#or that which one existed as part of the religious institutions but have since taken on a less official and more against the grain approach | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thecurioustale · 7 months

Note

trick or treat! (do they have any similar traditions in Ieik?)

Ooh, a question!! :3

I was actually writing about this just yesterday in my upcoming weekend Patreon essay. I’ll share some of it here:

Imagining Afiach as being born on Halloween was one of those "How did I never think of this?" flashes of inspiration. Mate of Song has been in my thoughts in recent weeks, so establishing Afiach's birthday was the perfect Halloween gift to myself.

Now, of course, Relance doesn't have literal "Halloween," but whatever. That's not the point. You know what, though...I'm almost tempted to throw realism to the wind and just do a direct port of Halloween over to Relance. Just so that I can have it!, and use it, and create a Relancii rendition of it. I'll have to think about that. It would be wild if her birthday really was "Halloween." Maybe a little too on the nose, perhaps? But I shall have to think on it...

So that was literally yesterday and I don’t have any conclusions yet. But as the author of the story I can Authoritatively Speculate on where I might end up:

For me, this is first and foremost a question of history and sociology, and how and why these kinds of traditions develop. You asked about Ieik in particular, which narrows down the scope quite a lot and means I don’t have to talk about all of Relance.

You probably know most of this already, but let me set the scene for those who may be less familiar:

Ieik was a small village on the extreme-high-elevation Landstorm, south of the Sodaplains, in the Easts Beyond the Edge of the World. Ieik is where Galavar came from.

Ieik was a pretty austere society. Not so much in the misanthropic sense of, say, Christian austerity, with its emphasis on human weakness and corruptibility and the intent to control these supposed shortcomings for the sake of public law and order and individual obedience to the Church. Rather, austerity in Ieik came about from two main sources:

One of these reasons actually was religious in nature: The Village of Ieik was also known as the Village of Sourros, and the Ieikili people were sometimes known around the world as the Chosen People of Sourros—Sourros being the God of Logic and Wisdom. Sourros was known to directly appear before the Ieikili from time to time and speak to them, with far greater regularity than anywhere else in Relance. Moreover, the Realm of Sourros, where Sourros physically resided, was believed to exist in the same remote region of the world as Ieik, the Landstorm.

The Ieikili were an understandably religious and spiritual people, and their way of life followed their interpretations of the teachings of Sourros. One relevant example is that it was deeply woven into the Ieikili culture—so deeply as to seldom be spoken of directly, for it was taken as a basic fact of life—that Ieik should be a “stable” society, a land of balance where each generation would leave the world as they found it. The Ieikili were masterful indeed at separating the change and progression that naturally occurs within an individual over the course of their lifetime from the institutional formations of society as a whole, which were believed to have long since been optimized for sustaining the kind of society that the Ieikili wished to regenerate and uphold. Individual mates were able to live out the arc of their lives in the context of a society that was virtually timeless.

It worked, too: Ieik was at least as old as the Imperial Calendar (which had counted over twelve thousand years) before it was finally disbanded by Galavar. And while Ieik had waxed and waned over the millennia, it had more or less kept the same shape all that time.

Part of the Ieikili devotion to this stability, and entwined with their followings of the teachings of the God of Logic and Wisdom, was a conviction in the merits of temperance and restraint. Excess and luxury and rebelliousness were generally frowned upon in Ieikili society, except in the limited forms that were socially prescribed for various events over the course of a year. But, for example, it was faux pas to amass a lot of clothes, or to routinely eat a lot, or to be habitually loud and confrontational, or to be unilaterally contemptuous of the rules. People were taught to be aware of their place in society and to respect the fragility of society and the primacy of each mate’s honorable responsibility to do their part to support Ieik as a whole. It was not only an austere worldview but rather a collectivist one as well.

There absolutely were festivities during the year, and there was warm acceptance of people having “special occasions” of their own from time to time, because after all people need those things in their lives and the Ieikili knew this. But, in general, austerity was the default. Habitual indulgence and excess were seen as distractions from the pursuit of personal wisdom and the maintenance of a peaceful, idyllic society.

The second major reason for the tradition of Ieikili austerity was material in nature: The Landstorm is completely barren; virtually nothing can grow there. While the Ieikili did have greenhouses, indoor gardens, and tiny grotto farms, the vast majority of their food, water, and raw materials (other than sand and rock) came from God, and God did not provide the people with a surplus. Any feasts and so forth that did occur usually had to come out of other meals. So this put a natural limit on the degree and frequency of excesses that the Ieikili could partake in. And while this austerity could be padded a bit by importing goods from other lands—mainly the Empire, since no other location could viably be reached with a load of goods—it was prohibitive to bring in goods at any great scale, nor did the Ieikili desire to circumvent the lifestyle that Sourros seemingly intended for them.

Now, hold all of that in mind, and let’s talk about trick-or-treating! Again, you probably know at least some of this already, but humor me as I think out loud and continue to set the scene!

The modern incarnation of trick-or-treating is that children dress up in costumes and go around the neighborhood (or to a “secure facility” such as a school or community center) and beg for treats, which are always granted and which almost always take the form of candy. The prank-filled “trick” part of trick-or-treating, which terrorized people a century ago, is long since vestigial now, unless you’re a hooligan. 🤪 But you don’t have to look very far into the past for trick-or-treating to begin to change more substantively, and soon you end up lost in the mists of history. Here is a short article on the origins Halloween traditions, which says of trick-or-treating:

There is much debate around the origins of trick-or-treating, but generally there are three theories. The first theory suggests that during Samhain, Celtic people would leave food out to appease the spirits traveling the Earth at night. Over time, people began to dress as these unearthly beings in exchange for similar offerings of food and drink.

The second theory speculates that the candy boon stems from the Scottish practice of guising, which is a secular version of “souling.” During the Middle Ages, generally children and poor adults would collect food and money from local homes in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day. Guisers dropped the prayers in favor of non-religious practices with the inclusion of songs, jokes, and other “tricks.”

A third theory argues that modern American trick-or-treating stems from “belsnickeling,” a German-American Christmas tradition where children would dress in costume and then call on their neighbors to see if the adults could guess the identities of the disguised. In one version of the practice, the children were rewarded with food or other treats if no one could identify them.

And of wearing scaring costumes the same article says:

In order to avoid being terrorized by all the evil spirits walking the Earth during Samhain, the Celts donned disguises so that they would not be mistaken for spirits themselves and be left alone.

This of course greatly oversimplifies and glosses over a rich cultural tradition spread out over many centuries of time and many thousands of miles of land, but nevertheless this is the gist of Halloween’s origins as I understand it.

Looking at the history of Halloween overall, what you can see straightaway is that trick-or-treating, along with the other trappings of Halloween such as the lighting of candles and fires, the carving of pumpkins, the imagery of ghosts and spirits, and the general spirit of revelry, are all deeply intertwined together by way of Celtic influences through the harvest festival of Samhain, and ultimately stem from the primordial harvest festival meme (in the original sense of the word “meme”). (Though, this conclusion does discount somewhat the third theory of trick-or-treating originating as a Christmas tradition, which may very well have migrated into the Halloween tradition at some point and provided a signal-boost to the practices that would go on to become modern trick-or-treating.)

The “ghost” angle of Halloween, for its part—and the whole spookiness vibe—comes from the fact it was believed among the Celts that the boundary between worlds was thin at this time of year and that spirits roamed the Earth more freely. Accordingly, some of their harvest rituals concerned the dead. (This is also where the Day of the Dead comes from, via Christianity.) This idea of the prominence of spirits and ghosts makes more sense when you consider that Samhain not only marked the culmination of the harvest season but also the start of a new year. Having the harvest-time be your new year makes a certain amount of intuitive sense and was not uncommon throughout history, and still holds true in some societies and religions, today like in Israel and Judaism more broadly, as well as in some secular institutions, like the American school year. A new year is a great time for renewal, celebration, and the letting go of old cares, while a harvest festival is a great time for largesse and indulgence—and the two go devilishly well together.

I say all this because if we just copied and pasted modern trick-or-treating into Relance we would create an obvious question: Where does the tradition come from? No one randomly wakes up one day and says “Let’s dress up like ghosts and go door-to-door through the neighborhood to ask for candy.” Well, maybe a few oddballs and free spirits do, but if enough people did that sort of thing on a random, continuing basis, it would cause a lot of stress and friction. People don’t like being constantly on-call to receive guests and hand out candies at any moment. If such an activity were undertaken freelance, without social sanction, it would be disruptive to society. It would hassle people and quite possibly lead to an increase in “Beware of Dog” signs, and other yard omens.

I take the view that the heart and soul of trick-or-treating as we know it—its “power” if you will—is its celebration of plenty in the context of life’s tenuousness...with a good dash of treat-getting opportunism thrown in because whatever the century people are always looking for excuses to get treats. Today it has crystallized into a socially sanctioned adventure for kids, a highly idiomatic form of play. But the reason the holiday is so beguiling even to adults, who usually don’t trick-or-treat (except with their kids) but often still enjoy the candy, the costumes, the candles, the carvings, and the spoops, is that Halloween as a whole is a celebration of life and death as two halves of the same reality. You can’t really have trick-or-treating without Halloween.

Or can you???

Trick-or-treating as we know it, I think, is inextricable from Halloween. But who’s to say there can’t be other lineages for a tradition of going around the neighborhood in ways that evoke the getting of treats and/or the doling out of tricks?

Ieik never had a harvest festival; they were not an agrarian society and did little farming. And that alone would seem to completely torpedo the notion of a Samhain-descended trick-or-treating ritual.

But the Ieikili did have a culture of going to each other’s houses in various ritualistic ways (separate from arranging private visits or just spontaneously dropping by). And, as a small society of only a few thousand people, there was a lot of familiarity and intimacy among the Ieikili. Virtually every child of Ieik would have likely set foot in hundreds of private Ieikili homes by the time of their demonstration (a coming-of-age ritual practiced throughout Relance).

As for the thinning of the boundary between worlds, old superstition personifies the dangerousness and cunning of the natural world and the wider unknown. Never in Earth’s history did any human being ever lay eyes on a pixie or an elf, or a spirit of the dead, yet the tales of them are endless, for these creatures are the embodiments of the dangers of the wide world and our own frailty in it. On Relance there aren’t “ghosts” per se, but there are the Yondred, and Relance certainly is a world of superstitions and spirits. However, in Ieik, the power of the Preterfolk was limited in the proximity of Sourros, and, given that the Ieikili were devoted to logic and wisdom, superstition was not their strong suit. I don’t recall if I’ve settled on the Ieikili new year yet. I may have done so for The Great Galavar but otherwise I am relatively confident that I have never turned my attention to this. Yet, whatever the date, I doubt it would be a holiday heavily focused on the notion of a thinness between the worlds, since that particular premise has other demands upon it in the history of Ieik.

What I take from all of this is that there would definitely have been room in Ieikili society for a tradition physically similar to trick-or-treating, at least to some extent. But there would have needed to be a reason for it, outside of the harvest festival / night of spirits provenance that Samhain provided.

And I can think of a pretty good reason. You may have connected the dots yourself already:

What if there had been a ritual, or even an entire holiday, for the Ieikili to break their societal bonds?

An austere, collectivist society is going to need healthy outlets for shall we say “nonconformist energy.” The “trick” part of trick-of-treating is said to have arisen as a form of pranking to mimic the accompaniment of the dead. Pranks like the rattling of window shutters, the tying fast of doors, and the toilet-papering of trees and roofs can simulate the supposed presence and behavior of spirits. But if removed from the supernatural aspect, this sort of reckless hooliganry connotes a disregard for authority and for personal space, and that idea could very much make sense in the Ieikili context. So too could the “treat” side of the equation, in the form of the raucous imposition and intrusion upon one’s neighbors to collect treats from them, which also connotes a disregard for authority and a disrespect of personal boundaries.

I can imagine Ieikili society having had a tradition of something that looks at least vaguely similar to trick-or-treating, premised upon the idea of forsaking society, where everybody is out for themselves. Obviously if that were done at face value without any restraint it would be called a riot, but if it were done without malice or any intent to commit real harm, and if everyone were in on the proverbial joke, I could see it being a very enjoyable sort of thing. To the adventurer going from house to house, it would be an occasion to let off some steam, go whooping around, and have some fun. To anyone staying home, it would be sort of a grab bag of the unexpected.

It would probably be quite an exhilarating thing.

And so, in my Authoritative Speculation, I would say that, if Ieik ever did have something like trick-or-treating, it would probably have been along those lines.

I like it! This is the sort of thing that has plenty of welcome in my Relancii worldbuilding.

In fact, let’s make it so! Here’s the tentative entry in Encyclopedia Reluria:

Cavorts: The indigenous practice among the Ieikili people of indulging pent-up impulses and releasing pent-up frustrations against social strictures by participating in boisterous activities in or around one another’s homes. It typically lasted for a single afternoon and into the evening. During the years of Ieik, Cavorts occurred annually at an unfixed time late in winter, when the weather turned milder and people were able to be less cooped up indoors.

(Often phrased as “going on cavorts.”)

That is subject to change! But there you go. A new piece of Relancii world lore. And thank you very much for the question! :3

3 notes · View notes

fuzzydreamin · 1 year

Text

Random Headcanons for: Paladin Danse

♞ Unless you've caught him fresh out of the shower he's likely got dirt, grease, or sweat on him in some amount. Probably a bit smelly. It's not that he doesn't care about his hygene, he really does, it's just that he enjoys taking part in a lot of activities that leave him this way.

♞ On the up side, he has a strong stomach for grossness. From gorey combat to equally smelly bunkmates. It's not pleasant, but you just get used to it after so long. Though, while he may have gotten used to bad smells, that doesn't mean his sense of smell is any worse off for it. He's actually pretty sensitive to new scents around him and picks up on them fairly quickly. Kind of person to notice/comment on you using new hair product. (that's weird Danse)

♞ Obscenely hairy. He keeps the hair on his head and face in check, but doesn't really bother doing anything about his body hair. And it is everywhere. Everywhere. It also grows super quickly; if he isn't able to keep his beard in check it will grow out fast. Catch him with that depression beard.

♞ Largest companion besides Strong and possibly Ada (depending on her mods). He's a big man even out of power armour. Not like some modern steroid filled bodybuilder though. The only time his muscles are really well defined is when he's been in his power armour all day, or otherwise super occupied, and is thus very dehydrated, and even then he's still got a good layer of fat softening everything up. Just a natural good mix of height, muscle, and fat.

♞ Has always hated mirelurks, and generally any nonsense from the sea, but living in Rivet City made it worse, since they were an occasional problem for those living on lower decks. Just got really done with them. Will always have beef with whoever decided to name them kings and queens. Meet him in the debate hall for a verbal smack down.

♞ Doesn't drink nuka cola. It's the radiation and whatever the hell else is in them that worries him. Quantum is a nightmare and he cringes at anyone drinking it. Actually tends to be pretty picky about a lot of foods, but forces things down for the sake of nutrition. One of his simpler pleasures is just getting to enjoy a meal that's taste and texture doesn't put him off.

♞ He and Cutler were definitely more than just friends, but neither got the chance to confess their true feelings for the other and define what they truly were. Danse of course regrets this, and it also means he isn't comfortable referring to Cutler as anything more than a friend, while also feeling that word does no justice to their relationship.

♞ Obviously fell hard for the Maxson child-of-destiny propaganda, but the thing he most admired was Maxson's defeat of Shephard. Those mutants were related to the Cutler incident, and so he viewed Maxson as a personal hero for stopping them and saving other people from a similar fate.

♞ Lowkey religious, which isn't so uncommon being from the Capital.

♞ Word vomit. He does his best to keep a lid on things when he's around outsiders, knowing they don't share the Brotherhoods views and aren't worth his time, but once he cracks he will give you a whole lecture on whatever subject it is if he can't reel himself back in. Subordinates are free game for lectures. At least he's can be very good at explaining things, so long as you understand larger words.

♞ After BB and before the defeat of the Institute he would have nightmares about uncontrollably killing the people around him, where he was stuck in his body and forced to watch while he had no ability to stop himself. That or being taken back to the Institute and reset into a slave or made into a courser. Before BB he didn't think his sleep schedule could get worse, but there you go.

♞ While, with time, Danse can unlearn some of the hatred and bigotry the Brotherhood instilled in him, he will never feel anything but hatred and mistrust for super mutants. He puts up with Strong's existance for the Sole Survivors sake, but that's all, and he wouldn't hesitate or at all regret killing him if it was deemed necessary.

