Aug 13 2021

DECR CHAIRMAN SPEAKED IN WASHINGTON AT THE INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

On July 14, 2021, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, made a report at the meeting of the International Summit on Religious Freedom, held in Washington (USA), Patriarchy.ru reports.

The meeting was attended by political, public and religious figures from all over the world, including representatives of Local Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, Ancient Eastern Churches and various Protestant denominations.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk was introduced to the event by David Currie, President of the human rights Christian organization The Open Doors USA, noting the numerous efforts made by the DECR chairman in the field of protecting Christians.

Expressing gratitude to the organizers of the summit and the leadership of the Open Doors organization for the invitation, Metropolitan Hilarion noted: “Today, in many countries, freedom of religion is being violated to one degree or another. In some regions of the world, Christians are killed, driven out of their homes, and their temples and shrines are desecrated. We are extremely worried about this situation. “

In his speech, the DECR chairman touched upon, in particular, the situation in the Middle East: “The rapid decline in the Christian population is noticeable even in those Middle Eastern countries where Christians and Muslims have lived together for centuries, such as in Lebanon. In Syria, in those regions that were captured by extremists, Christians were subjected to the most severe persecution. Similar processes are taking place in Iraq, where over the past 18 years the number of Christians has dropped from one and a half million to less than one hundred and fifty thousand. The Christian population has almost completely disappeared in Libya as well, ”the archpastor stated.

Metropolitan Hilarion noted that a similar situation is typical for those countries of the Middle East where the centuries-old balance between religious communities had been disturbed. “In some of these states, the existing regimes were overthrown with the use of external forces, after which the establishment of democracy was promised. However, there is still no democracy in either Iraq or Libya. This situation is extremely difficult for Christians, since they were the first victims of political cataclysms organized from outside, ”the archpastor said.

In his speech, Vladyka Hilarion stated that the center of persecution against Christians is gradually shifting to some African countries, in particular, Nigeria and Ethiopia, where adherents of the Christian religion are being killed and churches destroyed. “I would like to express the hope that the religious and human rights organizations represented here today will be able to form a united front to provide protection and assistance to persecuted Christians in the Middle East and North Africa,” the hierarch said.

Continuing his speech, the DECR chairman told the summit participants about the situation in Ukraine, where two religious groups with similar names call themselves Orthodox at once: Ukrainian Orthodox Church and “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”. Metropolitan Hilarion told those present that the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko tried to unite these two structures into one, but for a number of canonical and internal church reasons this turned out to be impossible. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk stated, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the largest Christian community in Ukraine.

“Having a canonical and spiritual connection with the Russian Orthodox Church, it is an autonomous and self-governing structure – both administratively and financially. Now this Church is effectively deprived of its rights. In particular, its churches are forcibly seized and transferred to another jurisdiction: more than 500 churches were seized or illegally re-registered. This is often done violently. In some localities, church communities are forced to pray in the open, sometimes knee-deep in snow, while the churches that rightfully belong to them remain under lock and key. These communities go to courts. The courts make decisions in their favor, but these decisions are not implemented, ”the archpastor said.

The DECR chairman focused on the laws that were adopted under President Poroshenko: “A law was passed according to which the Ukrainian Orthodox Church should be renamed the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, as if it were some kind of foreign organization representing the Russian Federation, while the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is the largest confession of Ukraine, includes millions believers, more than 12 thousand parishes and more than 250 monasteries. It also includes the largest monastic cloisters, such as the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. This Church consists of Ukrainians: its episcopate, clergy and parishioners were born in Ukraine and have Ukrainian citizenship. They are patriots of their country. “

Vladyka Hilarion also spoke about another law, which provides for the re-registration of religious communities from one jurisdiction to another, noting that Orthodox communities have no registered membership, therefore, in practice, any group can come to any city or village to demand that the jurisdiction of the church located there be changed. …

In conclusion of his speech, the DECR chairman called for the creation of a common front to defend the rights of believers in all countries of the world where these rights are violated.

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Aug 12 2021

How Adam died: the opinion of Muslims

In Islam, as in Christianity, Adam is considered the first person. How did he die, according to Muslims?

Muslim sources say that Adam lived for about a thousand years. Adam was the first man, so he had a strong connection with God. Adam lived righteously and knew when he would die: the date of his departure to another world was told to him by God himself.

Before his death, Adam made a will, according to which his son Shisu received the staff and the seal of his father. In addition, Adam gave his son the sacred texts on the scrolls. And Adam also asked his son to punish Kabil, as the Muslims call Cain.

When Adam died, and this happened without illness and suffering, angels flew in to show Shisu how to wrap his body in a shroud. This was the first funeral rite on Earth, according to Muslims. After the death of Adam, everyone was buried according to the ritual approved by the angels.

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Aug 11 2021

Power of Prayer and Positive Intention – For the Animals

As we nurture the spirit of URI, let us renew the power of prayer and positive intention that unites our global community and awakens our hearts and souls. See the full series of posts here.

This beautiful prayer, written by Kiran Bali, United Religions Initiative Global Council Chair, calls our attention to honor and care for animals.

Kiran writes, “This prayer is important to me in recognizing the divine in all beings and spreading peace.”

For the Animals

Dear Lord, as we look into these beautiful eyes,

So innocent, so longing, so very wise,

Help us relate to the ongoing injustice pain and fear,

That these unique, beautiful souls have to endear

Dear Lord, please extract our inner compassion,

Before we watch them slaughtered or skinned for fashion.

For the voiceless souls may we become a mouthpiece,

To ensure violence against animals begins to cease.

Dear Lord, we are your instruments, through whom you work to

Ensure love and peace for all beings is applied and seen through;

To experience the range of emotions in these beautiful animals

caring, giving, ever protecting, love which is infallible

Dear Lord, open our hearts and actions to their cries,

And strengthen our inner ability, empower us to empathize

When we see animals being mistreated, abused or hit,

It is indeed high time to call it out and swiftly report it.

Dear Lord, may we take action together and become more alert,

No longer being mere spectators to their exploitation and hurt,

But ensuring animal care and protection is one of our goals,

Joining hands to reduce the plight of these deep souls.

Dear Lord, may we see the divine in all living beings,

Transforming this blankness and glaring unseeing

Through actively becoming cruelty-free when shopping,

Leading the way as prime examples of plant-based living.

Dear Lord, as our love-filled action for animals begins to increase,

May their dignity and rightful presence be restored in our definition of peace.

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Aug 9 2021

The strangest hermits in history

What exactly does it take for a person to become a hermit? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a hermit is “a person who lives alone and apart from society, mainly for religious reasons.” But in reality, these people can be far more diverse, and for over 1,500 years, religious, eccentric, or extremely wealthy loners surprise us with their way of life.

One example is a monk named Simeon. While living in the monastery of Teleda, Syria, in c411 AD he caused many complaints to others. Simeon smells so bad that no one can approach him. An investigation reveals that he tied a rope around himself under his tunic and tightened it so tightly that his flesh rotted and his bed was full of worms.

