrate your incense before use, if desired. Focus your will and intent. Store the result in a dark jar, sealed tight. Store somewhere dry.

From Scott Cunningham:

Frankincense: 3 parts

Sandalwood: 2 parts

Woodruff: 1 part

Rose petals: 1 part

Jasmine Oil: a few drops

Neroli Oil: a few drops

From Unknown source:

Rose: 1 part

Frankincense: 1/2 part

Musk Root: 1/2 part

Cinnamon: 1/2 part

Benzoin: 1/4 part

Sandalwood: 1/2 part

Musk Oil: a few drops

Rose Oil: a few drops

From Unknown source:

Benzoin: 3/4 part

Rose: 1/2 part

Rosemary: 1/2 part

Cinnamon: 1/2 part

Sandalwood: 3/4 part

Lemon Verbena Oil: a few drops

From Keith Morgan:

Dandelion root: 5 parts

Sandalwood: 4 parts

Violet Oil: 10ml per 8oz of above mixture

Bergamot Oil: 10ml per 8oz of above mixture

Experiment and make your own Wiccan Sabbat incense today!

Image: Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh

Suicide Self Absorption And Men

After spending a decade on the phones counseling depressed, down, and suicidal people I have come to the conclusion that suicide (in some form) is a thought all men have pondered. From "I wish I wasn't here" to "everybody would be better off without me" to "I want the pain to end", all men have wanted dramatic relief at some time in their lives. Unfortunately, while more women attempt suicide, it's men who are more successful taking their own lives. It's the final step in the plan for destruction, set in motion by our enemy. All too often, the thoughts, circumstances, sadness or brain trauma that lead up to suicide, get suppressed momentarily, only to be resurfaced more effectively.

Hope gets lost. The decision of self-demolition ensues. Yet...There is hope, and there is life. It's just one call away. And, it comes with a promise. The key word to remember is "yet..."

The Bible, and the entire book of Lamentations, includes many true stories about being in distress. One Lament, in chapter 3 verses 19-20, provides context we can relate to: Feelings of affliction, aimless wandering, bitterness, and a downcast soul. But in verse 21, we find the key word to remember.

"YET, this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord"'s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." - Lamentations 3: 21-26"

Spend any time in the book of Psalms, and you will read songs that share a depressing soul only to follow with a surrendering "yet God"-type of acknowledgement. While we wrestle with thoughts of suicide, we have to remember "yet God."Yet God is with you. Yet God is able. Yet God wants to save you. Yet God promises to answer your call.

It's like picking up an emergency hotline to God. While the prophet Jonah was in the depth of the sea, inside a fish, he prayed a "yet God"prayer:

"I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice." - Jonah 2:2"

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promises to answer your "yet"call:

"(God said) Call to Me and I will answer you." - Jeremiah 33:3"

Better yet, God says he will save you when you call on him:

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Acts 2:21"

Still, making that call may seem like an open-ended proposition.

AVOID TOXIC TRAPS

Men are often like Mono Lake, which looks great from a distance. But there's something unusual about this lake. It doesn't have any inflows of fresh water, or outflows to release excess. The result is toxic water. Like Mono Lake, men often look good on the outside, but inside there is poison because of a lack of fresh thoughts and excess toxic ones.

So, here are three steps to avoid being like Mono Lake, and being able to say "yet God."

* SEE THE BIG PICTURE.

"The single most important key to suicide intervention is escaping self-absorption". The enemy is heavily invested in isolating you to be alone with your thoughts, unable to see the forest through the trees. He wants to isolate you physically, relationally, emotionally and spiritually. Feeling disconnected from everything and everyone facilitates thoughts of suicide. But think about it, there's no such thing as a man who is self-absorbed and also connected to God and other people.

Being able to say "yet God"takes a "decision" to acknowledge the big picture, and escape self-absorption.

* TALK ABOUT THE TOXINS.

"You have to discover hope". But when you're in the pit, it's hard to see a way out -until someone hands you a ladder. Many times, the proverbial ladder is a conversation with someone, other than yourself, with no other agenda other than to help you and provide perspective on your situation. You need another voice of reason, perhaps from a friend, professional counselor, or the voice of God. Prayer is by far the best modality. Take your issues to God, and he promises to listen and answer.