♞ He's still a little awkward around other synths, when he knows what they are. But he gets that they, like him, have no choice in what they are, and without the Institute around he doesn't fear them (or him) going haywire.

♞ With ghouls, he still finds their physiology extremely offputting, to say the least, and is always a little bit paranoid about them going feral, but he learns to keep his mouth shut and appreciate them as individuals and the work they do. He gains quite a respect for ghouls at The Slog, the same as any other hard working settlers. Still calls Hancock an abomination, but it's said as a joke and Hancock is for it. They gain a weird friendship.

♞ If the roles had been reversed in Blind Betrayal he would have killed the Sole Survivor. He knows it, and because he told them about Cutler, and his only half-joking comments about putting them down if they turn feral from radiation, he knows they know it. He wouldn't have shown them the same mercy they did to him, and would have seen killing them as a kindness. This knowledge is just another thing he has to reckon with post BB.

♞ Didn't think about family during his time in the Brotherhood. They were his family, and he was a dedicated soldier. Honestly he assumed he'd die in combat before he would have the chance to find someone he'd want that with. But post BB, without the BoS to dedicate himself to anymore and an uncertain future on the horizon, it comes to mind. He wonders if it's even possible now, being what he is, and the thought that it might not be able, or that a 'machine' shouldn't have children, upsets him. Whether capable or not he eventually comes to terms with this possiblity, and tries to find joy in other aspects of his life still.

♞ After BB and staying in Sanctuary he's out of armour a lot more. It's super uncomfortable for him since he's been using his power armour as a literal shield from the world for years, but even putting on the flight suit is just unnecessary now unless Sole is taking him with them. However, on top of the whole 'vulnerable without my shell' feeling, he also just has trouble in general getting used to wearing normal clothes. They feel weird to him now, and they aren't protective enough. Especially around his arms and neck. He can wear a jacket for the arms, but what to do about the neck? How can he make it feel better/like it used to with the flight suit? He ponders it for a while and almost shits a brick when he realises that what he wants is a collar. Brb he's gonna go bury himself now.

♞ Joins up with the Minutemen a few months are BB. After everything with the Institute is dealt with he spends most of his time at The Castle teaching the other Minutemen and new recruits how to be better soldiers. Also teaches anyone willing to learn about power armour and other tech. (Haylen is there too, yay, best buds forevers)

NSFW

♞ Mans awkward as hell but he fucks, alright. He's not getting around a lot, but it happens. All those soldiers gotta blow off steam somehow and this mans is horny on main ("I like when you're this close" sir we are in combat). He's slept with a few of his fellow soldiers and scribes in his day. He's always sure that they are the same rank as him and aren't ones he's likely to be teamed up with though.

♞ Bisexual with a preference for men. Hasn't actually had sex with a woman. Not for avoiding it, it just hasn't happened between his preference and men outnumbering women in the Brotherhood. The closest he got was a BJ.

♞ His liking for adrenaline comes into things in the bedroom: he's most ready to get down after a particularly exciting fight or sparring session, so having a playful wrestle with him can be a good way to get him in the mood.

♞ Has a lot of stamina, which can work against him sometimes. Likes overstimulation and edge play. Has sensitive nipples. Snuggles afterwards, and he's going to be very warm. Hope you like sweat.

♞ Very concerned with the comfort of his partner, will be constantly checking in and asking before doing something to the point it can almost be bothersome. Makes him really good with first timers though. Becomes better with frequency as he learns what is generally okay with his partner and gets into a rhythm of doing that.

♞ Want him to be more dominant? He can only do soft dom or drill sargeant. And he'll only do that second one after a long conversation making extra sure you're okay with it and setting boundaries. He'll probably want to stop before his partner does.

♞ Doesn't like roleplay. He has no idea how he's meant to act so it just throws him off completely. If you want to put on a bit of an act for him he'll let it be, but nothing crazy or too different or you'll throw him off, and don't expect him to be anyone but himself.

#fallout #fallout 4 #paladin danse #fuzzy.post #this is a longer one... but this man has a lot of shit to go through and unpack post BB #“hit em with the angst stick” ... “hit em again”

7 notes · View notes

wilquinones · 7 months

Text

Exercising Empathy in Museums

(pictured above: Burial located in the Mán Bạc site in Vietnam, if you want to read more about it, click here, photo credits to Lorna Tilley)

As I mentioned in a previous entry, empathy is fundamental to human nature. We are social animals; if people didn’t care for one another, we would have never had communities, built societies, established civilizations, indeed, humanity as we know it would never exist. I’m not a particularly religious person, but when I was younger and went to church with my mother, it would always strike a chord in me when hearing what Cain said to God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”. I think about this passage when I see archeological findings of ancient human remains with healed injuries, because they were taken care of, to no one’s benefit, or read about studies that show that babies cry in response to hearing other newborns cry. How intrinsic it is for us to be each other’s keeper, a collective voice that responds “yes” to Cain’s sarcastic question.

However, I know that I am once again viewing history through a more romantic and generous lens. Greed and arrogance are just as part of the core of humanity as empathy, and it is why systems of power such as white supremacy, misogyny and heteronormativity all exist and have persisted to the present day. It is also why institutions such as museums, who have participated in these structures since their conception, must consciously practice empathy towards minorities, marginalized communities and anybody who has been hurt by the aforementioned systems. This idea is reflected by The Empathetic Museum: A New Institutional Identity, stating that empathy should define institutional structures and policies (p. 506).

In my museum practice, I intend to use empathy as a guiding principle to engage with visitors. Museums are not just repositories of artifacts and history; they are platforms for dialogue and understanding. By empathizing with visitors' varied backgrounds and experiences, I hope to create environments where everyone feels welcome. This might involve incorporating bilingual signage, providing accessible materials, or developing interactive exhibits that cater to different learning styles. In doing so, I aspire to break down barriers and make the museum a place where people can connect with art, history, science and any other subject that was unavailable to them before.

The Empathetic Museum outlines five ways in which museums can apply empathetic practices; namely: civic vision, institutional body language, community resonance, timeliness and performance measures (p. 510). In order to put civic vision into practice, museums must work with different organizations in order to improve its community's quality of life and promote social justice. Institutional body language refers to the subtle ways in which museums project their identities and values, such as location, staff demographics, and choices being made on exhibition content, design and programs, and the article encourages museums to look critically at their own behavior and actively address it in order to create a welcoming environment to all demographics. Museums should also resonate with their communities, understanding and addressing its unique needs and interests. Additionally, museums should provide timely and relevant answers in times of changing circumstances, unrest or crisis. Finally, There should be measurable indicators of how well the museum is embodying these qualities, from regressive to proactive levels, reflected on the Maturity Model provided by The Empathetic Museum.

I believe that the article provides efficient guidelines to how museums can serve as more empathetic institutions to the communities they serve, and I aspire to advocate for these guidelines in my professional career as an educator. I value empathy deeply as an individual and I actively try to apply it within my personal life, but museum educators should also strive to transform the institutions they dedicate themselves to, and continue that collective voice onwards for future generations.

References:

Jennings, Gretchen, Jim Cullen, Janeen Bryant, Kayleigh Bryant‐Greenwell, Stacey Mann, Charlette Hove, and Nayeli Zepeda. “The Empathetic Museum: A New Institutional Identity.” Curator: The Museum Journal 62, no. 4 (September 9, 2019): 505–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12335.

1 note · View note

friend-clarity · 9 months

Text

Canada's woke nightmare: A warning to the West

The Preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms starts as follows: “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law ...”. Canada was founded by the English and French under Biblical values (the other so-called founding nation, the indigenous peoples, were mainly nomadic). Many years ago, Canada used to be a stable middle class country with reliable institutions of justice and a well run economy. Even the CBC did not tell patently false narratives although it always tilted left. That was until the Trudeaus.

Perhaps ordinary citizens are appalled at Canada’s surrender to drug dealers, its contempt for freedom of speech, its enforcement of gender ideology on children, its breezy willingness to terminate the lives of its own citizens, and its woke pursuit of green ideology at the expense of energy independence. But for now, we are living in a post-modern, post-democratic post-religious leftist authoritarian neo-Marxist state.

youtube

Under Justin Trudeau, Canada has sought to position itself as the global bastion of progressive politics.

"In a Telegraph documentary, seen above, I went to the former British colony to find out how Canadians are dealing with Trudeau’s radical reforms; from the promotion of gender ideology in schools and the mass legalisation of drugs, to his extreme new suicide laws and clamp downs on freedom of speech." [see below for the rest of the description]

Below, Dr Jordan Peterson discusses his home country of Canada, which the professor believes has been taken over by Left-wing authoritarians and predatory psychopaths.

youtube

Peterson says that in 2016 (when he started looking into it), social psychologists (who are a pretty woke bunch) denied that left-wing authoritarianism exists. At that time (2016) the idea that there was such a thing as a politically correct corpus of leftist beliefs was derided as a right-wing conspiracy.

The way you study this is with a corpus of questions about political attitude (several hundred) and you subject them to a statistical analysis that tells you how they sort. If you're likely to agree with one question then you're more likely to agree with another related question, and likewise if you disagree. Then you can tell if there's a clump of them that indicate certain dispositions.

So Peterson decided to test that, and it was clear that you could identify a group of beliefs that were leftist authoritarian, which is really the willingness to use fear and power and compulsion to force leftist dogma. So then there's an alliance between compassion and force and that makes one a left-wing authoritarian.

The biggest predictor was low verbal intelligence with low academic performance. This was surprising: but, when you ask yourself how can people be clueless enough to buy the politically correct line? The answer is: they're not very sophisticated verbally, and so if you offer them a solution that's a one stop fits-all solution they easily buy into it, as they have a low capacity for critical thought. The second best predictor was being female or having a feminine temperament (independent of whether you were male or female), and the next best predictor was having taken a course that was explicitly politically correct in its aims. Peterson was well on the way to publishing that research, but that's when his career blew up. So the research was only published as a master's degree thesis. But since then, there's been a lot of additional work done on left-wing authoritarianism.

Continuation from first Telegraph video:

I began my investigation in one of the country’s most liberal cities, Vancouver. Possession of up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs, including heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, has been legalised in the city as part of a three year experiment which began in January of this year. If the aim was to combat the opioid crisis that already beset the city then it appears there is still much to be done as vast tent sites line the streets, patrolled by roaming zombie-like drug addicts. As we filmed on Hastings Street, infamous as the epicentre of Vancouver’s homelessness crisis, I witnessed a topless man shoot a needle into his arm five feet from me. Though it wasn’t quite as bad as San Francisco, where my cameraman and I came under attack from angry vagrants, the scenes were still shocking.

It’s not just the homeless who patrol the streets of Vancouver. Chris Elston, better known online as Billboard Chris, campaigns against the imposition of gender ideology on children, whether through Canada’s education system or via dangerous operations to “transition” young adults. As his nickname suggests, Chris walks around Vancouver wearing signs protesting gender ideology, encouraging lively debates with passers-by which he puts on YouTube. Chris kindly allowed our crew to join him on a walkabout, where we found many Canadians horrified by the use of puberty blockers in children and the promotion of biological men in women’s sports. We did encounter some opposition of course, mostly through the odd shout or flicking of the finger. So much for Canadian politeness. One aggressive gentleman, tall, ageing and angry, began a tirade against Chris with the rather bizarre singular message that he is “queer”.

Part of Canada’s social revolution can also be witnessed in its extreme new euthanasia laws. In 2016, the ruling Liberal Party passed legislation enabling assisted suicide for terminally ill Canadians. Next year the legislation will be expanded to include those with mental health problems. As Christianity declines across Canada, and the liberal obsession with “bodily autonomy” and “personal freedom” reaches its logical conclusion, a new dystopia is forming. As Dr Konia Trouton, a euthanasia advocate, told me, “we are an organised society but within that organisation we have to allow some freedoms and opportunities, this is not a communist system where we can try and reign that in”. The campaign group Euthanasia Prevention Coalition estimates that 13,500 people chose state-assisted suicide last year.

To prevent wokeism from spreading it is important to have a strong opposition party. Canada’s Conservatives have been historically weak in pushing back against Trudeau, however, their recently elected leader, Pierre Poilievre, has injected fresh energy into the party. Whilst there are some who still question Poillievre’s conservative credentials, his strategy seems to be working; one recent poll gave his party a twelve point lead over Trudeau’s Liberals. However, the most successful opponents to Canada’s social revolution have so far not been politicians but members of the public. Our film highlights some of these brave individuals, including Dr Jordan Peterson, perhaps the most high-profile Canadian in the world other than the country’s leader. During my travels I found ordinary people appalled at Canada’s surrender to drug dealers, its contempt for freedom of speech, its enforcement of gender ideology on children and a breezy willingness to terminate the lives of its own citizens. However, for all the depressing stories of people losing their jobs, or being hounded by the government, these cases were equally inspirational. Whilst Canada is a warning to the West, there are also individual messages of hope from those brave individuals fighting for their freedom.

#Youtube

1 note · View note

thecenternewsstories · 1 year

Text

The Rise of Neo Religion

The religious community has seen a steep decline in attendance in recent years. While church attendance is still higher in this country than it is in any other region of the world, it has taken a noticeable hit since the arrival of the Visitors, many finding it difficult to reconcile their preexisting beliefs with the new and changing world we now live in. Recent reports out of The Zeus Council, one of the nations premier institutes for religious studies, shows that only 5 in 10 people (50%) identify as religious, dropping from 8 in 10 (80%) in the last half decade. And of the percentage of people who identified as no longer religious, about 6 in 10 (60%) cited the arrival of the Visitors as the reason for their departure.

But with many apostates choosing to walk away from their churches, and many churches closing as a result, some churches have found that the only way to keep their doors open is to adapt.

While many religions, such as the Chritani, remain staunchly against the integration of the Visitors into our societies, seen in the widespread creation of Chritani Against Visitors chapters, some churches have taken a different approach. Churches like His Great Ascension, have worked the arrival of the Visitors into their current understanding of their religious texts. We spoke with Marshall Arellano, head deacon of His Great Ascension.

“The bible tells of the story of creation, and says that god created the earth, the water, the plants, the animals, and the people. But as we well know, there are many more things that exist in the world than that,” says Arellano, “it is not out of the realm of possibility that other things were created, and just weren’t mentioned in the scripture. Perhaps because of relevance, perhaps the text is incomplete, who knows? You know we always say ‘god works in mysterious ways.’”

Arellano says that their willingness to discuss Visitors in an accepting way that still upholds the beliefs of many of his parishioners is what has allowed the doors of His Great Ascension to remain open.

Arellano continues, “the prophets before could never have imagined the type of world we live in today, there are things that, even before the Visitors, would have seemed like wonders to them. The stories and allegories of the past must be brought into the context of today, because we live in a different world entirely, than they did.”

And while churches like His Great Ascension have taken to reinterpreting their existing texts, we have also seen theists having a more extreme reaction– completely discarding their old religious texts in lieu of creating new ones with Visitors as their main focus. As opposed to Chritani Against Visitors’ adamant anti-Visitor views, churches like the Temple of the Divine Visit have instead taken to Visitor worship, declaring our fourth-dimensional habitués their new holy overlords.

“They’re large, unknowable beings, who can see everything at once and can be anywhere in an instant. How could they be anything but gods?” Says Mackenzie Tucker, one of the founding members of the Temple of the Divine Visit. “And more importantly to us, they’re here. We can see them, speak to them, touch them. Which is more than what we can say about the old god that we worshiped.”

Tucker tells us that Divine Visit membership has seen a large uptick as of late, due largely in part to the exodus of ex-evangelicals from their previous institutions, but also for another, more unexpected reason.

“We’ve actually also had many people join the temple as a form of activism.” Tucker says. “You know, the government has been pushing things like Visit-1705, and the people in support of that are, you know, arming themselves against the Visitors and becoming more and more hostile. And it’s legal. It’s all legal because Visitors aren’t citizens. So we’re gaining members, and since religious freedom is protected under the constitution, more and more people are joining the temple as a way to garner protections for our Visitors, to make these attacks against them unconstitutional. We’re all for it here.”

Between growing feelings of alienation from the long standing religious institutions, and the compelling philosophical and political arguments being put forth by the nouveau religious organizations, it seems as though the popularity of these neo-religions will continue to rise in the years to come.

#the center news stories #tcns

0 notes

dybdahltravels2022 · 2 years

Text

Cappadocia - OMG!!!

I have been working on this in bits and pieces for many days. It is very disjointed - more than usual. But I'm sending it because I have so much more to report on that I can't take time to fix this one - so suck it up and let's move on.... Truthfully, I need a day to experience, then I day to process and write - but NOOOOOOOO we just keep moving and seeing things that are remarkable and then I'm too tired to write. What a wonderful problem to have... here you go....