At this stage, however, Simeon Stylis is just beginning his unusual life. When he died in 459 AD, he spent 47 years living on top of a pillar. Even if that number is exaggerated, he has spent at least 28 years there. During this period (however long) it has various pillars with increasing height – the last of which is 18 meters high. With a diameter of 1.2 meters in diameter, its last pillar supports a large platform of about 4 square meters at its top and originally has a canopy of palm branches to protect from sun and rain. In his high house, Simeon also uses a toilet – a clay pipe lowered to the ground.

In the 1840s, Charles Hamilton (son of the sixth Earl of Abercorn) established a garden in Paynshill, near Cobham in Surrey. Along with a cave and a Roman ruin, Paynshill has a two-room hut “made of logs and roots” (pictured is a modern version of the hut). All he needs now is a living hermit.

So Hamilton advertised the park to recruit candidates, emphasizing that the hermit should “live in the park hut for 7 years, where he would be provided with a Bible, glasses, a footbed, a pillowcase, an hourglass, drinking water and food for free. “

The hermit would still have to wear a “robe, never” cut his beard or nails, stray outside Mr. Hamilton’s park, or talk to the servant. ” He will be paid 700 guineas if he lasts 7 years, but will not receive anything if he breaks the rules or leaves earlier. In fact, the hermit, who was hired, “lived there for three weeks before being spotted secretly crawling out of the park to go to the local pub.”

In the Victorian era, a holy hermit can still be found in Lumberd, Wales. There, in July 1872, the curate Francis Kilvert (pictured) visited him, in a hut, where he found “misery, dirt, dust, dirt and misery” indescribable, almost unthinkable. And in this cabin lives the lonely Lambard, the Rev. John Price, a master of arts at Cambridge.

Meanwhile, dating Price a little later, Kilvert was struck by the way the “people” touched their hats to his reverence with great respect. They saw him as a very holy man, and if the Lonely Man had lived a thousand years ago, he would have been revered as a hermit and perhaps canonized as a saint.

Price is surprisingly selfless. According to writer Jeremy Bolwell, in order to receive any kind of congregation, Price had to resort to bribery, paying his listeners between 2 and 6 pence a head to come to his services, and of course – out of his own pocket.

Secular hermits can be even more unusual. Here, for example, Joseph Underhill lives in a pigsty. Literally – it is about 2 by 2 big and he has to crawl into it on his knees. But he doesn’t share it with pigs; this is his quarters. ”Underhill paid Mrs. Robbins six pence a week for the cramped room.

Underhill, in fact, is a great dandy years ago did not disappoint with love, and is not poor. In February 1890, two boys were accused of stealing £ 26 from him, and the theft newspaper stated that he had “given nearly £ 200 to be caught”. Local authorities had tried, but unsuccessfully, to remove him from the pigsty. After the theft, he was placed in a charity home for a while, but soon returned to his apartment.

Underhill was finally removed the following January, in a dying state. But even now, in terminal weakness, he tries to escape and return to the pigsty. People who clean it find the floor “covered in dirt, half a meter deep.” When the man finally died, apparently from bronchitis, he left behind 125 pounds (approximately 16,000 pounds of today’s money).

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Aug 9 2021

Ladakh Scraps Permit System for Tourists Visiting ‘Protected’ Areas, Some Villages to Stay Out of Bounds

Trekking at a monastery can be real fun. Phuktal Monastery, located at the mouth of a grand cave, has its origin dating back to the 16th The Monastery hosts several prayer rooms alongside a main temple, teaching facilities, a library, apartments and kitchen room. Sacred spring and the cave is the most prominent feature of this place.

The Ladakh administration has scrapped the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in another move to underline India’s sovereignty over the territory. The move will benefit Indian tourists visiting the ‘protected’ areas in the region as there will be less paperwork required to deal with.

However, tourists visiting these areas will still have to pay the environmental fee of Rs 300 and Red Cross Fund fee of Rs 100. The payment can be easily made using the online portal, officials said, according to a Times of India report.

The report added that all visitors are required to carry identity proof during travel and foreigners are still required the Protected Area Permit.

Earlier, Indian tourists were only allowed to visit areas beyond Panamik till Warshi including Yarma Gompa/Yarma Gonbo Monastery in Leh’s Nubra Valley.

The scrapping of Inner Line Permit will not result in unfettered access. The Ladakh administration will notify areas, mostly villages near the border, where tourists will not be allowed. The Union Home Ministry has asked for the list, which will be prepared after the consultation with the Police and the Army.

Some villages near the Pakistani border, including Dungti, Koyul, Demchok and Chumar in the Nyoma subdivision in eastern Ladakh will remain out of bounds. In Kargil, tourists can visit places including Batalik easily.

The report added that Ladakh was opened up for tourists in October 1974. Although tourists were allowed to travel to a limited number of places. Access to tourist spots like Pangong Tso was restricted as it was accessible only between 6am and 5 pm. Turtuk in Ladakh was opened up in 2010.

Though a lot of areas in the region have opened up since then, a lot of areas remain out of bounds, mostly on Army’s insistence. But progressively more areas are brought in to reap the economic benefits of tourism like Leh and Nubra valley.

In a separate development, “residents of the protected area” of Ladakh can visit other protected areas “without any permit”.

“In the aforesaid identification documents to be issued to the residents of the Protected Areas, the concerned Superintendents/ Deputy Superintendents shall also specify the Protected areas lying in other Tehsils/ Districts which the holders of the said documents may visit for bona fide purpose without any permit,” an order by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh states, according to Times Now.

sourced – News18

Shyamal Sinha 0 Comments

Aug 9 2021

Have these foods to naturally increase your stamina

#HealthBytes: Have these foods to naturally increase your stamina

Are you eating and exercising well yet feeling drained out and low on energy? While almost every food that we eat will give us an energy boost, certain nutrients will help build our stamina, help us stay alert, and increase our productivity. Here are a few foods to consume regularly if you’re looking for foods that can naturally improve your stamina.

Nuts: A fistful of nuts is an instant power booster

Nuts are capable of immediately boosting our stamina and making us alert. For getting results, you need to have just a fistful of nuts on a regular basis. This is because nuts contain proteins, bioactive compounds, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids that improve the health and energy of muscles. Have almonds, cashews, and raisins every day for improved stamina.

Fatty fish: Fatty fish is nutritious and prevents chronic fatigue

Fish is a natural source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids: all of which helps in improving energy and stamina. Studies suggest that decreased levels of omega-3 fatty acids can give way to chronic fatigue and reduce immunity as well. Including salmon, tuna, and mackerel in your diet is an ideal way to reduce fatigue and build stamina in the long run.

Coffee: Your daily dose of coffee is good for you

Do you reach out for a strong cup of coffee when you feel tired and low? It has its reasons. Coffee not only is an instant energy booster but also contains alkaloid caffeine that helps in improving your stamina. While excess coffee isn’t good for health owing to its caffeine content, consuming it in limited quantities daily is a great way to build stamina.