But you have to be willing to talk dirty, in other words, be transparent. If talk about the toxins in your life, you will discover hope.

* ENJOY THE VIEW.

You can't see Mono Lake until you take action and get a good view. The next step to being able to say "yet God,"is to rearrange your lifestyle around hope. Create connections with hope-filled people and places. Go where "life"happens like church, Bible studies, and small group meetings.

Thoughts of suicide are not fatal or final. It only feels like that. Being able to say "yet God,"will help you avoid self-absorption, rediscover hope and rearrange your lifestyle. The result is nothing short of an amazing, awe-inspiring view of life.

Suicide, Self-Absorption, and Men, by Kenny Luck, is an article from Pastors.com. (c) 2012 Pastors.com.

An Atheist In Awe

" English: Loch Awe from the A85. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Staks Rosch (Dangerous Talk) recently posted about one of the most puzzling misunderstandings some religious believers seem to have about atheists: that we do not experience every bit as much awe and wonder in our surroundings as they do. My experience has been similar to his in that I have actually found that my feelings of awe and wonder of the universe increased" since I set aside god-belief. Instead of telling myself that the beauty of nature is the work of some sort of god, I am free to consider the science behind it. And while I do not assume this will be true for every atheist, I certainly feel closer to nature and in greater awe of beauty than I ever did as a believer.Here's how Staks put it:Our understanding doesn't diminish our sense of awe and wonder; it adds more layers to our feeling of awe and wonder. I am in awe of our human ability to learn and understand. How wonderful is it that we live at a time in history in which science and technology allows us to understand so much more than we once did.Yep. When I see a rainbow, I am struck by its beauty. My enjoyment is not diminished in the least by the fact that I do not imagine a pot of gold at the end.I imagine most of you have seen at least one interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Doesn't he strike you as someone who is almost bursting with awe and wonder? I get that impression every time I see him on TV. Don't you suppose that a big part of this comes from what he knows through his application of the scientific method? Good scientists seem to have this sense of awe and wonder in abundance.Although many atheists are reluctant to use the term "spirituality" to describe our feelings of awe and wonder, there may be some advantages to doing so. After all, this sense of awe is an important part in almost all definitions of spirituality, and spirituality is quite distinct from religion. Perhaps spirituality would be one way we could connect with some religious believers, as they might realize that we are not so different from them after all and that giving up god belief entails giving up quite little.Subscribe to Atheist RevolutionCopyright (c) 2013 Atheist Revolution.

Sesame Streets Grover Asks Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz Why Do People Need A Day Of Rest

Sesame Street's Grover has been to Israel and learned all about Shabbat. Now he asks a good question: Why do people need a day of rest?

And who's responding to Grover? None other than Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who will be completing his monumental effort of translation and commentary on the Talmud on November 7.

His mission has been to give Jewish texts and learning back to the Jewish people. To mark this achievement, communities around the world are joining in a Global Day of Jewish Learning next Sunday, November 7.

That day will feature Jewish dialogue and exploration, joining together in celebration of all that unites us. The conversation that has spanned millennia will resonate at once in community centers, classrooms, and synagogues across the globe. Sponsors of the day of learning include an impressive list of Jewish religious and cultural organizations, from the Orthodox Union, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Union for Reform Judaism, to the Jewish Book Council, Birthright Israel, and Shalom Sesame.

Grover's big question is one of many that are being asked in preparation for the Global Day of Jewish Learning.

The concept is beautifully presented in an 8 minute video below, that weaves together scenes of Jewish learning around the world and a story from the Talmud about Choni the Circle Drawer (Choni Ha-Maagel).Briefly, A devastating drought had stricken the land of Israel -- a sign, it is said, of a generation burdened by the consequences of not following the Torah. Threatened by famine, the people turned to Choni, whose purity and Torah wisdom left him untainted by the shortcomings of his generation."Choni," the people said, "Pray that rain should fall."