August 21 - Happy 14th birthday to granddaughter Kylie!

Well friends, it is hard to find the words to explain what we have seen and done the last few days. As a matter of fact I expect this post will take several sittings to write and I will use our bus transport times to work on it. (August 23 - we are now in Istanbul and I wrote nary a word on the very short, very tight plane trip. But I am still trying..) Back to August 21...

We are in Cappadocia - pronounced Cap-a-DOKE -ee-ah, a remote area in the middle of Türkiya. A geographic aside - Türkiya is a peninsula - officially known as the Republic of Türkiye and is both a European and an Asian country. Its neighbor to the northwest is Bulgaria; Greece to the west; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; Georgia to the northeast; Syria to the south; and Iraq to the southeast. That is a LOT of neighbors who speak different languages, have different religious and political views, many of whom are NOT NATO members. Türkiya has been a NATO member since 1952 - FYI.

This area housed the capital of the Hittite Empire, Hattusha, and was also a mecca for the ancient Christians.

First the Hittites:

The Hittites are mentioned in historical texts but no evidence of their existence had been found prior to the 1835 and they were believed by many archaeological scholars to be mythical people. Part of this myth belief was based on the fact that archeologists had uncovered many artifacts from the residents of Anatolia from Chalcolithic Age (6000-3000 BCE) and from the Bronze Age (3000 - 2000 BCE). The Bronze Age tribes were given the name Hatti and were ruled by regional kings.

We now know that the Hittites reached Anatolia around 2000 BCE. A quick review of ancient history: Here is a map of Anatolia overlayed on present day Türkiye.

Years later we have uncovered a rich history of this culture who ruled the region for more that 2,000 years. They had a written language and kept copious records. Thousands of document written on clay tablets using cuneiform have been uncovered and after many years deciphered - which is freaking amazing. (A note to my grandkids - Remember that we have seen amazing examples of clay cuneiform in the Detroit Institute of Art. They are the small tube-like clay forms the size of a finger and are considered some of the first examples of written language.)

Once we reached the Hittite capital of Çorum we visited the excellent museum about the sites we were about to see - then we were off. I have mixed the pics from the museum and the site if I think they can increase your understanding of what we are seeing.

Below is one side of the Lion's Gate Entrance. It was cut away and taken to Germany in the 1930s "for cleaning." It was returned in 2002. It must have been VERY dirty! The eyes of the lion - were once precious gems - long before it went for cleaning - FYI

Below is the matching lion - still standing in the city...

I think the letter and the explanation of the letter was fascinating. This is not the only example of correspondence that was found. There are a series of letters from the King Tut's young widow asking for the Hittite King to send her one of his sons to be her husband. And - he does, but the Egyptian's in control behind the scenes have his killed. They did not want this kind of alliance with the KHttite Kingdom. One more thing - these documents are written in Accadian - a language that must have been known by not only the Egyptian but the Hittite royalty. AMAZING!!!

The first thing you see as you enter the site - and UNESCO site BTW is the part of the wall:

This was built by the German group of archeologists to the specifications of the Hittite documents regarding the city. It is an example of how it would have looked. Impressive!

Çorum today is a small village with an incredible museum that houses many of the artifacts of the Hittite society. Kadesh is a very important part of Hittlte history

The battle of Kadesh, sometimes called the first world war, featured one of the largest-ever chariot battles. It was fought in 1275 B.C.E. in present-day Syria between the Egyptians under Pharaoh Ramses II, and the Hittites under King Muwatalli II: Hittites in red - Egyptians in green.

Additionally, the first peace treaty every brokered by a third party and based on equality was from the Battle of Kadesh. This treaty was signed by Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses and Hittite King Hattushili III in 1269 BCE A copy of that document hangs in the United Nations Headquarters in NYC.

By 1200 BCE the Hittite empire is in decline and soon succumbs to the growing Syrian empire - but OMG!!! - what they left behind. We spent a day getting ready to see the capital city of the Hittite Empire and a day visiting the site itself. It is quite incredible and although archaeologist continue work on a daily basis - the site is only 20% is uncovered. We saw people working there excitedly because the latest discovery is the "city dump" - a true treasure trove of daily life.

One of the most spectacular sites is a tunnel built as one of the city gates that is the first arch built with a capstone - long, long before the Roman who claim that honor. Actually it is many, many, many arches. This will give you an idea of the thickness of the wall surrounding the city. The whole site blew my mind!!

For this architectural structure to work they must be pressure from each side - so the Hittite people - most likely enslaved workers - hauled sand from miles away and made a hill - yet - NOT a misprint. They made the hill. Then to make sure it didn't blow away, they paved it - then built a wall on top. It is so hard to even imagine the process, the time, the skills....

I'm adding this YouTube link because every single thing that is in his video we saw. It is long and have no narration but it will give you a feel for what we saw at the city site - should you want to invest the 15 minutes. It will give you much better idea of the size of this sucker than still pics can.

This big green block (below) and in the YouTube was in the temple and likely used for sacrifice.

youtube

This entire city was under 8 meters of soil for thousands of years. It was once a thriving city within an 8 mile city wall . The buildings were adobe and long ago went back into the earth but their rock foundations remained - as did their well stored "documents." These documents contained a map of the city. WOWZA!

This massive city is built into a hill and divided into the upper city and the lower city. The ruins of the upper city’s fortification form a double wall with more than a hundred towers and, as far as is known today, five gateways: two in the west, the Lion’s Gate in the south-west, the King’s Gate in the south-east and a procession gate, the Sphinx Gate in the south of the city. The latter is located on top of a high artificial bastion with stone-plastered slopes, with two staircases leading to the gateway at the top and an arched stone tunnel running underneath. The impressive ruins of fortifications, placed on rocky peaks in the centre of the Upper City, demonstrate the complexity of Hittite rock masonry, and the longest known Hittite hieroglyphic inscription from the Hittite Empire can be found in the rock art at Yazilikaya. And we went there too.

We are so lucky to have seen these stunning works of art. I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that they are 4000 + years old.

That is all for now. I'm so behind - it is a good thing I take notes... Next post will be about the early Christians. Again - my minds is blown!!!

#Youtube

1 note · View note

jewish-privilege · 3 years

Link

[December 12, 2020] - For this year’s Hanukkah, Amir is lighting menorah candles and reciting blessings to celebrate the holiday’s eight nights, as many Jews are around the world.

But he does so in secret, worried that Chinese officials will come around – as they often do on religious occasions – to enforce a ban against Judaism, pressuring him to renounce his faith. Sometimes, he’s even called in for interrogations.

(...)

Since 2015, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has waged a harsh campaign against foreign influence and unapproved religion, part of a push to ‘Sinicise’ faith – ripping down church crosses and mosque onion domes, and detaining more than a million Muslims in the western Xinjiang region.

As well as Christians and Muslims, Mr Xi’s suppression has hit China’s tiny congregation of Jews, whose ancestors settled more than a millennium ago along the Yellow River in Kaifeng, then the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty.

That such a small group can attract the Communist Party’s ire shows how far the crackdown has spread. Only about 1,000 people in Kaifeng claim Jewish heritage, and of those, only around 100 or are practising Jews, experts say – barely a splash in China’s sea of 1.4 billion. Even at its peak in the 1500s, the community only numbered around 5,000.

“It’s government policy – China doesn’t want to recognise us as Jews,” one man, who dreams of training as a rabbi in Israel, told the Telegraph. “Their goal is to make sure the next generation doesn’t have any Jewish identity.”

At home, he teaches everything he knows to his child, just as his forebears – most likely merchants from Persia – did for generations.

In that way, Kaifeng’s Jewish heritage survived dynasties, wars, natural disasters and the Cultural Revolution, when many destroyed genealogical records to hide their lineage. It has also helped them manage without a rabbi for more than 150 years.

They are fighting to keep their history alive, even though “asserting their desires to be connected with their Jewish heritage falls afoul of the official [Chinese] position on unauthorised religions,” said Anson Laytner, a retired rabbi and president of the Sino-Judaic Institute.

(...)

Chinese authorities are also concerned about undue foreign influence if the Kaifeng Jewish community is allowed to build links with Jews abroad.

“In terms of numbers, it’s so insignificant, but in terms of potential attention, it’s much, much bigger,” said Noam Urbach, an Israeli academic who has studied the Kaifeng Jews. Their existence can “raise a lot of attention among the international Jewish community.”

In Kaifeng, stones engraved as far back as 1489 with the community’s beliefs and ancestry that used to mark a 12th-century synagogue have disappeared from a public exhibit.

An ancient well, believed to be the synagogue’s last ruins, has likewise vanished under a cloak of cement. The authorities have also torn down the city’s few Hebrew signs that once marked the Teaching Torah Lane.

In that same lane, a spot where a few dozen Jews – some of whom were government officials – used to meet for services is now plastered in propaganda about China’s “management of religious affairs.” They include reminders that Judaism is prohibited. A security camera is directed at the entrance.

(...)

The crackdown is so intense that Kaifeng residents are afraid to dine together in public. “It’s a small place,” one Jewish man said. “Restaurant managers know that we are the Jews, and they will report us to the authorities.”

Across the city, the remaining trace of Jewish heritage appears to be two tombstones with the star of David and epitaphs in Chinese and Hebrew – but even this, they fear, will soon be gone.

Yet the Jews in Kaifeng are remarkably resilient, and have found ways to keep their faith alive underground.

Each week, meetings are held in secret to celebrate Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. Many don’t eat pork, though keeping fully kosher is risky and expensive. But for holidays, they pool money for kosher meat and wine procured through a network of friendly intermediaries.

At home, residents decorate with photos of Israel, stars of David and traditional Passover seder plates, and serve guests tea in jars that used to hold yahrzeit candles lit in memory of the dead.

(...)

Groups like Mr Laytner’s Sino-Judaic Institute and Shavei Israel had previously set up centres to teach Hebrew and Jewish history and traditions, and helped some to emigrate. But both groups were expelled a few years ago, among the first targets of the government crackdown.

Mr Laytner does not consider the suppression to be specifically anti-Semitic – a sentiment experts say is unusual in China. The country sheltered thousands of European Jews fleeing the Nazis, and today, many Chinese view Jews favourably, typecasting them as an affluent bunch in influential positions – bankers, politicians, lawyers, doctors, film directors.

“In fact, the history works in their favour, because Jews were treated like garbage all over the world, but the Chinese accepted them,” said Moshe Yehuda Bernstein, a researcher in Australia who has written on the Kaifeng Jews.

“It’s something the Chinese could be proud of, yet recently in this clampdown on unofficial religions, they’ve taken away all historical evidence of a Jewish presence in Kaifeng, which is absurd.”

China’s ministry of foreign affairs denied the “so-called suppression,” instead highlighting that it had once welcomed Jewish refugees in a written response to the Telegraph.

Kaifeng Jews hope Israel will support them, though they aren't considered Jews under Israeli law – after generations of inter-marriage, Judaism has not been consistently passed down the maternal line. Mr Laytner also doubts that Israel wants to jeopardise Sino-Israeli relations “for the sake of a couple of thousand people."

Indeed Israel has deepened trade ties with China over recent years. The Israeli embassy didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.

But while those in Kaifeng insist they’re proud to be Chinese and only want to preserve their history and traditions, the crackdown has been very painful.

“We love our country; we’re not criminals; we just don’t eat pork,” said Amir, blinking away tears. “Why do we have to practice our faith in secret, and live floating on the fringes of society? It’s really hard to bear.”

#antisemitism #china #kaifeng jews #religious suppression

2K notes · View notes

greekcookingmadeeasy · 3 years

Text

A Tribute to the Olympic Games

🕊

A Tribute and Summary of the History of the Olympic Games

BY: Greek Cooking Made Easy SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/greekcookingmadeeasy

Greece is the country that gave birth to the ancient Olympic Games over 2,700 years ago, and the country where the modern Olympic Games were revived in 1896.

The Ancient Years The roots of the Olympic Spirit can be found in the ancient Greek civilization. The ancient Olympic Games seem to date back to 776 BC, because no names of winners were known before that date. The ancient plains of Olympia in the Peloponnese, famous as the location of magnificent temples dedicated to the worship of God Zeus and Goddess Hera, served as the Games’ permanent site. The games were held every four years.

The competitions were strongly religious events, combining spiritual aspects with the trials of sport. Their significance was great, since they seemed to be the most important athletic event for the whole of Greece (city-states). The Greeks even measured their years by reference to the Olympics! Thousands of people came from all over Greece to compete or watch. If there was a war, there was a truce around the time of the Olympics to allow all competitors to go. The Olympic Truce or “ekeheiria” meaning the ceasing of hostilities during the duration of the games was inextricably linked with the concept of the Olympic Spirit. Most spectators slept in the open or in tents. There was no city at ancient Olympia, just the sanctuary, and sporting venues.

The Games initially included a one-day event until 684 BC, when they were expanded to three days and later on (5th century BC) to five days. In addition to athletic events, there were also religious ceremonies and banquets. Only male citizens were allowed to compete. All slaves, all women and men who had committed certain crimes were excluded. Women weren't even allowed to watch, apart from a priestess of Demeter and possibly also girls. For some of the events, there were also competitions for boys. There were far fewer sports than in the modern Olympics. The main events were: the foot races, wrestling, the pentathlon, boxing, chariot racing, equestrian sports, juggling, but also music, oratory and theatre performances.

Participation was more important than victory itself. The prizes for winning competitions at the Olympics were very simple. The ultimate award was a wreath of “kotinos”, made of olive tree branches and fame!

Each polis (city-state) was eager to have one of its citizens win and so would offer all kinds of additional prizes to any of its citizens who won. These might include front row seats at festivals or even free meals for life. A winner also had the right to erect a statue of himself at Olympia. Poets might also be commissioned to write a poem about the winner. There were no second or third prizes. When Greece was incorporated into the Roman Empire (27 BC), the Games were open to Roman officials, emperors even, and eventually to all citizens of the vast dominion: Egyptians, Spaniards, Syrians, Armenians and others, which means that the Olympic Games were no longer merely panhellenic- they had become universal. For nearly 12 centuries the Games were staged every four years (with over 290 Games being held), until in 393 AD, the Roman Emperor Theodosius prohibited their continuation, believing them to be a pagan ritual. Olympia was ruined by earthquakes, fires, floods and suffered the ravages of barbarian invaders. Olympia didn’t exist anymore.

The revival of the Olympic Games Olympia was buried under river-silt and it was 1,000 years before Olympia’s buildings were seen again. Archaeologists began the search for Olympia in the 18th century, but the most important excavations were carried out between 1875 and 1891, by the German Archaeological Institute. Directed by Professor Ernst Curtius, a team unearthed the remains of almost all the buildings.

They found 130 statues and more than 6,000 clay, gold, and bronze objects!

Professor Curtius made the initial suggestion to revive the ancient Olympic Games – an idea brought to fruition in the early 1890’s by the French Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

A Parisian nobleman and an admirer of ancient Greek civilization, de Coubertin believed that a revival of the ancient Olympic Games could serve as an important role model for sporting values and a venue for the young people of the world to meet in peaceful athletic competition. Under his enthusiasm and guidance, the movement of Olympic revival was born. A Congress for the reestablishment of the Olympic Games was held in Sorbonne in June 1894. Seventy-nine delegates from around the world convened for 8 days and a unanimous vote was taken to revive the Olympic Games. On the same year, de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a non-profit organization charged with the responsibility of supervising and organizing the Olympic Games. Dimitris Vikelas, the Greek delegate, was elected the first IOC President.

Although de Coubertin’s original idea was to hold the first games in 1900 in Paris, Vikelas succeeded in persuading the IOC to move the day forward, so that the first modern games, would take place in Greece, the country to whose heritage the ancient Olympic Games belonged.

The 1st Modern Olympic Games of 1896 The first modern Olympics were organized in 1896 and were awarded to Athens, Greece as an honor to the country where the ancient Olympics were born. An estimated crowd of 100,000 gathered to watch the first games. The first Olympics featured over 43 events in ten sports.

The revival of the ancient Olympics attracted 241 athletes (0 women) from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany and France. On 6 April 1896, the American James Connolly won the triple jump to become the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years. Winners were awarded a silver medal and a crown of olive branches. The German athlete Karl Schumann finished in the top four in four different events. The people of Athens greeted the Games with great enthusiasm. Their support was rewarded when a Greek shepherd, Spiridon Louis, won the most popular event, the Marathon. Athens hosted again the Olympic Games in 2004.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Diplomats 

In order to make the IOC an independent organization, the members of the IOC are not considered diplomats from their countries to the IOC, but rather are diplomats from the IOC to their respective countries.