Beetroot: Beetroot is a low-calorie vegetable that also increases stamina

Beetroot is a low-calorie vegetable that is also an energy-booster. This is because the vegetable contains high levels of inorganic nitrate that provides energy and helps in building endurance as well. Beetroots are also rich in natural sugars that provide you with ample energy and hence starting your day with a glass of beetroot juice is the perfect kickstart to a long day!

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Aug 9 2021

The New MIVILUDES Report: Bad Methodology, Unreliable Results

Privileging the saisines (i.e., reports by those who write to denounce a “cultic deviance”) may only lead to biased conclusions.

by Massimo Introvigne

The MIVILUDES, the French Inter-ministerial mission for monitoring and combating cultic deviances (dérives sectaires), which is now part of the Ministry of the Interior, published last week its report for the years 2018–2020.

Like Diogenes wandering with his lantern in search of an honest man, the MIVILUDES wanders around France with the anti-cult ideology as its lantern looking for dishonest “cultic deviances.” Dérives sectaires is a quintessentially French formula and invention, of which MIVILUDES is no less proud than of the Tour Eiffel. It comes out handy to find “cultic” dangers even where no “cult” (which should be translated into French with the corresponding derogatory word, secte) exists.

The report does include some informative parts, mostly found in the pages devoted by researcher Bilel Ainine to the Muslim folk therapeutic practices of roqya and hiyama, although even here the use of an anti-cult and police jargon makes an

YOU CAN READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN THIS LINK

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Aug 6 2021

India, China Disengage In Gogra After 12th Round Of Talks

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged from the Gogra area in eastern Ladakh after the 12th round of talks.

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged from the friction point in the Gogra area of eastern Ladakh, where the two sides were locked in a tense military standoff since May 2020, the Indian Army has said.

In a statement, the Army revealed that India and China completed the disengagement in Gogra on 4 and 5 August.

India and China had reached an understanding on disengagement in the Gogra area during the 12th round of corps commander-level talks held earlier this week at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point.

“As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases,” the statement reads.

The development comes after the People’s Liberation Army refused to pull back its troops and equipment from the Gogra and Hot Springs areas during the 11th round of talks with India held in April.

In May last year, the Chinese had deployed a large number of troops and equipment, including tanks and artillery guns, in this area. India had responded with its own deployments of troops and heavy equipment.

Since then, the two sides had built shelters and other temporary structures in the area to house soldiers and equipment.

“All temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by both sides have been dismantled…and the landform in the area has been restored…to pre-standoff period,” the Army’s statement says.

India and China will continue to hold discussions for disengagement at other friction points along the Line of Actual Control in the western sector, such as the Depsang Plains in northeastern Ladakh and Chumar in the southeastern part of the union territory, the statement adds.

Earlier this year, India and China had pulled back troops from the north bank of the Pangong Lake and the Kailash Range.

Pangong Tso

Although China has vacated the area it had occupied on the north bank of Pangong Tso, its troops and equipment remain deployed in depth areas.

Satellite imagery from 11 May shows that Chinese troops are present in Rutog County, located on the Xingiang-Tibet (G219) Highway close to the eastern end of the Pangong Lake. Rutog, which is linked to both Pangong and Spanggur Lakes (south of Pangong Tso, east of Kailash Range) by road, serves as a major base for the People’s Liberation Army along the Line of Actual Control in this sector.

The People’s Liberation Army can move these troops rapidly to forward positions or deploy them against India using its road network.

The satellite image, posted on Twitter by open-source intelligence handle @detrasfa_, shows multiple rows of prefabricated living structures, indicative of the presence of a significant number of Chinese troops at the base.

Chinese presence in Rutog County. (@detrasfa_/Twitter)

A large motor pool, consisting of different types of vehicles, including those used by support and offensive units, can be seen in the imagery.

Among other things, the satellite image also shows a large number of camouflaged positions, which could be hosting suppliers of weaponry.

Earlier, reports had revealed that China had built structures between Kangxiwar, located on the G219 highway just north of Aksai Chin, and Rutog.

At Kangxiwar and Rutog, the PLA has brought in 10,000 additional temporary troops to support the 10,000 permanent Chinese troops deployed at these locations, a report in India Today says, citing an intelligence estimate.

China has started rotating troops along the LAC, reports say. It has rotated two large field formations by inducting two fresh divisions in April.

The Indian Army continues to maintain its posture on the friction sites in eastern Ladakh and a large number of troops, which had been moved back as part of the disengagement in the Pangong Lake area, remain in depth areas on the Indian side to deter Chinese misadventures.

Work on new roads and bridges in Ladakh also continues despite China’s aggressive maneuvers in the area over the last one year. The Border Roads Organisation, responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads in India’s border areas, appears to have improved its performance amid tensions along the Line of Actual Control.

In Eastern Ladakh, India and China have two mutually agreed disputed areas, Trig Heights and Demchok, and 10 areas of differing perception. Officials said that since the stand-off last year, additional five friction points have emerged. These are Km 120 in Galwan area, Patrolling Point (PP) 15 and PP17 and Rechin La and Rezang La on the south bank of the Pangong Tso, the second official said.

The 12th round of military talks took place over two weeks after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar firmly conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the prolongation of the existing situation in eastern Ladakh was visibly impacting the bilateral ties in a “negative manner”.

sourced – swarajya

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Steffen Flor, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Aug 5 2021

Munich condemned by Bavarian Admin Court for discriminating a member of Scientology

The City is now obliged to grant an eBike to a member of this Church.

ACCORDING TO THE COURT, THE GERMAN CONSTITUTION PROTECTS SCIENTOLOGISTS - PRACTICE OF THE CITY OF MUNICH VIOLATES THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE EQUAL TREATMENT GUARANTEE OF SCIENTOLOGISTS

The written judgment of the Bavarian State Administrative Court of Appeal (file no. 4 B 20.3008) in the case of a Munich Scientologist against the city of Munich is now available. The case dealt with the city E-Mobile Funding Directive, issued for the purpose of environmental protection, and the city´s refusal to provide a grant for the purchase of an E-Bike to the plaintiff, solely by reason of her adherence to Scientology.

The Bavarian State Admin Court condemned the city practice with unmistakable words as an unjustified interference in the religious freedom guarantee of Art. 4 of the German Constitution and as a violation of Art. 3 of the Constitution which prohibits unequal treatment before the law. The court stated:

„The exclusion of applicants, who feel bound by the Scientology teachings, from the circle of recipients of grants [for an E-Bike] also constitutes a violation of fundamental rights in a multiple way. It is incompatible with the freedom of religion or philosophy and does not satisfy the equal rights requirements of the Constitution.“
Bavarian State Administrative Court, 2021

As the Federal Supreme Admin Court had judged already in 2005, also the Bavarian State Admin Court confirmed that the plaintiff and generally all members of the Church of Scientology can „in any case claim the fundamental right of Art. 4 sect. (1) of the Constitution.“ Art. 4 sect. (1) of the German Constitution guarantees the inviolability of the freedom of belief or the religious and philosophic denomination. By denial of the requested grant, the City of Munich had violated this in a multiple way.