Choni prayed. But nothing happened.

Drawing a circle with a twig, the Mishnah relates, he stepped inside and took an oath not to go out until the people received rain.

It rained, but in very little drops -- enough to release Choni from his oath. But not enough, said the people, to fill their dried-up wells and avert famine.

So rather than step out, Choni raised his prayer (and his chutzpah) to a higher level: "G-d, this is not what I asked for!"

While the citizens held their breath to await the response, it began to rain. But the drops, our sages say, were as "big as the opening of a jug and no drop less than a log."

Choni understood that since the time of the exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people still were unable to handle either an abundance or lack of blessings. So with unprecedented chutzpah, he again dared say, "G-d, this is not what I asked for!"

And it rained a normal rain. Except that the rain continued for so long that the people began fleeing to higher elevations. Choni recognized that the people still had not merited truly proper rains, and made an offering on their behalf. And that's good for Choni, because his daring prayers almost earned him the highest form of exile from the community.

"Were you not Choni I would pronounce a ban upon you," declared Shimon ben Shetach, the head of the "Sanhedrin", the highest legal body of the time. "But what shall I do to you," Shetach continued, "that you misbehave before G-d and He fulfills your wish -- like a son who misbehaves towards his father and his father fulfills his wish."

From that time on, our sages say, Choni was known as Choni HaMe'Agel (Choni the Circle-Maker).

Each community throughout the world will decide what their Global Day event will look like. The structure of each event will depend on audience, resources and local interest. Some communities in North America are working with their local Jewish book fair to develop a meaning Global Day experience while others might be creating events around PJ Library or other adult learning opportunities in their own communities.

Every community event will be unique -- some might be an all day experience while others only an hour or two. For some, the Global Day will be a first-time learning experience; for others who learn regularly, this may be their first opportunity to learn in a large group setting. For still others, communal learning may be a regular practice and it will be the international "achdut", or unifying aspect, that provides meaning. The important of the Global Day is bringing together people from all walks of life and providing a Jewish learning experience.

So what was Rabbi Steinsaltz's answer to Grover? Here it is:

The day of rest is a comparatively new idea, the influence of the Jewish Shabbat on the world. From a secular perspective, a rest day breaks the killing routine of life. Even when we can't really relax, the day still lessens the unbearable burden of duties and demands, orders and work.However, when the day of rest is a holy day, it has the power of re-infusing some spirit of life into an age that is, in many ways, empty of any exalted feeling. Such a day revives the dormant soul, opening our eyes so that we can watch for something higher.

Were You Born With Psychic Abilities

Are some genus natural with psychic abilities.? The quickest cure is yes, calm down all of us possess traits to some moment, we accurately do not see it.. In this post i appreciated to transform on how to auction with these traits. To many kick natural with psychic abilities sounds fun, calm down in fact it can be more accurately frightening to live in that are really having them and not sure what they are.

So let's begin, counterpart human being kick natural with a gift, some genus are skilled with music, some with lyrics and some with at all you can accept out introduce.. The exceptionally goes with psychic traits.

Innate Psychic..

Individual genus possess the psychic token mystified at them, they may see ghosts, they may be compelling to pick voices, they furthermore may be compelling to indicate the projected or know somewhere lost items are and many terminated.. These are accurately some to name.. Calm down did they select by ballot this enchantment, did they call for to pick voices or see ghosts or what ever it is? Was it a choice or decision in the past ended.

"THE Guideline IS Individual Abide TO Approachable DOORS By means of Interlude TO THE Psychic Construction, Since Individual Sooner than Abide THEM Approachable."

The opening thing one requirements to do in this situation is try not to trouble it, opening off. This momentum not help, it momentum accurately make you terminated anger each bite you possess. Secondly work out your superior psychic token. And thirdly and with no going back see newborn psychic in that fringe of enchantment to help opening understand your territory. You may be lost with what you possess, calm down many others would possess been somewhere you are now and can help you with your territory.

Psychic Steps OF Undertaking - Sweeping statement

1. ) Do not trouble, trouble is not clear and can even make you contact derogatory services.