Interesting Olympic Facts A City, Not a Country: When choosing locations for the Olympic Games, the IOC specifically gives the honor of holding the Games to a city rather than a country.

Gymnasium 

The word "gymnasium" comes from the Greek root "gymnos" meaning nude; the literal meaning of "gymnasium" is "school for naked exercise." Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games would participate in the nude.

Stadium 

The first recorded ancient Olympic Games were held in 776 BCE with only one event - the stade.

The stade was a unit of measurement (about 600 feet) that also became the name of the footrace because it was the distance run. Since the track for the stade (race) was a stade (length), the location of the race became the stadium.

Photos from my family’s visit in ancient Olympia

Counting Olympiads 

An Olympiad is a period of four successive years. The Olympic Games celebrate each Olympiad. For the modern Olympic Games, the first Olympiad celebration was in 1896. Every four years celebrates another Olympiad; thus, even the Games that were cancelled (1916, 1940, and 1944) count as Olympiads.

The Official Olympic Flag 

Created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1914, the Olympic flag contains five interconnected rings on a white background. The five rings symbolize the five significant continents and are interconnected to symbolize the friendship to be gained from these international competitions. The rings, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The colors were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country in the world. The Olympic flag was first flown during the 1920 Olympic Games.

The Olympic Motto

 In 1921, Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, borrowed a Latin phrase from his friend, Father Henri Didon, for the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius ("Swifter, Higher, Stronger").

The Olympic Oath

 Pierre de Coubertin wrote an oath for the athletes to recite at each Olympic Games. During the opening ceremonies, one athlete recites the oath on behalf of all the athletes. The Olympic oath was first taken during the 1920 Olympic Games by Belgian fencer Victor Boin. The Olympic Oath states: "In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

The Olympic Creed

 Pierre de Coubertin got the idea for this phrase from a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908 Olympic Games. The Olympic Creed reads: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

The Medals 

The Olympic medals are designed especially for each individual Olympic Games by the host city's organizing committee. Each medal must be at least three millimeters thick and 60 millimeters in diameter. Also, the gold and silver Olympic medals must be made out of 92.5 percent silver, with the gold medal covered in six grams of gold.

Real Gold Medals 

The last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912.

The Olympic Flame 

The Olympic flame is a practice continued from the ancient Olympic Games. In Olympia (Greece), a flame was ignited by the sun and then kept burning until the closing of the Olympic Games. The flame first appeared in the modern Olympics at the 1928 Olympic Games, in Amsterdam. The flame itself represents a number of things, including purity and the endeavor for perfection. In 1936, the chairman of the organizing committee for the 1936 Olympic Games, Carl Diem, suggested what is now the modern Olympic Torch relay. The Olympic flame is lit at the ancient site of Olympia by women wearing ancient-style robes and using a curved mirror and the sun.

The Olympic Torch is then passed from runner to runner from the ancient site of Olympia to the Olympic stadium in the hosting city. The flame is then kept alight until the Games have concluded. The Olympic Torch relay represents a continuation from the ancient Olympic Games to the modern Olympics.

Opening Ceremony 

The first opening ceremony was held during the 1908 Olympic Games in London. During the opening ceremony of all the Olympic Games, the procession of athletes is always led by the Greek delegation (team), followed by all the other teams in alphabetical order (in the language of the hosting country), except for the last team which is always the team of the hosting country.

Women participating 

Women were first allowed to participate in 1900, at the second modern Olympic Games.

The First Marathon 

In 490 BCE, Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, ran from Marathon to Athens (about 25 miles) to inform the Athenians the outcome of the battle with invading Persians. The distance was filled with hills and other obstacles; thus Pheidippides arrived in Athens exhausted and with bleeding feet. After telling the townspeople of the Greeks' success in the battle, Pheidippides fell to the ground dead. In 1896, at the first modern Olympic Games, a race was held of approximately the same length in commemoration of Pheidippides.

The Exact Length of a Marathon 

During the first several modern Olympics, the marathon was always an approximate distance. In 1908, the British royal family requested that the marathon starts at the Windsor Castle so that the royal children could witness its start. The distance from the Windsor Castle to the Olympic Stadium was 42,195 meters (or 26 miles and 385 yards). In 1924, this distance became the standardized length of a marathon.

Cancelled Games 

Because of World War I and World War II, there were no Olympic Games in 1916, 1940, or 1944. In 2020, Olympic Games that were supposed to be hosted in Tokyo were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They will be held in the Summer of 2021, but without live spectators for the 1st time in its history!!

Winter Games Begun 

The winter Olympic Games were first held in Chamonix in 1924, beginning a tradition of holding them a few months earlier and in a different city than the summer Olympic Games.

From 1994, the winter Olympic Games were held in completely different years (two years apart) than the summer Games.

The History of Olympic truce A truce (in Greek, ekecheiria, which literally means "holding of hands") was announced before and during each of the Olympic festivals, to allow visitors to travel safely to Olympia. Shortly prior to the start of the Olympics, three "spondophoroi" wearing crowns of olive branches, would leave Elis to announce the truce. Initially this was for one month but later on, (from the 5th century B.C.), three months, (calculated from the day of departure of the "spondophoroi"). During the sacred truce, athletes and spectators could travel unmolested to Olympia. An inscription describing the truce was written on a bronze discus which was displayed at Olympia. During the truce, wars were suspended, armies were prohibited from entering Elis (present-day Ileia), or threatening the Games, and legal disputes and the carrying out of death penalties were forbidden. Any violation of the ceasefire was considered irreverence to Zeus himself, to whom the event was dedicated. Apart from a few exceptions, the truce was observed as being sacred in view of the fact that for the Greeks the athletic festivals were of great significance. Mention is made of King Philip the Second of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, who sought pardon and paid the penalty when one of his mercenaries impeded the Athenian Phrynon from travelling to Olympia to attend the festival.

International Olympic Truce Foundation The mission of the International Olympic Truce Foundation is to promote the Olympic ideals, to serve peace, friendship and international understanding. In particular, to uphold the observance of the Olympic Truce, calling for all hostilities to cease during the Olympic Games and beyond, and mobilizing the youth of the world in the cause of peace. The International Olympic Truce Centre is dedicated to creating the necessary support framework for the observance of the Olympic Truce and for the global promotion of a Culture of Peace, in accordance with the principles and policies established by the Foundation.

The legacy of being an Olympic Athlete In ancient times, like today, to be an Olympic athlete was a supreme honour. Ancient Olympic champions were looked after by their fellow townsfolk for the rest of their lives, although they also enjoyed the redoubtable honour of fighting in the front line. Today, nearly 100,000 athletes who have competed in the Olympic Games, better known as Olympians, spread the values of Olympism around the world. Their performance and courage symbolize the Olympic spirit. Each Olympian bears a message of sharing, respect and resolve.

The Olympic Hymn 

The Olympic Hymn, played when the Olympic Flag is raised, was composed by Spyros Samaras and the words were added by the poet Kostis Palamas. The Olympic Hymn was first played at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens but wasn't declared the official hymn by the IOC until 1957.

The Olympic Hymn translated in English: “Olympian flame immortal Whose beacon lights our way Emblaze our hearts with the fires of hope On this momentous day

As now we come across the world To share these Games of old Let all the flags of every land In brotherhood unfold

Sing out each nation, voices strong Rise up in harmony All hail our brave Olympians With strains of victory

Olympic light burn on and on O'er seas and mountains and plains Unite, inspire, bring honor To these ascending games”

Thank you for reading through my tribute. All information was researched and gathered from many different resources incl. Wikipedia.

Αφιέρωμα και περιληπτική Ιστορία των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων

BY: Greek Cooking Made Easy SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/greekcookingmadeeasy

Η Ελλάδα είναι η χώρα που γέννησε τους αρχαίους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες πριν από 2.700 χρόνια και η χώρα όπου οι σύγχρονοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες αναβίωσαν το 1896.

Τα αρχαία χρόνια Οι ρίζες του Ολυμπιακού Πνεύματος βρίσκονται στον αρχαίο Ελληνικό πολιτισμό. Οι αρχαίοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες φαίνεται να χρονολογούνται από το 776 π.Χ., επειδή δεν υπήρχαν γνωστά ονόματα νικητών πριν από αυτήν την ημερομηνία. Οι πεδιάδες της Ολυμπίας στην Πελοπόννησο, γνωστές ως η τοποθεσία των υπέροχων ναών αφιερωμένων στη λατρεία του Θεού Δία και της Θεάς Ήρας, χρησίμευαν ως μόνιμος χώρος των Αγώνων.

Οι αγώνες διεξήγονταν κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια. Οι αγώνες είχαν έντονο θρησκευτικό χαρακτήρα, συνδυάζοντας πνευματικές πτυχές μαζί με τις αθλητικές προσπάθειες. Η σημασία τους ήταν μεγάλη, καθώς φαινόταν να είναι το πιο σημαντικό αθλητικό γεγονός για ολόκληρη την Ελλάδα (πόλεις-κράτη). Οι Έλληνες μετρούσαν ακόμη και τα χρόνια τους με αναφορά στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες! Χιλιάδες άνθρωποι μαζευόντουσαν από όλη την Ελλάδα για να αγωνιστούν ή να παρακολουθήσουν. Εάν υπήρχε πόλεμος, γινόταν ανακωχή γύρω από την εποχή των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων που θα επέτρεπε σε όλους τους διαγωνιζόμενους να πάνε. Η «Ολυμπιακή Εκεχειρία» που σημαίνει διακοπή των εχθροπραξιών κατά τη διάρκεια των αγώνων συνδέθηκε άρρηκτα με την έννοια του Ολυμπιακού Πνεύματος. Οι περισσότεροι θεατές κοιμόντουσαν στο ύπαιθρο ή σε σκηνές. Δεν υπήρχε πόλη στην αρχαία Ολυμπία, μόνο το ιερό και οι αθλητικοί χώροι.

Οι Αγώνες αρχικά ήταν γεγονός μιας μέρας, έως το 684 π.Χ., όταν επεκτάθηκαν σε τρεις ημέρες και αργότερα (5ος αιώνας π.Χ.) σε πέντε ημέρες. Εκτός από αθλητικές εκδηλώσεις, υπήρχαν επίσης θρησκευτικές τελετές και δεξιώσεις. Μόνο άντρες πολίτες είχαν τη δυνατότητα να διαγωνιστούν. Αποκλείονταν όλοι οι σκλάβοι, όλες οι γυναίκες και οι άνδρες που είχαν διαπράξει ορισμένα εγκλήματα. Δεν επιτρεπόταν καν στις γυναίκες να παρακολουθήσουν, εκτός από μια ιέρεια της θεάς Δήμητρας και πιθανώς κορίτσια. Για μερικές ��πό τις εκδηλώσεις, υπήρχαν επίσης διαγωνισμοί για αν��λικα αγόρια. Υπήρχαν πολύ λιγότερα αθλήματα από ό, τι στους σύγχρονους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες.

Οι κύριες εκδηλώσεις ήταν: το τρέξιμο, η πάλη, το πένταθλο, η πυγμαχία, οι αγώνες με άρμα, τα ιππικά αθλήματα, η ταχυδακτυλουργία, αλλά και η μουσική, η ρητορική και οι θεατρικές παραστάσεις. Η συμμετοχή ήταν πιο σημαντική από την ίδια τη νίκη. Τα βραβεία για τη νίκη στους Ολυμπιακούς αγώνες ήταν πολύ απλά. Το απόλυτο βραβείο ήταν ένα στεφάνι από «κότινο», φτιαγμένο δηλ. από κλαδιά ελιάς και η φήμη!

Κάθε πόλη-κράτος ήθελε πολύ να κερδίσει ένας από τους πολίτες της και έτσι προσέφερε κάθε είδους πρόσθετα έπαθλα σε οποιονδήποτε από τους πολίτες της κέρδιζε. Αυτά μπορεί να περιλάμβαναν καθίσματα πρώτης σειράς σε φεστιβάλ ή ακόμη και δωρεάν γεύματα για όλη τους τη ζωή. Ένας νικητής είχε επίσης το δικαίωμα να ανεγείρει το άγαλμα του στην Ολυμπία. Μπορούσε ακόμα και να ανατεθεί στους ποιητές να γράψουν ένα ποίημα για τον νικητή. Δεν υπήρχε δεύτερο ή τρίτο βραβείο. Όταν η Ελλάδα ενσωματώθηκε στη Ρωμαϊκή Αυτοκρατορία (27 π.Χ.), οι Αγώνες ήταν ανοιχτοί σε Ρωμαίους αξιωματούχους, ακόμα και αυτοκράτορες, αλλά επίσης και σε πολίτες της τεράστιας αυτοκρατορίας: Αιγύπτιοι, Ισπανοί, Σύριοι, Αρμένιοι και άλλοι, πράγμα που σημαίνει ότι οι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες δεν ήταν πλέον απλώς πανελλήνιοι - είχαν γίνει διεθνείς. Για σχεδόν 12 αιώνες οι Αγώνες διοργανώνονταν κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια (με τη διεξαγωγή περισσότερων από 290 Αγώνες), μέχρι το 393 μ.Χ., όταν ο Ρωμαίος αυτοκράτορας Θεοδόσιος απαγόρευσε τη συνέχισή τους, θεωρώντας τους ειδωλολατρική τελετή. Η Ολυμπία καταστράφηκε από σεισμούς, πυρκαγιές, πλημμύρες και υπέστη καταστροφές από βάρβαρους εισβολείς. Η Ολυμπία δεν υπήρχε πια.

Η αναβίωση των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων Η Ολυμπία θάφτηκε κάτω από τη λάσπη του ποταμού και πέρασαν 1.000 χρόνια πριν τα κτήρια της ξαναδούν το φως. Οι αρχαιολόγοι ξεκίνησαν την αναζήτηση για την Ολυμπία τον 18ο αιώνα, αλλά οι σημαντικότερες ανασκαφές πραγματοποιήθηκαν μεταξύ 1875 και 1891, από το Γερμανικό Αρχαιολογικό Ινστιτούτο. Κάτω από την εποπτεία του καθηγητή Ernst Curtius, μια ομάδα ξεκίνησε την ανασκαφή των υπολειμμάτων σχεδόν όλων των κτιρίων.

Βρέθηκαν τότε 130 αγάλματα και περισσότερα από 6.000 πήλινα, χρυσά και χάλκινα αντικείμενα!

Ο καθηγητής Curtius έκανε την αρχική πρόταση για αναβίωση των αρχαίων Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων - μια ιδέα που πραγματοποιήθηκε στις αρχές της δεκαετίας του 1890 από τον Γάλλο βαρόνο Pierre de Coubertin.

Παρισινός ευγενής και θαυμαστής του αρχαίου Ελληνικού πολιτισμού, ο de Coubertin πίστευε ότι η αναβίωση των αρχαίων Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων θα μπορούσε να χρησιμεύσει ως σημαντικό πρότυπο για τις αθλητικές αξίες και ως χώρος για τους νέους του κόσμου να συναντηθούν σε έναν ειρηνικό αθλητικό διαγωνισμό. Υπό τον ενθουσιασμό και την καθοδήγησή του, γεννήθηκε το κίνημα της Ολυμπιακής αναβίωσης. Συνέδριο για την αποκατάσταση των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων πραγματοποιήθηκε στη Σορβόννη τον Ιούνιο του 1894. Συγκλήθηκαν εβδομήντα εννέα εκπρόσωποι από όλο τον κόσμο για 8 ημέρες και έγινε ομόφωνη ψηφοφορία για την αναβίωση των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων. Την ίδια χρονιά, ο de Coubertin ίδρυσε τη Διεθνή Ολυμπιακή Επιτροπή (ΔΟΕ), μια μη κερδοσκοπική οργάνωση επιφορτισμένη με την εποπτεία και τη διοργάνωση των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων. Ο Δημήτρης Βικέλας, Έλληνας εκπρόσωπος, εξελέγη ο 1ος Πρόεδρος της ΔΟΕ.

Παρόλο που η αρχική ιδέα του de Coubertin ήταν να πραγματοποιήσει τους πρώτους αγώνες το 1900 στο Παρίσι, ο Βικέλας κατάφερε να πείσει την ΔΟΕ να γίνουν νωρίτερα, έτσι ώστε οι πρώτοι σύγχρονοι αγώνες να διεξαχθούν στην Ελλάδα, τη χώρα στην οποία ανήκε η κληρονομιά των αρχαίων Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων.