The city was not allowed to generally require the revelation of the religious or philosophical conviction and blanketly exclude Scientologists from its funding program for E-Bikes. The court found „Measures from public authorities that are aimfully directed against the practice of a freedom right protected by Art. 4 sect. (1) of the Constitution, at any rate constitute indirect interferences with a fundamental right. These prerequisites are fulfilled in the case of the exclusion of Scientology adherents from the funding program of the defendant when connected to their personal belief.“

On the prohibition of unequal treatment practices, the court found that the city´s exclusion practice violates the fundamental equal rights principles of the Constitution. The court stated: „Also for reasons of equal treatment, the exclusion of Scientology-members and -adherents from the funding program of the defendant must be considered as illegal. It violates Art. 3 sect. (1) and (3) of the Constitution“, that is to say, it violates the fundamental principle that all people are equal before the law and that they must not be subjected to disadvantages by reason of their belief or religious or philosophical conviction.

The spokesperson of the Church of Scientology of Germany was happy to comment on the judgment:

„With the above a German Court for the first time called a spade a spade. We are happy that this discriminatory city practice towards Scientologists was finally „red-carded“ which it had deserved since long. This is a victory for religious freedom for all people who are subject to disadvantages in Germany by reason of their religious belief.“

Last september 2020, Scientology had requested the UN to launch an investigation on Germany for violating religious freedom, and in fact the Special Rapporteur on FORB Ahmed Shaheed, had previously written a letter to the German government inquiring them for such discriminatory practices. While the Scientologists still have some work to do to get their rights respected by German officials, it seems that international exposure and above all, proper abidance to the law and justice system, is paying off.

Photo: Steffen Flor, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Juan Sanchez Gil 9 Comments

Aug 5 2021

Councillor Giulio Gandolfi thanked Say No to Drugs volunteers in Milano

The Drug-Free World volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano reach out to youth with the Truth About Drugs campaign.

Volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano teamed up with Milan Transportation Association (ATM) to promote the value of an active, drug-free lifestyle.

Volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano bring the truth about drugs to their city.

ATM’s BikeMi, the city’s bike-sharing program, offered these Drug-Free World volunteers the use of bicycles free of charge to promote their Truth About Drugs initiative.

The day’s activities launched from the Church courtyard at Viale Fulvio Testi, 327. Councillor Giulio Gandolfi thanked the volunteers for bringing this important message to the community and signed their “Say No to Drugs” Honor Roll in support of the initiative.

Councilor signs pledge — In the courtyard of the Church of Scientology Milano, Councillor Giulio Gandolfi signed the “Say No to Drugs” Honor Roll.

Twenty volunteers took off from the Church by bicycle, wearing their signature teal Truth About Drugs T-shirts and caps. They rode through the city, handing out Truth About Drugs booklets in high-traffic areas in support of this year’s UN Office on Drugs and Crime theme for International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: “Share Facts on Drugs: Save Lives.”

Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. The Foundation’s Truth About Drugs campaign consists of drug education materials and activities that popularize drug-free living.

at castle — The drug prevention bike tour ended at Castello Sforzesco, a popular destination for tourists and residents, where volunteers handed out Truth About Drugs booklets.

Scientology Churches provide drug education specialist training, sponsor chapters of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, and work with local educators, police, churches and nonprofits to reach youth on this vital subject.

To make these materials available to anyone wishing to tackle the drug crisis, the Church of Scientology International Dissemination and Distribution Center in Los Angeles, California, produces and ships out Truth About Drugs booklets, DVDs and education packages free of charge to parents, educators, law enforcement, community groups and nonprofits for their drug prevention activities.

The Church of Scientology Milano is an Ideal Scientology Church, dedicated in 2015 by Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. In addition to providing ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their ascent to higher states of spiritual awareness and freedom, the Church sponsors humanitarian programs and serves as a home for the community and a meeting place of cooperative effort to uplift people of all denominations.

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 countries.

Source: https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/taking-to-the-streets-to-promote-active-and-drug-free-living.html

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Aug 4 2021

Ladakh witnessing rapid development after getting UT status

Representative Image

By — Shyamal Sinha

Ladakh has been witnessing increased development over the past two years as the government has implemented several development projects that aim to build a green and prosperous future for its residents.

New Delhi is focusing on developing Ladakh frontier region that has been neglected for years with new tunnels and roads being carved out in the toughest terrains of the Himalayan region, reported Saudi Gazette.

The people of Ladakh had sought UT status way back in 1949 in order to address the development needs of the area. The region got the status on August 5, 2019 with the government abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

Work on infrastructure projects like roads and tunnels has gained pace. Even the remotest border villages are now being connected to the telephone network and the Internet through fiber-optic cables powered by solar electricity generation units, reported Saudi Gazette.

The UT administration has chalked out an ambitious plan for ensuring the all-around development of the region and its people.

Several development projects have been kick-started by the government including the Alusteng-Drass-Kargil-Leh transmission system, which was completed in February last year. The move helped Ladakh to be linked to the national grid ensuring an uninterrupted reliable, quality power supply to the region, the report said.

In February 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Dah hydroelectric project and had dedicated the 220 KV transmission for overall electrification for providing sufficient electricity for each household.

Approximately, Rs 60 billion has been allocated for the development of Ladakh for the fiscal year 2020-21. Nine projects with an outlay of Rs.214.4 billion were transferred to the UT of Ladakh.

The Colonel Chewang Rinchen Bridge has been constructed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) in a record time of one month, which provides all-weather connectivity in the region.

In addition, 82-meter Span Motorable Bridge over River Shayok at Rongdo in Nubra has been opened for the public. The Ladakh administration has formulated new rules under which jobs would be reserved exclusively for locals, reported Saudi Gazette.

India’s Renewable Energy Ministry has also drawn up a plan to scale a 23,000 MW grid connecting the mega solar project in Ladakh with a 7,500 MW package forming the first part of a larger project.

PM Modi had also inaugurated a plan for the first central university in Ladakh with a Centre on Buddhist Studies helping over 10,000 Ladakhi students.

He had also vowed to make Ladakh a carbon-free region in the coming years with the start of the Ladakh Greenhouse project targeted to increase the availability of vegetables throughout the year.

“Cultural tourism” which is one of the key development planks for the area has been given a boost with homestay at monasteries along with eco-tourism and ecological activities like bird watching, wildlife safaris.