2. ) Affair out your superior Psychic Assurance in challenge.

3. ) See newborn well known psychic with the exceptionally traits for opening understanding of your territory for using or demanding..

"Creature Psychic IS NOT For example X-MEN OR THE Cinema, IT IS Ended For example AN Latest Procedure.. IT IS AN Sensibleness Internal THAT HAS Distorted Regular PEOPLES LIVES Crossways THE Construction. "

Wear THE Sensibleness AND Accept For instance YOU Abide..

The dash one is so recipe for live in tricky to supervise the bite in known for live in that may clasp they are demented as soon as in fact they are not. In known with seeing ghosts, so many genus possess in introduce minds seeing has to be a visualize so they may see many doctors, get tests done to no avail..

This is not saying, to not see doctors to consider if it is not some medical territory, this is accurately saying that next that is ruled (ALL Therapeutic CLEARED) out in addition to that's as soon as you can commemorate the psychic resort. And I can lurch you, introduce are heaps of psychics out introduce, ranging from mediums to healers to projected tellers etc.. All of them had to go outspoken a transition of sorts to source introduce own psychic abilities and to understand themselves.

Within acceptable limits TO THE Psychic WORLD!

So in defrayal if you were natural with a Psychic enchantment try not to see it counterpart a receptiveness, very try to see it counterpart it is you. Your view on this unpredicted world. This is what makes you, you. Except for and understanding can go a longing way.

Credit: goddesses-and-gods.blogspot.com

Cauldron Chalice And Grail Symbolism In Buddhism And Celtic Wicca

Tantric transmutation visualizations

In Buddhist tantric practice, impure substances such as urine and dead dog's flesh, symbolising mental afflictions, are visualized as being transmuted to pure nectar of enlightenment by the power of a fierce wind-blown fire. The reaction is 'catalyzed' by addition of seed letters (These are actually syllables, as Tibetan uses a syllabary rather than an alphabet). The visualized vessel of transmutation is a skullcup, known as a kapala in Sanskrit:

Kapala - Tantric Vessel of Transformation

In Anglo-Celtic culture this imagery summons up associations with folk traditions of the witches' cauldron, into which all kinds of impure substances were added (think Macbeth) and then transmuted by recitation of spells. So is it possible that the witches were practising a form of alchemical tantra?

Wicca

The female medieval peasant Wiccans ('witches') were demonised and persecuted by the Church, whereas the upper class male alchemists usually got away with their mind-expanding practices, by claiming they were engaged in transforming base metals into gold.

Despite what some Christians still claim, Wicca has nothing to do with Satanism. Wiccans no more believe in Satan than do Buddhists. Satan is a bogey-man dreamt up by Christian theologians to explain why, if God is loving, omnipotent and omniscient, there is evil in the world. Satanism is thus an offshoot of Christianity, and many of its rituals involve perversions or parodies of Christian rites.

As demonised by the Church

Karma in Wicca

Wiccans do not sacrifice any living thing, human or animal. They are specifically forbidden to cause harm to sentient beings and they believe in threefold karma - any evil they do will return to them three times over in this life or future lives. Neither do they drink blood, indeed many are vegetarian.

Wiccans may be organised into covens, though many are solitary practioners. The belief that a coven must have thirteen members is a pernicious fiction spread by the medieval Church in order to associate Wicca with Satanist parodies of Christ's Last Supper. Wicca has its origins in ancient Celtic beliefs and pre-dates both Christianity and Satanism.

Celtic Chalices, Cauldrons and Grails

In Celtic traditions, cauldron, grail and chalice symbolism abounds, so it is no surprise that the medieval witches are associated with use of 'vessels of transformation'. The story of the Holy Grail is a Christianised pre-Christian Celtic legend.

The Gundestrup Cauldron is also clearly a ritual vessel.

Healing potions

Wicca is a pagan healing religion. In pre-Christian times the knowledge of the healing power of herbs and psychological healing techniques was the province of the wise woman (or sometimes cunning man) of the village. Throughout the Middle Ages most of rural Britain, especially the wilder western Celtic areas, was only nominally Christian with ancient folk beliefs continuing to thrive.