Οι 1οι Σύγχρονοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες του 1896 Οι πρώτοι σύγχρονοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες διοργανώθηκαν το 1896 και απονεμήθηκαν στην Αθήνα, ως τιμή για τη χώρα όπου γεννήθηκαν οι αρχαίοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες. Εκτιμάται ότι συγκεντρώθηκαν περίπου 100.000 άνθρωποι για να τους παρακολουθήσουν. Οι πρώτοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες παρουσίασαν πάνω από 43 εκδηλώσεις σε δέκα αθλήματα.

Η αναβίωση των αρχαίων Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων προσέλκυσε 241 αθλητές (0 γυναίκες) από 14 χώρες, με τις μεγαλύτερες αντιπροσωπείες να προέρχονται από την Ελλάδα, τη Γερμανία και τη Γαλλία. Στις 6 Απριλίου 1896, ο Αμερικανός Τζέιμς Κόνολι κέρδισε το τριπλό άλμα και έγινε ο πρώτος Ολυμπιονίκης μετά από 1.500 χρόνια. Στους νικητές απονεμήθηκε ένα ασημένιο μετάλλιο και ένα στεφάνι από κλαδιά ελιάς. Ο Γερμανός αθλητής Karl Schumann τερμάτισε στους τέσσερις πρώτους σε τέσσερα διαφορετικά αθλήματα. Οι άνθρωποι της Αθήνας χαιρέτησαν τους Αγώνες με μεγάλο ενθουσιασμό. Η υποστήριξή τους ανταμείφθηκε όταν ένας Έλληνας βοσκός, ο Σπύρος Λούης, κέρδισε το πιο δημοφιλές αθλητικό γεγονός, τον Μαραθώνιο. Η Αθήνα φιλοξένησε ξανά τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες το 2004.

Διπλωμάτες της Διεθνούς Ολυμπιακής Επιτροπής (ΔΟΕ) Για να καταστεί η ΔΟΕ ανεξάρτητη οργάνωση, τα μέλη της ΔΟΕ δεν θεωρούνται διπλωμάτες από τις χώρες τους στην ΔΟΕ, αλλά αντίστροφα διπλωμάτες από την ΔΟΕ στις αντίστοιχες χώρες τους.

Ενδιαφέροντα Ολυμπιακά Γεγονότα Πόλη, όχι Χώρα: Κατά την επιλογή τοποθεσίας για τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες, η ΔΟΕ δίνει συγκεκριμένα την τιμή να διοργανώσει τους Αγώνες μια πόλη και όχι μια χώρα.

Γυμνάσιο Η λέξη "Γυμνάσιο" προέρχεται από την ελληνική ρίζα "γυμνός". Η κυριολεκτική έννοια του «γυμνασίου» είναι «σχολείο άσκησης γυμνών». Οι αθλητές στους αρχαίους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες συμμετείχαν γυμνοί.

Στάδιο Οι πρώτοι αρχαίοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες πραγματοποιήθηκαν το 776 π.Χ. με ένα μόνο γεγονός - το τρέξιμο.

Το στάδιο ήταν μια μονάδα μέτρησης (περίπου 600 πόδια). Δεδομένου ότι η πίστα για τον αγώνα τρεξίματος μεγάλης απόστασης είχε συγκεκριμένο μήκος, η τοποθεσία του αγώνα ονομάστηκε «στάδιο».

Φωτογραφίες από την επίσκεψη της οικογενείας μου στην Αρχαία Ολυμπία!

Καταμέτρηση Ολυμπιάδων Μια Ολυμπιάδα είναι μια περίοδος τεσσάρων διαδοχικών ετών. Οι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες γιορτάζουν κάθε Ολυμπιάδα. Για τους σύγχρονους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες, η πρώτη γιορτή της Ολυμπιάδας ήταν το 1896. Κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια γιορτάζει μια νέα Ολυμπιάδα. Έτσι, ακόμη και οι Αγώνες που ακυρώθηκαν (1916, 1940 και 1944), υπολογίζονται ως Ολυμπιάδες.

Η Επίσημη Ολυμπιακή Σημαία Δημιουργία του Pierre de Coubertin το 1914, η Ολυμπιακή σημαία περιέχει πέντε διασυνδεδεμένους δακτυλίους σε λευκό φόντο. Οι πέντε δακτύλιοι (κύκλοι) συμβολίζουν τις πέντε σημαντικές ηπείρους και συνδέονται μεταξύ τους για να συμβολίσουν τη φιλία που θα αποκτηθεί από τους αγώνες. Οι δακτύλιοι, από αριστερά προς τα δεξιά, είναι μπλε, κίτρινο, μαύρο, πράσινο και κόκκινο. Τα χρώματα επιλέχθηκαν επειδή τουλάχιστον ένα από αυτά εμφανίζεται στη σημαία κάθε χώρας στον κόσμο. Η Ολυμπιακή σημαία κυμάνθηκε για πρώτη φορά στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες του 1920.

Το Ολυμπιακό σύνθημα Το 1921, ο Pierre de Coubertin, ιδρυτής των σύγχρονων Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων, δανείστηκε μια λατινική φράση από τον φίλο του, Πατέρα Henri Didon, για το Ολυμπιακό σύνθημα: Citius, Altius, Fortius ("Πιο Γρήγορα, Πιο Ψηλά, Πιο Δυνατά").

Ο Ολυμπιακός Όρκος Ο Πιέρ ντε Κουμπέρτιν έγραψε έναν όρκο για τους αθλητές ώστε να τον απαγγέλλουν σε κάθε Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες. Κατά την τελετή έναρξης, ένας αθλητής απαγγέλλει τον όρκο εκ μέρους όλων των αθλητών. Ο Ολυμπιακός όρκος ακούστηκε για πρώτη φορά κατά τη διάρκεια των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων του 1920 από τον Βέλγο αθλητή ξιφασκίας Victor Boin. Ο Ολυμπιακός Όρκος δηλώνει «Στο όνομα όλων των αγωνιζομένων, υπόσχομαι ότι θα λάβουμε μέρος σε αυτούς τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες, σεβόμενοι και τηρώντας τους κανόνες που τους διέπουν, με το πραγματικό πνεύμα της αθλητικότητας, για τη δόξα του αθλητισμού και την τιμή των ομάδων μας».

Το Ολυμπιακό Πιστεύω Ο Pierre de Coubertin πήρε την ιδέα για αυτή τη φράση από μια ομιλία που έδωσε ο Επίσκοπος Ethelbert Talbot σε δεξίωση για Ολυμπιονίκες κατά τη διάρκεια των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων του 1908. Το Ολυμπιακό Πιστεύ�� λέει: "Το πιο σημαντικό πράγμα στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες δεν είναι να κερδίσεις αλλά να συμμετέχεις, όπως και το πιο σημαντικό πράγμα στη ζωή δεν είναι ο θρίαμβος αλλά ο αγώνας. Το βασικό είναι να μην έχεις κατακτήσει αλλά να έχεις αγωνιστεί καλά."

Τα Μετάλλια Τα Ολυμπιακά μετάλλια σχεδιάζονται ειδικά για κάθε συγκεκριμένους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες από την οργανωτική επιτροπή της πόλης υποδοχής. Κάθε μετάλλιο πρέπει να έχει πάχος τουλάχιστον τρία χιλιοστά και διάμετρο 60 χιλιοστά. Επίσης, τα χρυσά και ασημένια ολυμπιακά μετάλλια πρέπει να είναι από 92,5 % ασήμι, με το χρυσό μετάλλιο να καλύπτεται από έξι γραμμάρια χρυσού.

Αληθινά Χρυσά μετάλλια Τα τελευταία ολυμπιακά χρυσά μετάλλια που έγιναν εξ ολοκλήρου από χρυσό απονεμήθηκαν το 1912.

Η Ολυμπιακή Φλόγα Η Ολυμπιακή φλόγα είναι μια πρακτική που συνεχίστηκε από τους αρχαίους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες. Στην Ολυμπία, μια φλόγα άναβε από τον ήλιο και στη συνέχεια συνέχιζε να καίει μέχρι το κλείσιμο των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων. Η φλόγα εμφανίστηκε για πρώτη φορά στους σύγχρονους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες του 1928, στο Άμστερνταμ. Η φλόγα αντιπροσωπεύει πολλά πράγματα, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της αγνότητας και της προσπάθειας για τελειότητα. Το 1936, ο πρόεδρος της οργανωτικής επιτροπής για τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες του 1936, Carl Diem, πρότεινε αυτό που είναι τώρα η σύγχρονη σκυταλοδρομία της Ολυμπιακής φλόγας. Η Ολυμπιακή φλόγα ανάβει στον αρχαίο χώρο της Ολυμπίας από γυναίκες που φορούν ρόμπες αρχαϊκές, χρησιμοποιώντας έναν κυρτό καθρέφτη και τον ήλιο.

Η Ολυμπιακή φλόγα μεταφέρεται στη συνέχεια από δρομέα σε δρομέα από τον αρχαίο χώρο της Ολυμπίας στο Ολυμπιακό στάδιο της πόλης που τους φιλοξενεί. Στη συνέχεια, η φλόγα διατηρείται αναμμένη μέχρι να ολοκληρωθούν οι αγώνες. Η σκυταλοδρομία αντιπροσωπεύει τη συνέχεια από τους αρχαίους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες στους σύγχρονους.

Η Τελετή έναρξης Η πρώτη τελετή έναρξης πραγματοποιήθηκε κατά τη διάρκεια των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων του 1908 στο Λονδίνο. Κατά τη διάρκεια της τελετής έναρξης όλων των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων, η πομπή αθλητών ξεκινάει πάντα από την Ελληνική Αποστολή (ομάδα), ακολουθούμενη από όλες τις άλλες ομάδες με αλφαβητική σειρά (στη γλώσσα της χώρας υποδοχής), εκτός από την τελευταία ομάδα που είναι πάντα η ομάδα της χώρας υποδοχής των Αγώνων.

Γυναίκες Οι γυναίκες είχαν το δικαίωμα να συμμετάσχουν για 1η φορά το 1900, στους 2ους σύγχρονους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες.

Ο Πρώτος Μαραθώνιος Το 490 π.Χ., ο Φειδιππίδης, Έλληνας στρατιώτης, έτρεξε από τον Μαραθώνα στην Αθήνα (περίπου 25 μίλια) για να ενημερώσει τους Αθηναίους για το αποτέλεσμα της μάχης με τους Πέρσες. Η απόσταση ήταν γεμάτη με λόφους και άλλα εμπόδια. Έτσι ο Φειδιππίδης έφτασε στην Αθήνα εξαντλημένος και με πόδια ματωμένα. Αφού είπε στους κατοίκους της πόλης την επιτυχία των Ελλήνων στη μάχη, ο Φειδιππίδης έπεσε στο έδαφος νεκρός. Το 1896, στους πρώτους σύγχρονους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες, πραγματοποιήθηκε ένας αγώνας περίπου του ίδιου μήκους προς τιμήν της μνήμης του Φειδιππίδη.

Το ακριβές μήκος ενός μαραθωνίου Κατά τη διάρκεια αρκετών σύγχρονων Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων, ο μαραθώνιος ήταν πάντα μια κατά προσέγγιση απόσταση. Το 1908, η βρετανική βασιλική οικογένεια ζήτησε να ξεκινήσει ο μαραθώνιος στο Κάστρο του Γουίντσορ, έτσι ώστε τα παιδιά της βασιλικής οικογένειας να μπορούν να δουν την έναρξη του. Η απόσταση από το Κάστρο του Windsor έως το Ολυμπιακό Στάδιο ήταν 42.195 μέτρα (ή 26 μίλια περίπου). Το 1924, αυτή η απόσταση έγινε το τυποποιημένο μήκος ενός μαραθωνίου.

Ακύρωση Αγώνων Λόγω του Α' και του Β' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, δεν πραγματοποιήθηκαν Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες το 1916, το 1940 και το 1944. Το 2020, οι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες που έπρεπε να φιλοξενηθούν στο Τόκιο αναβλήθηκαν λόγω της πανδημίας Covid-19. Θα πραγματοποιηθούν το καλοκαίρι του 2021, αλλά χωρίς θεατές για πρώτη φορά στην ιστορία του!

Οι χειμερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Ξεκίνησαν για πρώτη φορά στο Σαμονί το 1924, ξεκινώντας μια παράδοση να γίνονται λίγους μήνες νωρίτερα και σε διαφορετική πόλη από τους θερινούς Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες.

Από το 1994, οι χειμερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες διεξάγονται σε εντελώς διαφορετική χρονιά (σε απόσταση δύο ετών), από τους θερινούς Αγώνες.

Η ιστορία της Ολυμπιακής εκεχειρίας Εκεχειρία (στα Ελληνικά κυριολεκτικά σημαίνει «κράτημα των χεριών») ανακοινωνόταν πριν και κατά τη διάρκεια κάθε ολυμπιακού φεστιβάλ, για να επιτρέψει στους επισκέπτες να ταξιδέψουν με ασφάλεια στην Ολυμπία. Λίγο πριν από την έναρξη των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων, τρεις "Σπονδοφόροι" που φορούσαν στεφάνια από κλαδιά ελιάς, έφευγαν από την Ηλεία για να ανακοινώσουν την εκεχειρία. Αρχικά αυτό ήταν για ένα μήνα, αλλά αργότερα, (από τον 5ο αιώνα π.Χ.), τρεις μήνες (υπολογισμένο από την ημέρα αναχώρησης των "σπονδοφόρων"). Κατά τη διάρκεια της ιερής εκεχειρίας, αθλητές και θεατές μπορούσαν να ταξιδέψουν με ασφάλεια στην Ολυμπία. Μια επιγραφή που περιγράφει την εκεχειρία γραμμένη σε χάλκινο δίσκο βρέθηκε στην Ολυμπία. Κατά τη διάρκεια της ανακωχής, οι πόλεμοι σταματούσαν, απαγορευόταν οι στρατοί να εισέλθουν στην Ηλεία, ή να απειλήσουν τους Αγώνες, και απαγορεύονταν οι νομικές διαφορές και η εκτέλεση θανατικών ποινών. Οποιαδήποτε παραβίαση της κατάπαυσης του πυρός θεωρείτο ασέβεια για τον ίδιο τον Δία, στον οποίο ήταν αφιερωμένο το γεγονός. Εκτός από μερικές εξαιρέσεις, η εκεχειρία θεωρήθηκε ιερή επειδή για τους Έλληνες τα αθλητικά φεστιβάλ είχαν μεγάλη σημασία. Αναφέρεται ότι ο βασιλιάς Φίλιππος ο 2ος της Μακεδονίας, πατέρας του Μεγάλου Αλεξάνδρου, ζήτησε χάρη και πλήρωσε την ποινή, όταν ένας από τους μισθοφόρους του εμπόδισε τον Αθηναίο Φρύνωνα να ταξιδέψει στην Ολυμπία για να παρακολουθήσει το φεστιβάλ.

Διεθνές Ίδρυμα Ολυμπιακής Εκεχειρίας Η αποστολή του International Olympic Truce Foundation (δηλ. Διεθνές Ίδρυμα Ολυμπιακής Εκεχειρίας) είναι η προώθηση των Ολυμπιακών ιδανικών, η εξυπηρέτηση της ειρήνης, της φιλίας και της διεθνούς κατανόησης. Συγκεκριμένα, για να υποστηρίξει την τήρηση της Ολυμπιακής Εκεχειρίας, ζητά να σταματήσουν όλες οι εχθροπραξίες κατά τη διάρκεια των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων και πέραν αυτής, και να κινητοποιηθεί η νεολαία του κόσμου προς το σκοπό της ειρήνης. Το Διεθνές Ίδρυμα Ολυμπιακής Εκεχειρίας είναι αφιερωμένο στη δημιουργία του απαραίτητου πλαισίου στήριξης για την τήρηση της Ολυμπιακής Εκεχειρίας και για την παγκόσμια προώθηση ενός Πολιτισμού Ειρήνης, σύμφωνα με τις αρχές και τις πολιτικές που έχει θεσπίσει το Ίδρυμα.