Overall tourist arrival in Ladakh in 2019 stood at 279,937. Until June 2020, total tourist arrivals in Ladakh were 6,079, of which 5,019 were domestic and 1,060 were foreign tourists, the report said.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured making functional the Siachen Glacier for tourists, opening some more border villages for tourism, construction of strategic roads, development of border villages, and movement of Nomads for grazing in the areas located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the report said

The Indian federal government approved on September 23, 2019, the establishment of a new medical college in Leh district of the newly created Ladakh Union Territory, following receipt of requests from the locals about improving healthcare facilities in the Himalayan region, the report added.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of one post of managing director for the corporation in the pay scale of ₹144,200- ₹218,200 level,” the government said in a press release. “The authorized share capital of the corporation will be ₹25 crore and recurring expenditure will be around ₹2.42 crore per year. It is a new establishment. Presently, there is no similar organization within the newly formed UT of Ladakh.”

The government added that the approval has the potential to generate employment as the corporation will be undertaking various developmental activities. “The corporation will work for industry, tourism, transport and marketing of local products and handicraft. Corporation will also work as the main construction agency for infrastructure development in Ladakh,” the government said.

The government said it will result in inclusive and integrated development of :Ladakh.

“It [will] increase domestic production of goods and services and will facilitate their smooth supply. Thus, the approval will help in realizing the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the statement read.

The government has also approved a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for specialty steel in an initiative aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and exports and cutting down the import burden for the sector, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said. The scheme will be applicable for five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

“With a budgetary outlay of ₹6,322 crores, the scheme is expected to bring in investment of approximately ₹40,000 crores and capacity addition of 25 metric tonne (MT) for speciality steel. The scheme will give employment to about 525,000 people, of which, 68,000 will be direct employment. Speciality steel has been chosen as the target segment because out of the 102 million tonnes steel produced in India in 2020-21, only 18 million tonnes of value added steel or speciality steel was produced in the country,” said the government statement.

Sourced – (ANI)

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Aug 4 2021

Coronavirus: Third wave likely to hit India this month, may peak in October: Report

The anticipated third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to hit India in August which may reach its peak in October when the country is expected to report less than 1,00,000 infections daily in the best-case scenario or nearly 1,50,000 in the pessimistic scenario, according to a study.

A research team led by professors Mathukumalli Vidyasagar and Manindra Agrawal at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Hyderabad and Kanpur respectively said that the rise in coronavirus cases will push the third wave.

States with high caseload, such as Kerala and Maharashtra, could “skew the picture”, Vidyasagar told Bloomberg in an email.

Last month, Agrawal, who is also a scientist of a government panel tasked with modelling of COVID-19 cases, had said that the possible third wave of coronavirus may see half the daily cases recorded during the second surge and it can hit its peak between October-November if COVID-appropriate behaviour is not followed.

The predicted single-day count is less than half of what was recorded when the deadly second wave had hit its peak in the first half of May, claiming thousands of lives daily and leading to shortage of oxygen supply and beds in several hospitals.

On May 7, India had recorded 4,14,188 COVID-19 cases, the highest daily figure during the second wave.

The Centre recently said that ten states are either reporting a rise in new daily COVID cases or an upsurge in the Test Positivity Rate (TPR). It suggested strict restrictions in districts with a positivity rate of more than 10 per cent, to prevent crowds and intermingling of people.

The ten states are – Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Manipur.

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Aug 4 2021

Prayer against Covid: They put on a mask of the Goddess of Mercy

Workers climbed a giant statue of a Buddhist goddess in Japan to put a protective mask on her face. This is a kind of prayer for the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

It took three hours for the four workers to put the huge mask on the face of the 57-meter statue of the goddess of mercy Canon in the Hokokuji Temple in Fukushima Prefecture.

The statue, erected 33 years ago, is hollow with a spiral staircase that can be climbed to the height of the goddess’s shoulder.

People visit the statue that holds the baby to pray for a safe birth and ask for blessings for the newborns.

Temple Governor Takaomi Horigane says the idea of putting on a mask overshadowed workers’ discussions about restoring the statue after it was damaged in a February earthquake. Horegan added that they plan to keep the statue’s protective mask until the coronavirus situation in Japan is brought under control.

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Aug 2 2021

The Russian Church is preparing a list of permitted professions for priests

The Russian Church discussed secular professions that are acceptable to priests. The document is prepared by the so-called “Inter-council presence” – a body preparing the texts for consideration and adoption by the Council of Bishops of the ROC. The Council of Bishops will be held in mid-November, and the Inter-Council Presence has already made public some of the documents being prepared. Among them is “On the secular work of the clergy.” It is noted that the priest cannot serve in the army, not the chaplains, but the military, who take part in hostilities and carry weapons.

Priests are also not allowed to engage in professional sports because of the full dedication of time and effort that such a profession requires. “An athlete cannot combine this with the priestly ministry, which also presupposes complete consecration. One must dedicate oneself to either one or the other,” said Abbess Ksenia (Chernega), a member of the Inter-Conciliar Presence.

The document proposes to ban priests from all stage activities, as well as participation in music shows, as is the case in Russia. Such is the case with Ivan Okhlobystin, who for five years – from 2005 to 2010 – combined the priestly and acting professions, after which he applied to Patriarch Kiril to resign from the priestly ministry “due to internal contradictions”. In 2015, the Russian monk Photius won the fourth edition of the music show “Voice” and for some time combined his musical career and monastic ministry.

Priests are not prohibited from working as drivers, despite the risk that they will cause an accident and cause injury or death to another person. They can also be doctors without participating in activities such as abortion or euthanasia. According to the authors of the project, various intellectual and creative activities such as teacher, translator and artist are suitable for priests. They can also trade in goods from their farm. Entrepreneurial activity is not encouraged due to possible risks, including reputational ones, which may cause unfulfilled contracts, etc. similar. Usury is expressly prohibited.

The text of the document is to be published. It is subject to wider public discussion before being submitted to the Council of Bishops. The discussion on it started in 2018 on the pages of the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”, provoking mixed reactions and comments among the clergy.

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Aug 2 2021

THE DUALISM OF THE BOGOMILS

NEW RELIGION OR A SECT

At the end of the first quarter of the tenth century a very difficult socio-economic situation developed in Bulgaria, which gave rise to a new anti-clerical and anti-feudal movement influenced by the teachings of Mani. After the death of the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon (927), several invasions of the Magyars (the medieval Hungarians) led the country to face many social problems, particularly during the rule of his son, Tsar Petar the First (927-69).

The first information concerning the Bogomils is given in a letter of the Ecumenical Patriarch Theophilact of Constantinople to the Bulgarian monarch regarding the question as to how to handle the heretics in the kingdom. According to Theophilact, the new heresy is a mixture of Manichaeism and Paulicianism.

Today most of the scholars follow the statement of Theophilact of Constantinople. For example, Harold O. J. Brown – who, in his book, Heresies, writes: “The Bogomil’s movement appears to have began as a radical dualism, teaching two eternal principles, evil and good, like Persian Zoroastrianism; later it was modified into a less radical form (probably around eleventh century), which understood the world as (being the) result of the rebellion of one of God’s eldest son, Satanael.”