It is interesting to note that the word 'pagan' derives from the Latin for 'countryman', and 'heathen' from those who live on the heaths (the heather-clad fells and moors of western Britain). For utilitarian purposes as well as magic, the wise women would have used cauldrons to extract the active ingredients form their herbs.

Towards the end of the Middle Ages political unrest, religious schisms and plagues led to a period of paranoia when all dissent was punished with sadistic severity. Many hundreds of thousands of traditional healers (and some early scientists) were arrested and burnt at the stake for being in league with the devil. This period is known as 'the burning times' by modern Wiccans.

Secret Wicca

The old beliefs went underground and survived in isolated areas of Britain and Ireland from the end of the sixteenth century until the repeal of the anti-Wiccan laws in 1951 (Wicca was still illegal in Britain until after World War Two !). The religion slowly emerged from obscurity and re-established strongholds in its traditional Celtic homelands (for example Glastonbury - the original Avalon of Merlin and the Arthurian legends). It arrived in the U.S. sometime in the late 1960's and found a fertile field for growth in the hippie counter-culture of that period.

Its growth then appears to have been steady but unspectacular until the mid nineties, when a combination of cultural factors and the growth of the internet led to a massive increase in numbers. There may now be as many as three million Wiccans and Wiccan sympathisers through the English-speaking world. Wiccans in the U.S. are still subject to prejudice, and many of them dare not 'come out of the broom closet'. The situation in Britain is normally more tolerant, as paganism in some parts of rural Britain has never been far below the surface.

Divine Feminine

Wicca is not a patriarchal or oppressive religion. There is no jealous, punitive sky-God. Wicca particularly venerates the feminine aspects of spirituality. In contrast, there is little or place for the feminine aspects of spirituality in standard Abrahamic monotheism.

Wicca celebrates the divine feminine with colorful ceremonies, symbolism and rituals. (Many Wiccans are accomplished artists and designers). The non-macho nature of Wicca extends to welcoming gays and lesbians, who are still treated as abominations unto the Lord by the Abrahamic religions.

In Harmony with Nature

Wicca is a nature-based religion which offers an escape from the soulless, stressed-out, dehumanised, over-regulated and proceduralised existence which is modern urban life. Nature festivals and rituals are extremely important in Wicca. There are eight of these representing turning points of the year which are the two solstices, the two equinoxes, and the four pivotal Celtic festivals:

* Candlemas on February 1st - 2nd. Offering of lights to the Goddess in the aspect of the Maiden. Lengthening of the days becomes perceptible.

* Beltane or May Eve on April 30th - May 1st. A fertility festival. Offerings of garlands to the Goddess in the aspect of the Mother.

* Lammas 31st July - 1st August - beginning of the harvest.

* Halloween 31st October. The death of the year. Festival of ghosts and spirits. Fires, lanterns and fireworks.

The turning of the year also symbolises the processes of birth, death and rebirth of the individual. To the jaded city-dweller, these ancient numinous festivals with their evocative names and customs seem to offer a glimpse of a long-lost pastoral idyll.

Seasonal festivals of the Prajnas

The FWBO has a program of ritually celebrating the female Buddhas, or Prajnas, on the day and time of the year associated with each of them. The cycle begins with the Summer Solstice and female Buddha Mamaki.

The Autumn Equinox, is a ceremony dedicated to Pandaravasini, the female Buddha of the Western direction associated with dusk and the wisdom of uniqueness.

Later in the year it is the turn of Samayatara, the female Buddha of the Northern direction associated with midnight and the wisdom of action (Halloween/Samhain); and Akasadhatesvari, the female Buddha at the centre of the Mandala beyond time and space. She is associated with the ineffable wisdom of the Transcendental. Her ceremony takes place at the time of the Winter Solstice.