Το κληροδότημα του Ολυμπιακού Αθλητή Στην αρχαιότητα, όπως και σήμερα, το να είσαι ολυμπιακός αθλητής ήταν υπέρτατη τιμή. Οι αρχαίοι Ολυμπιακοί πρωταθλητές φροντίζονταν από τους συμπολίτες τους για το υπόλοιπο της ζωής τους, αν και απολάμβαναν επίσης την αναμφισβήτητη τιμή της μάχης που έδωσαν στην πρώτη γραμμή. Σήμερα, σχεδόν 100.000 αθλητές που έχουν αγωνιστεί στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες, διαδίδουν τις αξίες του Ολυμπισμού σε όλο τον κόσμο. Η επίδοση και το θάρρος τους συμβολίζουν το ολυμπιακό πνεύμα. Κάθε ένας τους κουβαλάει το μήνυμα της μοιρασιάς και συμμετοχής, του σεβασμού και της αποφασιστικότητας.

Ο Ολυμπιακός Ύμνος Ο Ολυμπιακός Ύμνος, που παίζεται όταν υψώνεται η Ολυμπιακή Σημαία, συντέθηκε από τον Σπύρο Σαμαρά και οι στίχοι προστέθηκαν από τον Κωστή Παλαμά. Ο Ολυμπιακός Ύμνος παίχτηκε για πρώτη φορά στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες του 1896 στην Αθήνα, αλλά δεν ανακηρύχθηκε επίσημος ύμνος από τη ΔΟΕ μέχρι το 1957.

Οι στίχοι του Ολυμπιακού Ύμνου: «Αρχαίο Πνεύμα αθάνατον, αγνέ πατέρα του ωραίου, του μεγάλου και τ' αληθινού, κατέβα, φανερώσου κι άστραψε εδώ πέρα στη δόξα της δικής σου γης και τ' ουρανού.

Στο δρόμο και στο πάλεμα και στο λιθάρι, στων ευγενών Αγώνων λάμψε την ορμή, και με το αμάραντο στεφάνωσε κλωνάρι και σιδερένιο πλάσε και άξιο το κορμί.

Κάμποι, βουνά και θάλασσες φέγγουν μαζί σου σαν ένας λευκοπόρφυρος μέγας ναός. Και τρέχει στο ναό εδώ προσκυνητής σου, Αρχαίο Πνεύμ' αθάνατο, κάθε λαός, κάθε λαός (2x) Αρχαίο Πνεύμ' αθάνατο, κάθε λαός (2x)».

Transliterated into Latin alphabet: «Arkhéo Pnévma athánato, aghné patéra tou oréou, tou meghálou ke tou alithinoú Katéva, fanerósou ki ástrapse edhó péra sti dhóksa tis dhikís sou ghis ke t'ouranoú.

Sto dhrómo ke sto pálema ke sto lithári Ston evghenón aghónon lámpse tin ormí. Ke me to amáranto stefánose klonári ke sidherénio pláse ke áksio to kormí. (2x)

Kámpi, vouná ke thálasses féngoune mazí sou san énas lefkopórfyros méghas naós Ke trékhi sto naó edhó proskynitís sou (2x) Arkhéo Pnévma athánato, káthe laós. (2x)»

Σας ευχαριστώ που διαβάσατε το αφιέρωμα μου. Το έγραψα κατόπιν μελέτης και έρευνας από πολλά κείμενα συμπεριλ. και της Βικιπαίδεια.

#olympics #ancient olympics #olympic tribute #olympic history #greece #region #peloponnese #olympic games #olympia #ολυμπία #ολυμπιακοί αγώνες #αρχαίοι ολυμπιακοί αγώνες #ολυμπισμός

391 notes · View notes

religion-is-a-mental-illness · 3 years

Text

By: Greg Lukianoff

Published: Jun 7, 2021

When Jonathan Haidt and I handed in the final draft of our book, The Coddling of the American Mind, in 2018, I was already hearing some discussion of heavy-handed ideology in K-12 teaching here and there, but it wasn’t consistent or documented well enough for us to include in the book. However, since then—and, most notably, since COVID-19—we at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) have heard from literally hundreds of parents all over the country talking about ideological teaching being introduced to kids as young as preschool. I want to offer a positive vision of what K-12 education could look like in a free and small-“l” liberal society, based on insights taken from U.S. jurisprudence, ancient wisdom, and modern psychology.

I introduced these principles on my blog in April and solicited comments and received responses from all over the country. Here I’m presenting the principles in what I think is their final form after incorporating the advice, suggestions, and edits I received.

No compelled speech, thought, or belief.

Respect for individuality, dissent, and the sanctity of conscience.

Foster the broadest possible curiosity, critical thinking skills, and discomfort with certainty.

Demonstrate epistemic humility at all levels of teaching and policymaking.

Foster independence, not moral dependency.

Do not teach children to think in cognitive distortions.

Do not teach the “Three Great Untruths.”

Take student mental health more seriously.

Don’t reduce complex students to limiting labels.

If it’s broke, fix it.

Principle 1: No compelled speech, thought, or belief.

It is usually bad to tell someone what they cannot say. It is usually far worse to tell someone what they must say, and it is always wrong to tell people what they must think or believe.

Yes, K-12 education is expected to impart some amount of “moral education” to students, far more than is expected in higher education. As Chief Justice Warren E. Burger described it in 1986, “schools must teach by example the shared values of a civilized social order.” However, if we are educating a generation to live as citizens in a free society, we must not teach them that those in authority are allowed to—let alone encouraged to—tell citizens what political beliefs they must hold, endorse, or profess.

Religious schools, which accounted for about one in five K-12 institutions in 2015, may well seek to inculcate values beyond those that a public or secular private school might consider. Yet such schools can still benefit from respecting freedom of conscience. On questions unrelated to faith, the religious character of the school should be irrelevant. On questions of faith, the decision to be faithful can only have meaning if an alternative exists. For most private religious schools, which are Catholic, that respect is doctrinally endorsed. Indeed, the Pope himself has defended freedom of conscience on moral questions. (On a personal note, I attended Catholic high school as a loudmouthed atheist, and only later did it fully dawn on me how respectful my teachers were of my lack of belief.)

If you believe that K-12 schools should inculcate specific political beliefs, you must consider how differently you would feel if those beliefs were, for example, the imposition of the belief that America is—and has always been—a utopia, that all must express unrelenting patriotism, and that to question American exceptionalism is a punishable offense. I oppose any of these attempts to enforce specific political beliefs, and I hope that parents and educators will agree.

Principle 2: Respect for individuality, dissent, and the sanctity of conscience.

For all of my life until recently, individuality was not just a positive word, but also a revered value. Discovering your own individuality was regarded as part of a fulfilling life. Maybe, as my Russian father would argue, Americans really do focus too much on individuality. But in the process of course-correcting, we have gone too far in the direction of letting our individuality be subsumed by group identity.

It may come as a surprise to some that, as the physician and sociologist Nicholas Christakis points out, respect for individuality can be a key part of group cohesion. Seeing yourself as an autonomous individual with inalienable rights, free to think and speak as you choose, can be empowering. One must never forget that individual rights, by protecting freedom of association, protect group rights—but it doesn’t go the other way around. A system that focuses on group rights will not protect individual rights.

U.S. First Amendment law is replete with powerful statements about individual uniqueness, and respect for such uniqueness. Two representative examples:

“One man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric.” Cohen v. California, 1971

“First Amendment freedoms are most in danger when the government seeks to control thought or to justify its laws for that impermissible end. The right to think is the beginning of freedom, and speech must be protected from the government because speech is the beginning of thought.” Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, 2002

If K-12 education is to include moral education, it must allow students to question or dissent from the moral education it provides without fear of punishment. Otherwise, it is indoctrination and thought reform, not education. When students disagree with moral instruction, they should be graded on how well they argue their counterpoints; they should not be treated as if they had committed a sacrilege.

There is a realm of personal conscience that those in authority have no right to invade. If we are to have a truly free, diverse, pluralistic society, the most K-12 educators should do is to try to persuade; they should not force adherence to any ideology. [For more on this point, I highly recommend my colleague Bonnie Snyder’s forthcoming book, “Undoctrinate: How Politicized Classrooms Harm Kids and Ruin Our Schools—and What We Can Do About It.”]

Principle 3: Foster the broadest possible curiosity, critical thinking skills, and discomfort with certainty.

Our collective knowledge is nowhere near complete, yet it vastly surpasses the competence of any one individual, field, or even community to know. If we want to educate citizens to navigate this limitless ocean of information, we should cultivate a thirst for knowledge and the intellectual habits that transform information into knowledge.

As the great jurist Learned Hand said in 1944, “The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.” And, of course, a dogmatic moral certainty among teenagers entering both college and full voting citizenship undermines free speech, freedom of inquiry, and democratic compromise. After all, if you’re already certain that you know the complex moral truths about the world, what use would you have for discussion, debate, or research?

Principle 4: Demonstrate epistemic humility at all levels of teaching and policymaking.

Curiosity should not be merely taught: It is most effectively learned by example. Demonstrating epistemic humility is one of the best ways to do that. A teacher being willing to say truthfully, “I don’t know—let’s find out,” does not undermine that teacher’s authority in the classroom, and it can bring appreciation for how massive the world of knowledge is.

As Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in 1957:

No field of education is so thoroughly comprehended by man that new discoveries cannot yet be made. Particularly is that true in the social sciences, where few, if any, principles are accepted as absolutes…. Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding; otherwise our civilization will stagnate and die.” (emphasis added).

This was true then, and there is no reason to think that we have anything close to perfect knowledge today.

Heavy-handed ideological programs always show epistemic arrogance. To believe that students must be inculcated with specific political or ideological beliefs is to assume the infallibility of those beliefs and the omniscience of the instructors or of the curriculum designers.

This is not the way we educate people to become critical thinkers. Our collective knowledge is incomplete, no ideology has a monopoly on truth, and to tell young people otherwise leaves them ill-equipped to live in a society in which questions are always open, debates are always to be had, and new discoveries are always to be made.

Principle 5: Foster independence, not moral dependency.

Parents, educators, administrators, and employees in K-12 today are constantly told to defer to power and authority to stop interpersonal conflicts. This comes from a noble goal to, for example, reduce discrimination, end bullying, or promote tranquility. But it comes at a tremendous cost: Teaching young people that conflicts should be resolved solely by appeals to power—whether that be their high school staff, their college’s bias response team, or their company’s human resources department—encourages habits of moral dependency.

Free societies must include some element of individual responsibility and encouragement to handle conflicts on one’s own. It is hard to overstate the dangers of training a generation of people in a democratic society to always look to authority figures to resolve life’s difficulties. This does not mean that K-12 faculty and administrators should never intervene, but it means they should not be too eager to intervene in interpersonal conflicts among students.

To cultivate independence, resilience, and initiative, educators need to take off students’ metaphorical training wheels.

Principle 6: Do not teach children to think in cognitive distortions.

As I initially observed in 2015, we as a society seem to be teaching a generation of students the mental habits of anxious and depressed people. I mean this quite literally: Cognitive distortions are exaggerated patterns of thought that are out of line with reality. All people engage in cognitive distortions to some degree, but if you engage in too many, too often, you may become anxious, depressed, or both. Not coincidentally, learning to avoid cognitive distortions is also a good way to learn critical thinking. Indeed, some of the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can just as easily be applied to the rules of productive debate between two people as to the habits of healthy thinking within one’s own mind.

You can see a full list of cognitive distortions here; I have left out full definitions in the interest of space. Cognitive distortions include:

Emotional reasoning

Catastrophizing

Overgeneralizing

Dichotomous thinking

Mind-reading

Labeling

Negative filtering

Discounting positives

Blaming

The antidote to cognitive distortions is practiced disputation, which means examining and engaging with competing ideas in order to correct distortions and arrive at a nearer approximation to the truth. Shielding students from competing ideas, therefore, does them no favors. Schools are tasked with instructing developing minds on the importance of sound, logical reasoning. They should not allow—or worse, promote—what are, effectively, logical fallacies.

Principle 7: Do not teach the “Three Great Untruths.”

As a society, we are teaching a generation three manifestly bad overarching “untruths”—ideas that contradict both ancient wisdom and modern psychology:

The Untruth of Fragility: What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker.

The Untruth of Emotional Reasoning: Always trust your feelings.

The Untruth of Us Versus Them: Life is a battle between good and evil people.

The Untruth of Fragility leads us to avoid the challenges that lead to personal growth. The Untruth of Emotional Reasoning encourages us to prioritize our feelings over our reason. The Untruth of Us Versus Them urges us to view every slight, however minor or unintentional, as evidence of malice that must originate in a person who must be punished.

Each untruth is harmful by itself; together, they are a recipe for anxiety, helplessness, and victimization in response to every encounter in life that contains some level of adversity. They are also a formula for a dysfunctional society. Students who practice the opposite of these untruths—who develop resilience, learn to contextualize their emotional responses, and offer others the benefit of the doubt—will be prepared for life and citizenship in a pluralistic democracy.

Principle 8: Take student mental health more seriously.

The mental health of young people isn’t taken seriously enough, either in K-12 or in higher education.

The movement towards trigger warnings on campus has achieved great (and probably excessive) symbolic significance among both critics of and advocates for a more therapeutic approach to higher education. Nevertheless, the story of trigger warnings does demonstrate some of the ways in which thinking about students’ mental health and education are inadequate.

The movement for trigger warnings starts from the premise that some students in a given lecture will be suffering from such severe PTSD that the mere mention of the topic in a classroom setting can lead to a psychological break. Therefore, it is thought, trigger warnings are not just helpful, but critical for those students’ wellbeing.

However, for students who suffer that level of psychological distress, a trigger warning is inadequate. These students need medical professionals who provide focused therapy, not professors who decide to apply a Band-Aid. If mere discussion of a course topic evokes severe psychological distress, that is a sign that the student needs professional help.

The same concern about inadequate responses would apply to students who might be suicidal. No adjustment of educational expectations is sufficient to deal with such a serious problem. It is another situation in which teachers need the help of parents, psychologists, and mental health professionals.

Generalizing bad ideas on how to protect students with mental illness to all students can have some serious negative side effects.

For example, we’ve learned since the book came out that parental accommodation or avoidance of anything that might cause their children anxiety can, somewhat unsurprisingly, actually cause anxieties to snowball. We all remember experiences we had as kids or even adults where we avoided a person, topic, or confrontation, but when we finally went ahead and did it, the situation ended up not being nearly as horrible as we expected.

Some of the worst ideas from higher education are those that ask people who have suffered difficult lifetime events or traumas to make those experiences central to who they are, and thus a permanent part of their psyche. This can transform something that was once simply an aversion into something more like a phobia and, worst of all, a defining characteristic of one’s identity (part of one’s “schema”).

This brings me to the most frustrating thing I’ve seen since publishing the original “Coddling” article. We know anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide are up among young people, and up dramatically. In light of this fact, it is cruel to nevertheless advocate political philosophies that assume:

The majority of students are both oppressors and oppressed due to the color of their skin, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and/or national origin, and that therefore not only is life rigged against such students, they are also active participants in harming other students;

Words, arguments, and images can be so harmful that students must be shielded from many of them in order to prevent serious psychological harm;

Some students are in a war against oppression, where they don’t have friends but rather “allies”—which implies a conditional, utilitarian arrangement, not a deep and personal bond;

Students must always be on the lookout for slights, as these always mean something much more pernicious than a simple faux pas; and

A single bad joke, dumb comment, or unwise tweet at any moment could, and even should, derail future academic or professional careers.

If we sincerely care about students’ mental health, we should not be teaching them to internalize guilt, shame, hopelessness, lack of individual identity, and the impossibility of love and friendship across lines of difference. We should be fostering their anti-fragility, their resilience, and their confidence so they can face higher education as empowered, hopeful, and creative thinkers.

Principle 9: Don’t reduce complex students to limiting labels.

Sorting students into politically useful categories that involve assigning them character attributes or destinies based on immutable traits circumscribes their potential and hampers their growth. Self-determination is foundational to the American promise and central to our unique national identity. Students must be permitted to decide for themselves how much, or how little, emphasis they wish to place on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, social class, or economic background.

Americans form a sense of “us” based on a relatively small number of uniting factors like citizenship, pop culture, and, hopefully, appreciation and respect for the Constitution and democracy—our shared operating system. Under this “thin” identity tent, all are welcome. Other countries have much deeper or “thicker” ideas regarding what makes them a first-person-plural “us.” The thin model is better for a truly pluralistic diverse society. The thick identity is exclusive, inflexible, and deals poorly with genuine diversity.