According to the most important source on Bogomilism, namely, the Tractat on the Bogomili of Cosmas the Priest from tenth century, it is a difficult heresy from Manichaeism which is said to have originated from Bulgaria: “It began in the years of the faithful Tsar Petar in Bulgaria when a priest, Bogomil, or better Bogonemil (“Bogomil” is Bulgarian for the “beloved of God” and “Bogonemil” denotes the one who is “not beloved of God”) started to preach the new heresy…”

Three centuries later in the Synodicon of Tsar Boril of Bulgaria the names of the disciples of Pop Bogomil – Michael, Todor, Dobri, Stephan, Vasiliy and Petar – are given with confirmation that the movement started in the days of Tsar Petar I, who was a very pious orthodox monarch, and had been influenced by the Bulgarian tenth century hermit saint, Ivan of Rila (ab. 876-946). St. Ivan (John) was an anchorite who had started the local hermit movement in the 10^th century. His cult became very popular, not only in the Balkan peninsula, but also among the Eastern Slavs. Soon after his death, one of the greatest monasteries in the Balkans was founded on the site of his voluntary reclusion. Being a powerful cultural and religious centre, the monastery continues to attract pilgrims and, due to the miracles of St. Ivan of Rila, veneration.

At the end of the ninth century, the mission of the Paulicianists/ Paulicians and Massalians was extremely strong and spread in the Bulgarian kingdom. The beliefs were that all natural things were evil and the work of the devil (the Satan was the eldest son of God and a brother of Christ). [1] Bogomil are called a Manichean sect in Vindobonensis hist. Gr., 73. In J. Guillard’s Synodicon (p. 59) we find an anathema against the Bogomil among the anathemas against the teaching of the eleventh century Byzantine philosopher Jean Ital.

The Armenian-Gregorian Church as well as the Armenian nation has, through the centuries, suffered cruel persecution and several attempts at systematic extermination. There is a tradition for Armenians of looking for asylum in Bulgaria. The last two waves of Armenian immigrants to Bulgaria were after the repression in Turkey in the first half of the 20^th century and after the fall of the Soviet Union and the civil wars in the ex-Soviet republics.

The Paulicians were the medieval successors of the early Christian Gnostics and of the Manicheans. Paulicianism originated as a mixture of Manichean and Marcionite teachings. The Paulicianists held that St. Paul was the only true Apostle. They rejected the old Testament and claimed that the world was created in a spirit of war with the God of the New testament. They also had strong iconoclastic tendencies (anti icon-worshipping), smashing images and even crosses whenever they could.

At the end of the seventh century, the province of Armenia was a part of Byzantium. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine V Copronyme (741-75) moved some of these Paulicians from Armenia to Thracia, near the city of Philippopolis (the present days Plovdiv in the South of Bulgaria). Again in 778 another group was settled in the same region by Emp. Leo IV Hasar (775-80). Paulist propaganda began to spread from Thracia to the Balkans, primarily in the neighboring country, Bulgaria. At this time paganism was the official religion both in the form of the cult of Tangra of the proto-Bulgarians (they came from ancient China) and of the various cults of the Southern Slavic tribes. The teaching, called Thracian Orphism, was a very strong influence in the region, and was the characteristic feature of the Thraco-Pelasgian ethno-cultural community before and after the Trojan War. The Orphic path to the divine is through concentration and contemplation.

Orpheus was born in the mountain of Rhodopae and was from Thracian toots. Spartacus was a Thracian nobleman. He and his followers created a kind of religious syncretism which owed much to the beliefs of the ancient Thracians.

Later, in the province of Macedonia (the present day Republic of Macedonia) another group was settled from Armenia by the Emperor Vasillios II Bulgarophigon (Greek for the “killer of Bulgarians”, who ruled 976-1025).

Source: Gramatikov, Petar. The Dualism of the Bogomils – New religion or a sect. – In: Identity in Conflict. Classical Christian Faith and Religion Occulta (Essays in Honour of Prof. Johannes Aagaard), Munishiram Manoharal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. /New Delhi/, Dialogcentret, Aarhus, 1998, pp. 133-140.

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Aug 2 2021

India-China wrap up 12th round of military talks on optimistic note

The 12th round of military talks between India and China wrapped up on a positive note amid growing hopes of reaching an understanding on the disengagement of troops from Hot Springs and Gogra on the Line of Actual Control, sources told News18.

Modalities will be worked out on how to take the process forward and a joint statement is expected on Monday, reported News18.

The meeting between corps commander-ranked officers of the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Moldo border point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh on Saturday began at 10.30 am and ended at 7.30 pm, officials familiar with the development said.

At nine hours, this was possibly the shortest round of talks between the two armies, reported Hindustan Times.

Defence establishment sources were hopeful of reaching an understanding for disengagement from Hot Springs and Gogra Post, Patrolling Point (PP) 15 and PP17A, respectively, friction points.

It is learnt that both sides discussed “specific details to cool tempers in the remaining friction points including moving ahead with the disengagement process and agreed to jointly maintain stability on the ground”.

Hotline set up between army HQs

A hotline was established between Indian Army in Kongra La, North Sikkim and PLA at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region to further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders. The event coincided with the PLA Day on 1 August, said the Indian Army.

These hotlines in various sectors go a long way in enhancing the same and maintaining peace and tranquility at the borders, the army said.

The inauguration was attended by ground commanders of the respective armies and a message of friendship and harmony was exchanged through the hotline.

The Indian side forcefully pressed for early resolution of the standoff and particularly insisted on expeditious disengagement in Hot Springs and Gogra, a source said.

Ahead of the talks, sources said India was hopeful of a positive outcome on the disengagement process.

India has been insisting that the resolution of the outstanding issues, including at Depsang, Hot Springs and Gogra, is essential for the overall ties between the two countries.

The latest round of talks took place after a gap of more than three and a half months. The 11th round of military dialogue had taken place on 9 April at the Chushul border point on the Indian side of the LAC and it lasted for around 13 hours.

The two foreign ministers had held a one-hour bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tajik capital city Dushanbe on 14 July. In the meeting, Jaishankar had told Wang that any unilateral change in the status quo along the LAC was “not acceptable” to India and that the overall ties can only develop after full restoration of peace and tranquillity in eastern Ladakh.

In the last round of military talks, both sides discussed ways to take forward the disengagement process in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang with a larger aim to bring down tensions in the region. However, there was no forward movement in the disengagement process.

The Indian delegation at Saturday’s talks was led by Lt Gen PGK Menon, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps.

The border stand-off between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted in May last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February in line with an agreement on disengagement.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

With inputs from PTI

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Aug 2 2021

Scientology celebrated World Friendship Day

For World Friendship Day, the Church of Scientology Shares the Key to Lasting Relationships

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA • A new “Golden Rule” to kindle compassion, improve relationships, and empower happiness, from a common-sense, universal moral code

The Church of Scientology International extends an invitation to people of goodwill to join Scientology Churches and Missions in support of International Day of Friendship, a United Nations initiative that promotes “friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals” and seeks to “inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.”