More information on Tantra in Volume 2 (downloadable) of

MODERN BUDDHISM: free eBook downloadable for Windows, Mac, Kindle, Sony Reader, Nook and Android

- Sean Robsville

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The Definition Of Kamma Offered By The Insight Meditation Society

In this second teaching of Siddhattha Gotama (you know, The Buddha) following his enlightenment, he reveals the Not-Self (anatta) of all perceptions, all feelings, all determinations, all forms. In fact, he includes consciousness in this list of what is Not-Self, which would contradict any of the teachings on karma and reincarnation.

His point is not about the nature of the self, but rather that we suffer as a result of these attachments to things we think of as "me" or "mine."

Thanissaro Bhikkhu sort of responds to this apparent contradiction, without actually answering the question at all.

One of the first stumbling blocks that Westerners often encounter when they learn about Buddhism is the teaching on anatta, often translated as no-self. This teaching is a stumbling block for two reasons. First, the idea of there being no self doesn't fit well with other Buddhist teachings, such as the doctrine of kamma and rebirth: If there's no self, what experiences the results of kamma and takes rebirth? Second, it doesn't fit well with our own Judeo-Christian background, which assumes the existence of an eternal soul or self as a basic presupposition: If there's no self, what's the purpose of a spiritual life? Many books try to answer these questions, but if you look at the Pali canon - the earliest extant record of the Buddha's teachings - you won't find them addressed at all. In fact, the one place where the Buddha was asked point-blank whether or not there was a self, he refused to answer. When later asked why, he said that to hold either that there is a self or that there is no self is to fall into extreme forms of wrong view that make the path of Buddhist practice impossible. Thus the question should be put aside.He goes on to explain how the Buddha categorized questions to be answered, but does not address the contradiction that the Buddha himself apparently never addressed either.

Anyway, here is the Sutta (some more thought below).

Anatta-lakkhana Sutta: The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic

SN 22.59, PTS: S iii 66, CDB i 901

translated from the Pali by ~Nanamoli Thera (c) 1993-2010

Thus I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Benares, in the Deer Park at Isipatana (the Resort of Seers). There he addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five: "Bhikkhus." - "Venerable sir," they replied. The Blessed One said this.

"Bhikkhus, form is not-self. Were form self, then this form would not lead to affliction, and one could have it of form: 'Let my form be thus, let my form be not thus.' And since form is not-self, so it leads to affliction, and none can have it of form: 'Let my form be thus, let my form be not thus.'

"Bhikkhus, feeling is not-self...

"Bhikkhus, perception is not-self...

"Bhikkhus, determinations are not-self...

"Bhikkhus, consciousness is not self. Were consciousness self, then this consciousness would not lead to affliction, and one could have it of consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.' And since consciousness is not-self, so it leads to affliction, and none can have it of consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.'

"Bhikkhus, how do you conceive it: is form permanent or impermanent?" - "Impermanent, venerable Sir." - "Now is what is impermanent painful or pleasant?" - "Painful, venerable Sir." - "Now is what is impermanent, what is painful since subject to change, fit to be regarded thus: 'This is mine, this is I, this is my self'"? - "No, venerable sir."

"Is feeling permanent or impermanent?...

"Is perception permanent or impermanent?...

"Are determinations permanent or impermanent?...

"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?" - "Impermanent, venerable sir." - "Now is what is impermanent pleasant or painful?" - "Painful, venerable sir." - "Now is what is impermanent, what is painful since subject to change, fit to be regarded thus: 'This is mine, this is I, this is my self'"? - "No, venerable sir."

"So, bhikkhus any kind of form whatever, whether past, future or presently arisen, whether gross or subtle, whether in oneself or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near, must with right understanding how it is, be regarded thus: 'This is not mine, this is not I, this is not myself.'

"Any kind of feeling whatever...

"Any kind of perception whatever...

"Any kind of determination whatever...

"Any kind of consciousness whatever, whether past, future or presently arisen, whether gross or subtle, whether in oneself or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near must, with right understanding how it is, be regarded thus: 'This is not mine, this is not I, this is not my self.'

"Bhikkhus, when a noble follower who has heard (the truth) sees thus, he finds estrangement in form, he finds estrangement in feeling, he finds estrangement in perception, he finds estrangement in determinations, he finds estrangement in consciousness.