A disturbing trend of my 20 years of watching higher education has been the breaking down of students into different racial groups for the purpose of everything from separate orientations to separate graduations. These groupings, while intended to improve a sense of community belonging, necessarily impede the forming of early friendships among people from different backgrounds. Doubtless, there will be some conflict when students who come from very different backgrounds meet each other. However, allowing students to resolve those differences amongst themselves will prepare them to navigate the diverse world they will inhabit outside of their school environments.

Principle 10: If it’s broke, fix it.

Be willing to form new institutions that empower students and educate them with the principles of a free, diverse, and pluralistic society. Is this a formula for peace and quiet? No. But free societies aren’t supposed to be particularly quiet. As Justice Robert Jackson gravely warned in 1943, attempts to coerce unanimity of opinion have only resulted in “the unanimity of the graveyard.”

We must not become so wedded to an ideology, an institutional organizational structure, or a method of interacting that we become impervious to legitimate criticism or meaningful reform.

It is time for serious changes in K-12 education. We need a renewed focus on cultivating our liberal tools for discovering knowledge, fostering independence, and respecting individuality—all the while encouraging a diversity of thought among students and their families.

53 notes · View notes

cancerjupiter · 4 years

Text

astro notes: neptune edition (pt. 1)

neptune represents issues which are frequently unconscious, so all of this may operate without your awareness. if projected, the negative aspects of neptune become more emphasised. the more you reject it in your own life, the more likely it is that you’ll meet it in exaggerated ways outside yourself.

neptune in the 1st house

tends to be the kind of person who waits and sees, but your outward behavior doesn’t begin to describe what goes on inside. you feel connected to your environment because you’re aware of subtle energies, you pick up impressions from others they’re usually unaware to be giving. you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of knowing (beyond a verbal level) what others’ unconscious motivations are, what’s hidden behind their civility. you tend to be very idealistic, preferring to live in harmony: peaceful non-demanding relationships and quiet and aesthetically pleasing surroundings. you choose to think kindly of others, whether they reciprocate or not; your sensitivity gives you a natural compassion. you can be most charming, often whimsical, sometimes romantic, and usually empathic. you seem approachable and often receptive to a degree others find startling and deeply gratifying (if not a little scary lol). you want life to be perfect for yourself and others, and your desire for a better world can be channeled into artistic creative pursuits, social work, or mere daydreaming.

you often struggle with personal identity. you may be so open to others that you pick up their moods without realising it. you tend to mimic, unconsciously, the strong characteristics of the last person you were with. don’t become an emotional sponge; define your emotional boundaries and accept it is necessary for your growth to establish a firm identity. another thing i noticed about you is that you guys don’t mind suffering; no, i’m not saying you don’t hate it (everyone does!) but you seem to accept it when you don’t have to. you put others first and feel that it’s best to sacrifice your own well-being than to be responsible for someone else’s suffering.

there’s almost always a strong awareness of and interest in spiritual energies with this placement. you may actually be psychic, whether or not you’re comfortable with the ability. you may deeply religious, although not conventionally since institutions don’t satisfy you; you feel at home with a belief system you know, from personal experience, exists. your lack of interest in the real world can lead you into seriously bad habits like drug abuse or eating disorders and due to your dislike of physical activity, this can quickly damage your (often sensitive) health. alternatively, this placement can also lead to arrogance, depending on the sun and midheaven placements/aspects.

neptune in the 2nd house

you tend to be idealistic with the use of money and personal resources, not terribly attached to them. you look at them as temporary and although sad to part with something you own, you can let it go where others simply cannot. there’s an indifferent attitude towards finances, income and etc. some of you are v generous and will give things away to people who can truly admire it, believing nothing truly belongs to anyone. this outlook satisfies you greatly, making you easygoing but also easily being taken advantage of. this sort of gives you a fairy-tale attitude towards your money - it’s either always there when needed, or simply one of the world’s idiotic, materialistic preoccupations. you may be unpractical or simply forgetful with resources; not willing to sit down and figure what’s the best buy and choosing to go with intuition. purchases usually go by what you want rather than what you can afford (my friend has no idea how much is on her bank acc and doesn’t care to figure it out. she just doesn’t care lol). you should actually read the small print in contracts and not trust just anyone with your money.

alternatively, there may be a strong tendency to overvalue material things (neptune = beliefs in the house of money and possessions), specially if there’s an earth emphasis in the chart, making you inclined to putting great care and time into upkeep. you usually want your things to look aesthetic™️.

there’s also a strong creative tendency; it may be expressed in various forms but it will certainly be inherent. you need at least periodic access to music and inspiration, including the outdoors where you can soak up peace and serenity. since the 2nd house also relates to sensual pleasures, you probably expect these to provide a kind of ultimate ecstasy. in short, this placement forces you to face up to your tendencies to create illusions about money, possessions, sex, or creative pursuits. don’t expect more from them than they can provide.

neptune in the 3rd house

on one level, this placement can confuse and scatter the brain, giving it vagueness and disorganized thinking. sometimes, however, the mind exhibits uncanny insights into the subtleties of the environment. you sense the hidden nuances and meanings behind what’s being said. what you miss in terms of precise analytical ability, you can by being able to view the big-picture more clearly. there’s a danger to this however; your desire to view what’s beautiful and ideal around you can give a kind of selective perception in which only the good is seen and what doesn’t fit into that is ignored.

you don’t usually feel comfortable expressing yourself through normal channels of communication. what you have to say can be better demonstrated through dance, poetry, song, or picture (painted or taken). there’s often a shyness in the early school situation, which manifested in mental illness (my friend has dyslexia and this was a hard time for her) or simply confusion.

since this house also rules siblings, there may be some sacrifices to be made in relation to them; they may be a problem or have difficulties. since neptune fuses the boundary between the self and others, you may feel you’re responsible for their problems or everything which happens in the immediate environment (also ruled by the 3rd). if you don’t have siblings, you probably longed for the companionship of it, an idealized vision of what a sibling is. i also noticed this neptune placement showing exceptional ability as teachers - specially working w children who have learning difficulties. they can understand ways to communicate with and understand the child better than anyone else.

neptune in the 4th house

i have this one and it’s a loaded position: an unconscious planet in an unconscious house. to feel safe in a secure nest is fundamental, though that’s often quite unconscious. your idea of haven includes a lovely home, w lots of food and someone who will take care of your needs. there’s an assumption that the mother, early home life and emotional security all need to be perfect. that is, all needs will be met with ease, and there’s no upset or disappointment in these areas. the mom or other primary caregiver, is supposed to be there when needed, regardless of other commitments. the illusions connected to the 4th house (remember, neptune refers to illusions which must be exposed and released) are deeply intimate; and any threat to them is profoundly threatening to you.

neptune in the 4th generally has to overcome the strong need for the nurturing parent to not only be perfect but to continue being so into your adulthood. you have great difficulty separating from them; you may never fully do it. it doesn’t matter if they actually lived to your expectations, for their importance is in your head - the parent you idealized or pretended they were. sometimes, however, this desire focuses on the home rather than the parent. in this case, the childhood home was either perfect, or mysterious and elusive. you can react by trying to re-create the exact same nest.

with this placement, nurturing yourself becomes the ultimate value, a way to find supreme satisfaction. you can also make the most amazing caretakers and companions. your need to nurture others is a complicated expression of your own hunger to be taken care of; you give too much and eventually become resentful when no one appreciates your (not asked for) sacrifices. you might also project neptunian traits onto your parent; they may be v spiritual and loving, vague and confusing, or even absent, so you were left w only a fantasy of what they could - and should - have been. they might have also been a victim (similar to pisces moon) and you might’ve felt obligated to save them.

you feel like caring involves being swallowed up completely, and it’s something you either constantly yearn or are terrified of. you also feel if your (unrealistic) emotional security needs aren’t met, you won’t survive the disappointment (you did, and you will again). neptune in the 4th can make the most patient and loving parents, w a strong sense of their emotional bonding and spiritual responsibilities. you will do more to create an ideal parent/child relationship than anyone else and constantly remind others of how important it is to strive to be the best parent one can be.

neptune in the 5th house

this combo leads to a definite charisma, an aura of charm and power and importance (timothee, angelina, mlk, drake, etc). it’s a strong indication of some kind of acting ability, though it may be used as a teacher or a salesman rather than on stage. you’re likely to work in some area where applause and respect can be immediate and experienced personally. you need this; neptune undermines the self-confidence so you depend on others’ feedback to measure your worth. this can be a deadly dependency because even the highest praise and respect can truly fulfill the yearning to be loved unconditionally, only provide a temporary high, making you forever vulnerable.

some of the illusions related to this placement include the need to have perfect relationships and children, and the perfect artistic creation. whenever one expects perfection, they’re doomed to disappoitment, although the process of disillusionment may be needed to rethink your outlook on life. you may expect your love life to provide a complete sense of fulfillment. you can make a v romantic partner, the type to love cheesy romantic things and music, who can surround your lover with utmost affection. however, you might also expect them to sense your wishes and always meet them; or expect yourself to always be sensitive and caring at al times, regadless of your moods and/or needs.

you need to re-evaluate your tendency to romanticize lovers instead of seeing them for who they are. you may also harbor illusions towards children, your own or all, which hamper your ability to deal w them realistically and effectively. there’s a difficulty in developing a strong sense of self-worth, or maybe fancying yourself to be far more important than you really are. this placement is associated w a great deal of inspired creativity, however, and if other chart factors support it, it indicates exceptional artistic talent. with humility and self-awareness, you can use your magnetism to uplift those who have lost all confidence.

neptune in the 6th house

w this placement, neptune is in its polar opposite, since 6th house relates to virgo and neptune relates to pisces. this house is about the world as it is and how to manage it in a day-to-day basis. neptunian energy is the opposite: it yearns for and seeks to unite w the cosmos, which transcends this world. how can these two work this out?

when they’re well integrated in the chart, you can dream of neptune while using the practical 6th house skills to plan and organise the dream you wish to make true some day. it can direct the neptunian energy to envision something better, prettier, more creative and inspiring. without this, the 6th house is merely a housekeeping unit - a drive to organise and plan, but for what purpose? neptune supplies it with purpose and the house repays it with practical skills, usually related to some artistic work.

however, if the energies are at odds, there is the need to dream vs. the need to be practical and realistic. you feel a strong need to busy yourself w details and make everything as efficient as possible, tidying up and even criticising others (negative virgo energy). you may expect far too much from others and yourself, never able to say “no” when more work is piled on you. another expression is not being able to keep your shit together; you forget, are disorganized, feel tired and drained of energy, get sick often, or feel generally unfulfilled. my friend, for example, often seeks jobs for its glamorous aspects, only to get swamped by details and routine.

#astrology #zodiac signs #neptune #neptune houses #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #1st house #2nd house #3rd house #4th house #5th house #6th house

777 notes · View notes

fivestarglam · 3 years

Link

Following ISIS’s demise, Islamists around the world have been forced to radically reassess their strategy against the West. Dashing the utopian hopes of its sympathisers, the fall of the Caliphate has set back the Islamist cause for decades. Just as when many Communists became disillusioned once their ideology had been implemented in the Soviet Union, ISIS’s barbarity can no longer be ignored.

True, even in 2021, some groups such as the resurgent Taliban and Boko Haram — to say nothing of the Iranian regime — remain committed to a type of Islamist militancy that includes an emphasis on violence, with all the human suffering that entails. But for the most part, jihadist militancy has proved unpopular among Muslims, often inviting a violent counter-reaction. Its promise of an Islamist dream state has lost its appeal.

Yet Islamists in the West appear to have found a possible solution that sidesteps, at least for now, the use of explicit violence. The core of this alternative strategy is to focus as much as possible on dawa.

Nearly 20 years after 9/11, Westerners still remain unfamiliar with dawa. In theory, the term simply refers to the call to Islam, a kind of invitation; Westerners would recognise it as part of a proselytising mission. In practice, however, Islamists rely on dawa as a comprehensive propaganda, PR and brainwashing system designed to make all Muslims embrace an Islamist programme while converting as many non-Muslims as possible.

Among Western analysts, dawa — which became a tool of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 20th century — has traditionally received far less attention than militant jihad, though observers have emphasised its importance in the “humanitarian” activities of Hamas.

In Unveiled, the ex-Muslim Yasmine Mohammed compellingly describes her difficult marriage to the Egyptian jihadist Essam Marzouk. Yasmine commented on the rivalry that exists between jihadists (such as her ex-husband) and ostensibly “non-violent” Islamists:

“The truth is that Essam hated the [Muslim] Brotherhood: he thought Islamists were a bunch of pansies. He was actually aligned with a more militant group in Egypt called Al Jihad, who were the Egyptian wing of Al Qaeda. Both Islamists and jihadis have the same goal — to spread Islam — but they have different methods. Islamists want to do this through passive means such as politics, immigration and childbirth.”

This important point is often lost on politicians in Western countries. For no matter what misguided retired CIA officials may claim, groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood are neither moderate organisations nor pluralist partners in civil society. Islamist groups are certainly not likely to prevent the radicalisation of young Muslims. Instead, as one observer noted more than a decade ago, “the history of the Brotherhood movement shows, in fact, that it has operated by and large not as a firewall against jihadism, but as a fertile incubator of radical ideas in a variety of locales”.

In a cynical way, Islamists achieve far more through dawa than when they confine themselves to simply blowing things up and stabbing people to death. The threat is not as obvious. Jihad and the use of violence tend to provoke an immediate response. With dawa, on the other hand, it is possible to talk about charity, spirituality and religion — and then compare it to normal religious proselytising missions. In a free society, what reasonable person would take issue with that?

But dawa is also about building networks: local, regional and international. In The Call, Krithika Varagur revealed both the enormous global scale and opaque nature of these efforts. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has channelled billions of dollars into dawa — with much of it directed into the US.

In the West, these regimes are not given much thought, nor is the Islamist infrastructure in the United States. Nonetheless, Islamism is spreading within Western institutions, and it’s largely thanks to an unlikely alliance: dawa has recognised the alluring power of “woke”, and has started to adopt the language of civil rights and multiculturalism.

Of course, this is not an entirely American phenomenon, but the energy in our progressive movement has taken this cooperation one step further. In France, by contrast, “Islamo-gauchisme” (Islamo-Leftism) is much more likely to be correctly identified as a threat to the model of universal, secular and republican citizenship. In Britain, it remains less prominent, confined to fringe politicians such as George Galloway, who believes that “the progressive movement around the world and the Muslims have the same enemies”.

Yet as historian Daniel Pipes has noted, the relationship between Islamism and extreme Leftism is nothing new. In 2007, Oskar Lafontaine, former chairman of Germany’s Social Democratic party, noted: “Islam depends on community, which places it in opposition to extreme individualism, which threatens to fail in the West. [In addition,] the devout Muslim is required to share his wealth with others. The Leftist also wants to see the strong help the weak.”

But the internal tension between “wokeism” and Islamism is never far away. Just look at Al Jazeera, which uploads documentaries about transgender rights on to its social media channel, while broadcasting sermons suggesting husbands should beat their wives on its Arabic station.

Nevertheless, the two movements do share objectives. Both are anti-West and anti-American. Both have a critical attitude towards “capitalism” based on individualism. True, the Islamists have been around for much longer. But Islamist ideologues are willing to co-operate with non-Muslim Leftists as long as it serves their purposes.

To their credit, some on the Left refuse to countenance Islamism, as they become increasingly aware of the contradiction between supporting universal human rights (including women’s rights) and the demands of Islamists. In France, for example, the centre-Left former Prime Minister Manuel Valls courageously denounced Islamo-Leftism without the least hesitation.

In the United States, however, such vocal opposition from the Left is increasingly rare. Indeed, at the 2019 Netroots Nation conference — America’s “largest annual conference for progressives” — multiple panel discussions and training sessions reflected the Islamist agenda, frequently coalescing around a critique of Israel while neglecting the toxic role played by Hamas in perpetuating the conflict. Meanwhile, Linda Sarsour, a feminist organiser and co-chair of the “Women’s March”, has made her support for Islamism more explicit: “You’ll know when you’re living under Shariah law if suddenly all your loans and credit cards become interest-free. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

In government, too, Islamism’s capture of progressivism has become increasingly clear. Turkey’s Islamist President Erdogan might lead one of the world’s most brutal and repressive regimes, but that hasn’t stopped Ilhan Omar, the Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota, from expressing support for him. No doubt she was inspired by Erdogan last year when he proclaimed that “social justice is in our book”, and that “Turkey is the biggest opportunity for western countries in the fight against xenophobia, Islamophobia, cultural racism and extremism”.