In observing this UN Day, Scientologists share two precepts from The Way to Happiness, the common-sense moral code written by L. Ron Hubbard, that hold the key to lasting friendships:

“Try not to do things to others that you would not like them to do to you,” and
“Try to treat others as you would want them to treat you.”

“Among many peoples in many lands for many ages there have been versions of what is called ‘The Golden Rule,’” wrote Mr. Hubbard. “The philosophic question concerning wrongdoing, the argument of what is wrong is answered at once on a personal basis: Would you not like that to happen to you? No? Then it must be a harmful action and, from society’s viewpoint, a wrong action. It can awaken social consciousness. It can then let one work out what one should do and what one should not do.”

As to the second and positive version of the rule, “One can get into a lot of conflicting opinions and confusions about what ‘good behavior’ might be,” Mr. Hubbard wrote. “If one were to think over how he or she would like to be treated by others, one would evolve the human virtues. Just figure out how you would want people to treat you.”

The full text of these precepts, available on The Way to Happiness Foundation website, provides know-how for an individual wishing to implement the guidelines personally or take them up with others to help them salvage or enhance interpersonal relationships.

Putting these and the other 19 precepts of The Way to Happiness into action has everything to do with the purpose of International Friendship Day, because, as Mr. Hubbard points out:

“Aside from personal benefit, one can take a hand, no matter how small, in beginning a new era for human relations. The pebble, dropped in a pool, can make ripples to the furthest shore.”

Scientology Churches mark International Friendship Day with open house events and forums where they share successful application of The Way to Happiness in addressing issues of importance to the community. They also reach out with The Way to Happiness information stands and distribution events to share the booklet and its wealth of knowledge.

An interactive timeline on the Scientology website documents how the Church of Scientology Kansas City and Kansas City community activists partnered for Peace Rides, based on the effectiveness of Peace Rides in Los Angeles. The KC team distributed The Way to Happiness to promote a climate of unity and peace, counter violence and reverse the city’s climbing homicide rate. In honor of the event, Kansas City rapper and recording artist Kodde One wrote the anthem “Hold Yo’ Head High” to help spread the booklet’s message of brotherhood throughout the city.

Other examples of the impact of The Way to Happiness are featured on the Scientology Network in episodes of the original series Voices for Humanity, which spotlights the work of humanitarians using the booklet to address societal needs. These episodes include the work of:

Rev. Father Teddy Sichinga, who uses The Way to Happinessto empower poverty-stricken farmers and villagers in Zambia;
Diana Pedroni, who in partnership with the director of National Prevention and Citizen Security in the Dominican Republic distributed the booklet throughout the country resulting in a 21 percent drop in crime;
Rosalba and José Cordero and their Social Development and Recovery of Values Association, who not only educate young people with these precepts in schools, they also bring the program to inmates across Mexico’s entire prison system resulting in 99 percent of their graduates living lives free of crime.

Those using The Way to Happiness in their communities share rave reviews of its effectiveness:

“I firmly believe that The Way to Happiness can change the perspective of many people to life and difficult situations that arise in it,” writes the coordinator of social rehabilitation and rehabilitation center for young offenders.

“Extremely motivating and inspiring. Moreover, in this world of intolerance and violence, the messages of peace and sharing can bring about a change in the world,” wrote a teacher.

“Two precepts really took my daughter’s interest,” wrote a parent. “‘Be Industrious’ and ‘Flourish and Prosper.’ She never looked back after that and has since carried a seemingly unkillable momentum and spirit about life. I have no doubt what started her turnaround. It was The Way to Happiness.”

For more information on The Way to Happiness, contact your local Church of Scientology or visit The Way to Happiness Foundation website.

The Founder of the Scientology religion is L. Ron Hubbard and Mr. David Miscavige is the religion’s ecclesiastical leader.

Source: https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/for-world-friendship-day-the-church-of-scientology-shares-the-key-to-lasting.html

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Aug 1 2021

Is Christianity an idealism? (1)

Christianity has entered world history with the bold claim that it is a revelation in the pure and proper sense of the word. All the religious movements and philosophical systems he found were for him the fruit of human wisdom. By virtue of this assertion, Christianity stubbornly denies that it belongs in its essence to this world. On the contrary, it claims to take us out of it and to put us in touch with a reality that even the most ingenious person’s thought and intuition cannot reach. However, when Christianity speaks of revelation, we should not understand by this concept any abnormal psychopathological manifestations, nor supernormal gifts such as clairvoyance, telepathy, etc. Revelation means that the truth itself – not as a principle, idea or value, but as a person – is revealed to the person on his own initiative. It has a completely objective character and differs sharply from the other subjective experiences and manifestations of its carriers and intermediaries. In this way, revelation ranks next to immediate sensory experience as one of the sources of human knowledge. However, sensory experience presupposes the initiative and activity of man, who himself, with his own efforts, seeks to know the reality included in the boundaries of the visible world. Revelation, on the other hand, is a top-down movement that meets man and reveals to him a superworldly, supernatural reality to which his own efforts cannot bring him. For Christianity, therefore, there are two kinds of realities – natural and supernatural, which correspond to two ways of revelation – sensory experience and revelation. The latter consists of two main elements: 1. means and 2. content. The means originate from this world and to them belong above all people and objects that mediate the revelation, thought forms and language in which it is expressed, the historical situation in which it is realized, etc. The content on the other hand has a completely supernatural character and represents something completely new and unknown that cannot be reduced to a given reality. But the latter, due to its close proximity to man, influences his consciousness so strongly that he often makes it a basic and absolute criterion for clarifying all phenomena, regardless of their origin. And since the means of revelation belong, as we have said, to this reality, he is inclined to identify its content with themselves and with their manifestations. In this respect, the law of the hierarchy of values applies. The lower a value, the stronger it is, and vice versa – the higher its character, the weaker its impact and the greater the danger of being absorbed by the stronger than it. Attempts to destroy the transcendental-open character of Christianity and to decompose its content into phenomena of the immediately given reality are called by the general name immanentism. Two basic conceptions have been formed on this reality since ancient times: 1. realism or materialism and 2. idealism. Since Christianity bases the spirit on its worldview, the closest thing to the idea is to bring it under the denominator of idealism and to consider it as a variant of it. To this day, the vast majority believe that Christianity can only thrive and flourish in idealistic epochs, and that when they are overcome by realism or materialism, then it must disappear by necessity.

N.B. For the first time this text by KONSTANTIN TSITSELKOV was published in the magazine Spiritual Culture, vol. 6, 1949, pp. 12-23.

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Aug 1 2021

The Greek Orthodox Church canonized dozens of martyrs and confessors

Dozens of new saints, including martyrs and confessors, were canonized at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church in Athens on July 14-15.

Among the 52 newly canonized saints, there are seven bishops who martyred in the name of Christ in April 1821 together with the Patriarch of Constantinople Gregory V – Eugene of Anchia, Joseph of Thessalonica, Gregory of Derkia, Dionysius of Ephesus and Dorothy, Dorothy Ioanikii Tarnovski.