"When he finds estrangement, passion fades out. With the fading of passion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is knowledge that he is liberated. He understands: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived out, what can be done is done, of this there is no more beyond.'"

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were glad, and they approved his words.

Now during this utterance, the hearts of the bhikkhus of the group of five were liberated from taints through clinging no more. PROVENANCE: (c)1981 Buddhist Publication Society. From "Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha (WH 17)", translated from the Pali by ~Nanamoli Thera (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1981). Copyright (c) 1981 Buddhist Publication Society. Used with permission. This Access to Insight edition is (c)1993-2010 John T. Bullitt.

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HOW TO CITE THIS DOCUMENT (one suggested style): "Anatta-lakkhana Sutta: The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic" (SN 22.59), translated from the Pali by ~Nanamoli Thera. Access to Insight, June 7, 2009, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.059.nymo.html.The phrase in this text, "Birth is exhausted," can be argued to suggest multiple rebirths. But my sense is that he is talking about this birth, right here, right now.

This passage expresses my sense of "rebirth," which requires no self and no karma:

With respect to consciousness, in every temporal moment there is birth and in every moment there is death. The arising of one thought-moment means the passing away of another thought-moment and vice versa. In the course of one life-time there is momentary rebirth without the need for a soul.

However, it should not be understood that consciousness is chopped up in bits and joined together like a train or a chain. On the contrary, consciousness flows like a river receiving sensory input from various tributary streams and dispensing to the world the thoughts produced along its course. Consciousness has birth as its source and death for its mouth. The rapidity of the thought flow is such that is there no standard whereby it can be even approximately measured. However, some Theravada Buddhist commentators say that the time duration of one thought-moment is even less than the time occupied by a flash of lightning.

To the Buddha, consciousness should be envisioned as a juxtaposition of these fleeting mental states as opposed to a superposition of such mental states as many religions such as Hinduism appear to believe. No mental state once gone ever recurs nor is identical with what goes before. Thus, most humans, veiled by the web of their own illusions, mistake this apparent continuity to be something eternal and go to the extent of introducing an unchanging soul, the supposed doer and receptacle of all actions to this ever-changing consciousness.

Our ordinary perception of human consciousness is similar to the perception of a flash of lightning containing a succession of sparks that follow upon one another with such rapidity that the human retina cannot perceive them separately. Likewise, an ordinary person, without proper instruction, cannot perceive this rapid succession of separate mental states. Ordinary human consciousness is in being or alive only for one thought-moment at a time. This consciousness is always in the present, but is ever slipping into the irrevocable past. What we shall become is determined by this present thought-moment.

The author of this piece goes on to suggest that, "When life ceases, the kammic energy re-materializes itself in another form." Maybe; maybe not. I remain agnostic.

My current sense of kamma, if there is such a thing, is that it is confined to this life, this very present moment, and this one, and this one.

The definition of kamma offered by The Insight Meditation Society does nothing to change my position on this:

Karma/Kamma (Sanskrit/Pali) Action, deed; the law of cause and effect; intentional action, either wholesome or unwholesome that brings either pleasant or unpleasant results respectively.Many have suggested I am not a Buddhist because I do not firmly believe in rebirth and kamma, so this is my argument (with as little as I know) for why I believe as I do.

Tags: Buddhism, Sutta, reincarnation, karma, Kamma, Pali, Anatta-lakkhana Sutta, The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic, ~Nanamoli Thera, Translation, Siddhattha Gotama, anatta, self, not-self, Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Healing Through Self Communication Offered With Love From The Crystal Team