Erdogan, in effect, was explicitly using progressive rhetoric. It’s a move that’s since been mirrored in Iran. The Tehran Times — which describes itself as “a loud voice of the Islamic Revolution” — recently attacked former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his “deep-rooted Islamophobia”. And in March, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif “lauded the determination of Islamic countries to address Islamophobia as one of the main challenges facing the Islamic Ummah [community in the West]”. Islamists, in other words, are becoming skilled at wrapping themselves in a mantle of woke words, while engaging in systematic brutality and repression within their own countries.

To this new alliance between Islamism and progressive rhetoric, there is no simple response. Dawa, by its very nature, is inherently more difficult to fight than jihad. But those who believe, as I do, in a free, open, pluralist society need to be aware of the nature and magnitude of this new challenge. After two decades of fighting Islamist terrorism, we have a new and more subtle foe to contend with. Wokeism has long been regarded as a dangerous phenomenon — but only now are we starting to see why.

1 note · View note

drdln3-blog · 3 years

Text

Science, Religion, and Spirituality: In Search of God

Dr. Sukhraj S. Dhillon Mountain House, CA 95391, USA

Science and religion have traditionally been treated like oil and water--they don’t mix. They don’t mix because we have been led to believe that religion is a form of subjective fundamental belief whereas science is objective veriﬁable phenomenon. In this article, I have developed a formula to mix science and religion and to explain that the concept of God has practical value only if we accept it as part of us. A scientist may ﬁnd difficult to believe that some wise old man or woman sitting up in heaven is keeping track of everything, but can’t deny the incredible awareness and intelligence that exists in life, in nature, and in us. It’s being a scientist that makes us spiritual.

The questions about God, hell, heaven, and rebirth, and their relationship to realization, enlightenment, and spirituality, have occupied our mind for centuries in one form or another: What is God? Does He/She really exist? Why do we search for God? Do religions really believe in the same God? Why are there religious wars? Is there really a place such as heaven or hell? What was our past life? What will be our future life? Is there really such a thing as past life or future life?

Religions and prophets have been preaching about God, hell, and heaven for centuries, and millions of people have cultivated belief in these phenomena. The revolution of science and technology in this century has forced many of us to reevaluate the doctrines and tenets of our faith. Should we believe in creation or should we believe in evolution? Should we believe in heaven and God's court of justice when we look up in the sky, or should we believe in the space, the planets, and the galaxies up there? I hope this article provides a fresh insight into the mysteries about God, hell, heaven, and rebirth--and leave us wiser, peaceful, and enlightened.

What is God?

The philosophy of religion or the institute of God is the human's greatest discovery. God is not a physical object. It is a state of mind. God is the Electromagnetic pulse of energy that gives life and lives within all. What we call our conscious/soul is part of God within us. That is why great prophets and religious scriptures say God is everywhere (omnipresent). Whenever, wherever, our mind and soul is with us, God is there; and the saying goes “God resides in our hearts- -not in temples, mosques, or churches. Bernie Siegel (author of Love, Medicine & Miracles) says same thing, “God resides in each of us.” In other words, God is a spirit that exists in every person. The rich, the poor, the king, the subject, the religious, the atheist, the sinner, the sage, the Easterner, the Westerner, the Christian, the Jew, the Hindu, the Muslim, the Sikh, the Buddhist, and on and on.... This is consistent with what the Christians preach: “We are ideas of God!” And ideas come from--the divine mind. Only people (Homo sapiens) among the animal species are fortunate enough to have a powerful mind and experience the presence of spirit in their mind. The recognition of that spirit is what gives us spiritual living or realization of God. Completely illuminated human beings know that God is present in the deepest and most central part of their own soul. God is not outside the world. God is the world. So, philosophically, God is a State of Mind; OR It’s our mind, which is God! OR God is a spirit/conscious energy that exists in each one of us! (lf you're confused, don’t worry! Read on!!)

“God is not outside the world. God is within us. Live a Holy, Healthy, Happy Life.”

Religion-spirituality and science can come together. God is scientific. God is light. God is darkness. God is intelligent, loving energy. God is nature. God is in us. God is psychoneuroimmunology when we witness miracles of healing. God is all. Some of us may distinguish between religion and spirituality; religion may be a possessive and destructive force that doesn’t allow expansion of mind, whereas spirituality is a healing force with no rules attached to God’s love or God’s ability to sustain us. We should remember the real purpose of a religion is spirituality; and we should try to stay away from names and deﬁnitions. God, for example, is one of the many names of the same divine force or universal energy.

For those who feel comfortable with the word God or Creator, it’s a divine word! It brings peace of mind. With prayer, we speak to God. With miracles, God responds. Science now explains miracles of healing through the mind-body relationship. With prayer we awaken the spirit in our mind, and the transformed-spiritual mind causes hormonal and other chemical changes that eventually may result in healing. As such, God or Creator is not a separate entity, it’s part of us- -present right in our mind all the time. God is within us every moment, in every circumstance. He/She is to our left and to our right, before us and behind us, above us and beneath us. God watches every act--criminal or noble--and every moment, whether we’re alone or in a crowd. We cannot deceive God (our own mind/conscious) by thinking nobody is watching us.

What about our belief in God's form of existence or court of justice? Nobody could describe the physical or descriptive existence of God in the past, nobody can describe it now in the present, and nobody is likely to describe it in the future. For an atheist there is no God because physical existence cannot be proven. And that is why discussion on existence or nonexistence of God never gets anywhere. God's existence cannot be proved or disproved. God is not a body like us sitting somewhere in the sky. We have launched rockets into the space, we have built space-station, we have analyzed moon rocks, we have taken close-up pictures of the planets--we don’t find even primitive life form, never mind ﬁnding God in the sky. Science may not ﬁnd God in the sky who keeps track of everything, but the incredible awareness and intelligence that exists in life, in nature, and in us on this Earth is a form of God's scientiﬁc existence.

It’s impossible to see God, because He/She is an integral part of our mind. Since God is within us, we obviously can’t see God, just as, for instance, an eye cannot see itself and an ear cannot hear itself. And Zenrin puts in simply, “Like a sword that cuts, but cannot cut itself; like an eye that sees, but cannot see itself.” Our soul and God are one. The individual soul (atma) is part of universal or original or supreme or perfect soul called Parmatma (name of God in eastern scriptures). The attempt to bring the soul and God together merely perpetuates the illusion that the two are separate. It’s not so, and we’re already It. To know God is to be God; the two are not at all separate, points out the Hindu scripture Upanishad. If God and we were two separate entities, then we could see, hold, and go around Him/Her in a ceremonial worship! However, in various religions we find unique ways to worship God. Practitioners use symbols of godhead varying from images/statues to holy books and even imaginary pictures.

The great prophets, Christ, Mohammed, Nanak, Buddha, Krishna, and Mahavir, all provided avenues to the realization of God or to awaken the spirit that exists in our minds. These paths are different, but the destination or message is similar. More importantly, there is one common element; they all focus on something that exists in our minds and strive for a realization or spiritual awakening that forms the basis for a changed or spiritual state of mind.

If God is a state of mind with awakened spirit, what is that state of mind!

That state of mind is without fear, without enmity, immortal without the fear of death or birth, complete within itself--timeless, ageless, and form- less (Akaal Moorat). We know that only the physical body ages, spirit is not affected by time or age or birth or death. A few blessed ones realize that state of mind (Nirbhau, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat, Ajooni, Saebhang, Gur Parsad Mul-Mantra or Basic Principle, Japuji). Nanak, Mohammad, Christ, Buddha, Mahavir, and other great prophets attained such a state of mind. They were able to awaken the spirit that existed in their minds. They realized the presence of spirit (God). In other words, they found God.

It is that state of mind with awakened spirit which Rajnish called orgasmic, saints call peaceful, psychiatrists call tranquil, and drug addicts call getting high.

Many spiritual masters have called this enlightened state of mind by different names. Buddha called it “the enlightened one.” Christ and Messiah also meant the same. St. Paul called it “the peace of God that passeth understanding” and Richard Maurice Bucke named it "Cosmic Consciousness.” Guru Nanak described as “realization of ultimate truth.” In Zen it is satori, in yoga it is samadhi or moksha, in Suﬁsm it is fana, in Taoism it is wu or the Ultimate Tao. Gurdjieff labeled it “objective consciousness”; Sri Aurobindo refers to it as “illumination,” “liberation,” and “self-realization.” Dante said, “trans-humanization into a God.” Likewise, enlightenment has been symbolized by many images; the thousand-petaled lotus of Hinduism, the Holy Grail of Christianity, the clear mirror of Buddhism, Judaism’s Star of David, the yin-yang circle of Taoism, the mountain top, the swan, the still lake, the mystic rose, and the eternal ﬂame.

How an individual describes the enlightened state of mind may seem quite different and even opposed. As one and the same pain may be described either as a hot pang or a cold sting, so the descriptions of the enlightened experience may take forms that seem so different. One person may say that he/she has found the answer to the whole mystery of life, but somehow cannot put it into words. Others will feel that they have experienced, not a transcendent God, but their own inmost nature. Some will get the sense that their egos or selves have expanded to become the entire universe, whereas others will feel that they have lost themselves altogether and that what they called their egos were never anything but abstractions. Some will describe themselves as inﬁnitely enriched, while others will say they haven't a care in the world. A theist may call it a glimpse of the presence of God.

Irrespective of that experience, we can call this state of mind with awakened spirit “the spiritual state of mind.” In everyday living, spiritualism is experienced as kindness, forgiving, mercy, compassion, peace, joy, acceptance, non-judgment, joining, intimacy, and an absence of need to dominate others. Spiritual beings focus on authentic personal empowerment, utilize multidimensional thinking, and believe loving guidance is available. They feel connected to all of humanity and practice a life without desire to control someone or to prove that they are right and the other person is wrong. They know a dimension beyond cause and effect. They are motivated by morality, serenity, and quality of life. They recognize a violent response to evil as participating in evil and focus on what they stand for. They feel a sense of responsibility and belonging to the universe. They have a tendency to extend love and help others rather than feel enmity and competition. Their minds are not controlled by anger, fear, lust, greed, attachment, false ego, or envy. Their existence is not affected by time and age. They are not afraid of getting old or of dying young. They see no sin in the world to escape from.

Nonspiritual people, on the other hand, are in a state of fear and experience anger, abuse, pain, greed, addiction, selﬁshness, obsession, corruption, and violence. They hold grudges and seek revenge for perceived wrongdoing. They are only motivated by achievement, performance and acquisitions. They feel separate from all others.

Why is there a spiritual need to search for God?

“Possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake.” --Paramhansa Yogananda

To satisfy the sense may be the major challenge for some of us, but it is actually the easiest part. The mind and spirit require continual attention and stimulation. It is not until we assume responsibility for the enhancement of the total self that we can live full lives.

For the sake of simplicity, let's divide human life into three levels of existence. All three levels, we may point out, are a normal part of the human life cycle. It’s how we handle these levels that create hell or heaven in our lives.

1. The ﬁrst level of our existence as a highly evolved animal leads us to search for sensual pleasures such as lust, drinking, smoking, drugs and anything that satisﬁes or pleases the senses. Many people may spend their entire life right at this level.

2. The second level of our existence as we advance leads us to think more like humans since we live as a civilized society. That is to have a well-paying and respectable job, a good house, an expensive car, and other materialistic desires. All this is a normal character of ego which requires strength, strategy, and effort to achieve material possessions. Most of us spend our life rising only to second level.

3. The third or highest level of our existence demands something more than the ﬁrst level of sensual pleasures and the second level of materialistic living. It provides an extra touch to the ﬁrst and second levels! That third level is spiritual living or enlightenment, which we can call the ultimate achievement in human existence. It is because of this desire that we ﬁnd well educated, highly intelligent, extremely successful, wealthy people looking for a spiritual leader or guru. These are the people who desperately follow those who can provide some insight into spiritual philosophy, whether it is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi or Bhagwan Rajnish or Swami Prabhupada--author of English version of Bhagvad Geeta and founder of International Society of Krishna Consciousness in the western world, which provided the seed of Hare Krishna movement.

Most often the spiritual gurus are from the east since the western society is very big on action and there is no guidance for spiritual advancement. Owing to this spiritual need or void, 2500 or more cults exist in the U.S. alone. Cult leaders come from both east and west. Cult leader Jim Jones poisoned hundreds of his followers in the 1980s and David Koresh lead 86 people to burn themselves to death at Waco, Texas in 1993. Luc Jouret led over 50 members to forced death in Canada and Switzerland in October 1994. In March 1997, 39 followers of Heaven's Gate died in a mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California near San Diego. It’s the understanding of spirit in our own mind that can save us from cult incidences.

“To seek spiritual power, there is no need to seek it through any occult hierarchy, any guru, any doctrine,” says J. Krishnamurti. “The important thing is to free our mind of envy, hate, and violence; and for that we don’t need an organization.” He calls people to examine their own hearts and minds to see the egotism and self-ignorance at the root of all sufferings and troubles; that is precisely what prevents enlightenment and spiritual power.

The spiritual power doesn’t come from the same sources that feed our ego. Ego power is an important part of society in the worldly sense. It requires strength, strategy, and efforts to achieve things that have a social value. We like a well-paying respectable job regardless of whether we're good at it, and it’s because of ego power we often are attracted to other material possessions.

Our efforts to achieve ego power, however, don’t necessarily empower the spirit or soul. The spiritual power comes from living close to the heart. It comes from unexpected sources such as failure, sickness, and loss. For example, when we endure through loss of job or illness, we ﬁnd inner strength that strengthens our spirit. Spiritual or soul power also comes from being ourselves doing what we’re good at. Inherent qualities such as intelligence, attractive appearance, and even powerful voice provide soul power. Spiritual power comes from doing something for community or country. Although we may not see a beneﬁt in the worldly sense, it nurtures the spirit and feeds the soul. When we fail to nurture our soul, we fail to live in peace with ourselves in the face of illness, loss of job or loss of loved one. It was perhaps the spiritual power, more than her wealth or recognition that provided Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis the strength to live through life-crises up to the last minute of her life-- May 19, 1994. It is for those successful, intelligent people who are looking for a spiritual power this article, I hope, will play a signiﬁcant role. And please remember, a life lived in a spiritual state of mind or enlightenment is an everyday life with an extra dimension.

How about hell, heaven, and rebirth?

It’s our mind that creates hell. It’s our mind that creates heaven. And it’s the liberation of our mind (or soul/conscious which is part of God in us) from the fear of death or other miseries of the world that is liberation from birth and death cycle. Buddhism calls it Nirvana.

Does hell or heaven exist as a particular place? No one has seen! But a person is in heaven if he/she is in spiritual state of mind; and is in hell if he/she loses control of mind. And our personality is the reflection of our state of mind. If our state of mind is saintly, we are a saint; if our state of mind is love, we are lovable; if our state of mind is complete, we are complete; if our state of mind is intelligent, we are intelligent; if our state of mind is unlimited, we are unlimited; if our state of mind is hope, we are hopeful; if our state of mind is honest, we are honest. On the other hand, if our state of mind is devilish, we’re devils; if our state of mind is evil, we become evil person. When, for example, we lose our control of mind to drugs--we’re opening the door to hell.

Satan or evil is nothing but a counterpart of goodness. We know heat exists, but its counterpart cold doesn’t exist. Cold is merely the deﬁciency or lack of heat. Similarly, light exists, but its counterpart darkness doesn’t exist. Darkness is merely the deﬁciency or absence of light. Same is true for evil. Evil doesn’t exist, but its counterpart goodness exists. It is simply the deﬁciency or absence of goodness that we have named evil. And evil is what leads us to the door of hell. Evil mind is the mind out of control. It’s like the ﬁre, which is our servant for cooking and keeps us warm, but becomes evil when it gets out of control.

Conclusion

All the thoughts here are part of a single concept. By improved state of mind or spiritual state of mind or sharpening our faith, we can add an extra dimension to everyday life. This concept ignores neither science nor religion, and removes the cloudiness of fear and confusion that interferes with achievement of ultimate happiness. Those who are in the business of saving souls after death should focus on the soul when they are still living on this planet.

This article is Yale-educated Dr. Dhillon’s personal conviction that has two pillars: an advanced degree in life sciences, molecular biology and evolution from the west and a fascination with spirituality from the east crafted out of studies at Yale University, U.S.A. in the west and Punjab University, India in the east. His views are expressed in over 12 books in self-help and spiritual series, several research articles, on television, in newspapers, and workshops.

References: "Science, Religion & Spirituality," "In Search of God," and "Soul and Reincarnation" available at various Book Sellers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. http://drdhillon.blogspot.com/

2 notes · View notes