They were all executed by the Ottoman authorities at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, which ended in 1832 with the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople.

The body of Patriarch Gregory was hung by the Turks at the gates of the Patriarchate for three days and three nights for edification, and then thrown into the sea, although he did not take part in the revolution (the Patriarch was canonized on the centenary of his death).

The synod also glorified Metropolitan Plato of Chios and 43 other people tortured by Ottoman troops during the massacre in Chios on Good Friday in 1822. The list includes priests, deacons, hieromonks and monks. Authorities have decided to execute residents of the island of Chios for their support in the fight for Greek independence.

The Holy Synod also ordered the canonization of the monk Anastasius (Gordios; 1654-1729), the most influential clergyman of the era of Turkish rule. He is one of the so-called “teachers of the nation” and is considered a forerunner of modern Greek education. His honest head is kept in the monastery “St. Paraskeva” in the region of Agraf (Greece).

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Aug 1 2021

Is Christianity an idealism? (4)

The exceptional, special and non-idealistic character of Christianity is evident not only in its teachings, but also in its attitude to the various idealistic movements in history. For example, the apostles Paul and John were the first to start a struggle against the front of Plato’s and Gnostic idealism. The missionary sermon of ap. Paul for the resurrection, as the spiritualization and perpetuation of body or matter, met with great resistance among the educated inhabitants of Athens and Corinth. For those who lived with the prejudices of Plato’s idealism, it was an unbearable thought to claim that a resurrection was possible; they have supported only the idea of the immortality of the spirit, which reaches this state after rejecting the chains of the body, of the material and the transient in general. However, the resurrection teaches not only the immortality of the spirit, but also the transformation and immortality of matter. Therefore, Athenians and Corinthians considered this teaching to be unphilosophical and materialistic. It is true that the idea of resurrection was known to the Greeks from their myths, which spoke of dying and resurrecting deities, such as Attis, Dionysius, etc. But this idea they could perceive in the form of a myth. For them, the resurrection was possible only in the realm of universal and abducted ideas, through which they sensed and clarified the rhythm of life in nature, expressed in the change of seasons, day and night and in the main phases of human life. However, they have never been able to come to terms with a resurrection as a historical fact. That a vivid historical figure like Jesus of Nazareth, who lived and died at a certain time, could be resurrected and be a revelation of God in general, was incomprehensible to the Greeks. From this, by the way, it becomes clear how hasty and unfounded the conclusion of the religious-historical school in the 19th century was that the Christian doctrine of the resurrection was borrowed from the ancient Greek myths. – Against the doubts of the idealistic Corinthians, Paul wrote his famous Chapter 15 of his first epistle to them about the resurrection, which according to science is the oldest written evidence in this regard, dating from 55 AD.

As an outspoken opponent of Gnostic idealism, ap. John. Against him he established two strong positions: 1. The Word became flesh (John 1:14) and 2. Jesus was resurrected (John 20) Translated into philosophical language, this means that spirit can materialize and matter can be spiritualized. No ancient philosopher or mystic would dare to express such a thought. For idealism and mysticism, matter is something transient in the development of the world. Once the self-awareness of the spirit or the immediate union with the absolute is achieved, then matter will disappear as unnecessary waste. With what determination and jealousy the app. John leads the struggle against Gnosticism, as evidenced by his following words: “By this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. But every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; this is the spirit of the antichrist ”(1 John 4: 2, 3). According to John, therefore, idealism in its exclusive, one-sided validity is an anti-Christian movement. – The struggle against Gnosticism in the same Pauline-Ioanist spirit was later continued by Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus of Lyons. It is not without reason that the famous historian Friedrich Loffs sees in this general line of early Christian theology the formation of the so-called Asia Minor school. It aims precisely on the basis of historical facts, as a revelation of God’s plan of salvation, to refute the abducted speculations of Gnostic idealism. – Towards the middle of the 3rd century a new idealistic movement, known as Neoplatonism, appeared, which was the last word of the declining ancient world. In it, paganism gathers its still existing elite forces to give a desperately resolute resistance to the advancing Christianity. However, Neoplatonism appeared on the historical stage very late in order to fulfill its task. The only success he could note was the conquest of the young educated prince, and later the Roman emperor, Julian. Through him, he sought to impose what he could not achieve through peaceful propaganda and persuasion. Indeed, Julian, who enthusiastically embraced the ideas of Neoplatonism, tried by force to turn the latter into the official religion of the Roman Empire instead of Christianity. This experience was short-lived and unfortunate, yet history has noted in its pages this sharp opposition between Neoplatonic idealism and Christianity as two movements that are different in nature. – Although on the open front Neoplatonism did not win the struggle, it managed to sneak into Christianity gradually from the rear and create favorable conditions for the formation of a trend in the Alexandrian theological school called Monophysitism. At its core lies the devaluation of the body and matter in general, which is characteristic of any idealism. Monophysitism tried to give an idealistic solution to the then exciting Christological question, ie the question of the person of Jesus Christ. A hard struggle of life and death led Christianity against Monophysitism, which had deep roots in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire, because it was Eastern man, with the exception of the Semites, who was and remains to this day a mystic by nature. The weapon for the struggle of Christianity against Monophysite idealism was forged by the Antiochian theological school, which, under the influence of Aristotle and the empiricists, advocated realism. This struggle, which was fought with great fervor, cost the Roman Empire heavy and costly sacrifices because it accelerated the process of its decomposition. The modern historian is inclined to believe that the Christological question was the fruit of abducted and meaningless quarrels, without any positive value to justify the damage they inflicted on the strength of mighty Rome. A more in-depth and refined view, however, sees here the indomitable will of Christianity to impose a realistic conception of the world on a theological question against the innate idealism of Eastern man. In this way, albeit at the cost of great sacrifices, Christianity has saved the full-blooded material reality of the world in an extremely idealistic age and has preserved the basic precondition for the existence and development of the exact sciences.

From what has been said so far, it is clear that Christianity, both in its essence and in its manifestations in history, cannot be ruthlessly classified as idealism. As we have seen, it is not at all a product of the immanent thinking, as a result of which idealism and realism have appeared, but stands above them as a revelation of an extraterrestrial reality. But because this revelation is realized in this world, or more precisely in the history of mankind, it uses the two basic and original directions of human thought to clarify its essence. The pursuit of the exclusive dominance of one of these directions in this explanatory process is what Christianity calls heresy. However, the harmonious combination of both forms the precondition for the emergence and formation of Christian dogma as a universal norm of faith and life.

N.B. For the first time this text by KONSTANTIN TSITSELKOV was published in the magazine Spiritual Culture, vol. 6, 1949, pp. 12-23.

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Category Archives: Religion

For the Animals

Privileging the saisines (i.e., reports by those who write to denounce a “cultic deviance”) may only lead to biased conclusions.

The Drug-Free World volunteers from the Church of Scientology Milano reach out to youth with the Truth About Drugs campaign.

For World Friendship Day, the Church of Scientology Shares the Key to Lasting Relationships

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