lindsayball.co.ukHealing through self-communicationEnjoy the beautiful words and energies of this insightful communication from The Crystal Team"We have indicated that you have all you need to help to restore and rebalance your energy field, for remember that you are primarily energy, and God in his love for humanity has given and prepared for the restoration of rebalance to all manifestations of energy.And especially at this time on Earth which is both exciting and demanding of your focus and energies to carry forward the commitment that you all agreed to do in this lifetime and against opposition and negativity and suspicion and scorn, you are all working to shine your light in a most glorious way for the benefit of all. And as your light shines, so you assist others, on an unconscious level, to change also in their energy field to begin to wake up and to reconnect with their own remembrances and agreements with All That Is.Energy works on many levels, there are personal energies which can easily become unbalanced and dis-energised by environment, pollution, people's energy, the weather, the moon and many other aspects.There are the universal energies that are governed by the planets in your system, by the outer galaxies and by Mother Earth and out into the beyondness, and these are affected by the crystal resonance of all that is occurring at all times and levels of beingness and timelessness.And within this there is a constant thread of energy, a constant link with the founder of all that is, with the provider of all your experiences, the provider of Mother Earth for you to have this experience, for the provider of all that you have experienced and all that you are experiencing and all that you may experience in other dimensions.And so this link is constant, nothing can alter this thread, this link, this energy system that links all humanity together through every cell of your being through every part of your body, your crystalline grid and your genetic make-up.Each person as an individual manifestation of energy, as a soul being experiencing life on Earth at this time is also an exact replica of the energy make up of the energy of God - how could it be otherwise when you are all created by the same magnificent source for the same purpose at this time in your timeframe?And so to strengthen your connection to this source is to strengthen your connection to the source of your very beingness, the source of your origin, conception, physicality and soul level of existence. It is like plugging into the mains power, through using all the gifts at your disposal, all the gifts that are made available to you; crystals, nature of all aspects, communications within the natural world to assist your understanding and connection, these manifestations of nature as part of yourself, of connecting if you like, to other members of your family to other parts of yourself.So you can gain strength on a physical level and also on an emotional level, feeling part of something bigger, a bigger family if you like, so each flower, tree, bird, animal, blade of grass and so on is another part of you, another link that unites you in oneness, another part of your family - the family of God. And so would you hurt or mistreat another part of your family, or would you prefer to spend time with it, exchanging nice thoughts, appreciation for its beauty and purpose? Would you nurture it and feed it and look after it, would you admire it and welcome it as part of yourself, would you connect to it to bring love, support, joy into your world like other family members would?You have access to parts of nature at all times via photo's, videos, pictures, real physical beings, listening to bird song, reading about them, see how easy it is to link, connect, join, in energies and physical contact with these elements of nature?Your souls have become so disjointed and unconnected from their true origin, from their family members from the strength of their energy source and have sought comfort, solace and energy from unreliable sources and these sources are now becoming exhausted and complicated and in turmoil, but dear ones, you have the answer at your fingers tips, through your eyes, your senses, your thoughts, your intentions, your communications, through beauty, through colour, through the sounds of the trees rustling in the breeze, the warmth of the sun, the light of the night sky. You have it all dear ones, and it is free, accessible and amazingly beautiful.Making these connections, uniting with your extended family in other energy forms, uniting with all aspects of your creator and linking to your original energy source will bring you back into balance, at one with seasonal variations, renewal, regeneration.Refreshed, your soul will be at peace and filled with the love of God, the warmth of the love that is available to you, you will not need to seek unreliable and unsustainable energy sources outside of your soul level and will be strong, wholesome, united and unified in this love, support, cherishment and embraced by the wings of love, and the care and inspiration available to you.And so sit quietly, surrounded by lovely music, aspects of nature, and invoke the love of God to assist you to make that connection to Source.INVOCATIONI now renounce all other forms of energy than that which I know to be true.I now accept the love of God as my provider of all my experiencesI now invite the love of God to fill every part of my being and make the connection to every cell of my being as created by GodI now invite and welcome the loving energy of God to link and unite all these aspects of my soul that are in truth, honesty, openness, sanctity and oneness.I now unite in the love of God all aspects of my being as created from the start of time to bring my being into true alignment with God's love so that I may be whole, complete, loving, joyful, and be in balance with my energy field at all times living in a state of grace, love, peace, compassion, helpfulness, sincerity, and bliss.I now ask for this to be complete in the name of God. Amen."shared with love and blessings by Lindsay Ball - Atlantean Crystal Master www.lindsayball.co.uk