Month: February 2019

People of the book – part 18 ( St Pius X society 1)

Marcel Lefebvre (29 November 1905 – 25 March 1991) was a French Roman Catholic archbishop. Ordained a diocesan priest in 1929, he joined the Holy Ghost Fathers for missionary work, first as a professor at a seminary in Gabon, then as the Archbishop of Dakar, Lefebvre spent most of the period from the 1930s to the early 1960s in colonial west Africa. Even at a distance from Europe, he enthusiastically endorsed Marshall Pétain’s Vichy regime for what he termed its “Catholic order”. Indeed, until his death, Lefebvre offered his support to Jean-Marie Le Pen’s Front Nationale, and voiced approval of the repressive military dictatorship of General Franco in Spain, António Salazar in Portugal, Jorge Videla in Argentina and Augusto Pinochet in Chile. In 1970, in reaction against Pope John XXIII’s Vatican II reforms, Lefebvre established the SSPX order and its seminary in Ecône, Switzerland. He was especially angered by the Pope’s conciliatory gestures towards Judaism, which he saw as a violation of Catholicism’s unique relationship with God.

In 1975, after a flare of tensions with the Holy See, Lefebvre was ordered to disband the society, but ignored the decision. In 1988, against the expressed prohibition of Pope John Paul II, he consecrated four bishops to continue his work with the SSPX. The Holy See immediately declared that he and the other bishops who had participated in the ceremony had incurred automatic excommunication under Catholic canon law, a status Lefebvre refused to acknowledge to his death three years later.

The Society is known for rejecting many of the ecclesiastical reforms both influenced or institutionalized by the Second Vatican Council, and maintaining the Tridentine Mass among its followers.

What about … #22

A new study shows that eating 5 days/ 7 helps the liver to produce a hormone which increase the brain’s memory and functionality.

Personally I prefer to eat less or even skip the lunch rather than fasting two days in a row! But that’s an interesting thing, which means that people fasting are in better shape than those who eat regularly.

People of the book – part 17

And give orphans their properties, and do not substitute the bad for the good. And do not consume their properties by combining them with yours, for that would be a serious sin.

Those who consume the wealth of orphans illicitly consume only fire into their bellies; and they will roast in a Blaze.

Worship God, and ascribe no partners to Him, and be good to the parents, and the relatives, and the orphans, and the poor, and the neighbor next door, and the distant neighbor, and the close associate, and the traveler, and your servants. God does not love the arrogant showoff.

O you who were given the Book! Believe in what We sent down, confirming what you have, before We obliterate faces and turn them inside out, or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers. The command of God is always done.
God does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives anything less than that to whomever He wills. Whoever associates anything with God has devised a monstrous sin.

O you who believe, remember God with frequent remembrance.
And glorify Him morning and evening.
It is He who reaches out to you, and His angels, to bring you out of darkness into the light. And He is Ever-Merciful towards the believers.
Their greeting on the Day they meet Him is, “Peace,” and He has prepared for them a generous reward.

O prophet! We have sent you as a witness, and a bearer of good news, and a warner.
And a caller towards God by His leave, and an illuminating beacon.
And give the believers the good news that for them is a great reward.
And do not obey the blasphemers and the hypocrites, and ignore their insults, and rely on God. God is a sufficient protector.

Some Quranic verses.

Even though Islam teaches respect for women, for parents, kindness toward the needy and the orphan, to be just in our business, to be respectful toward the people of the book, to be tolerant…. It is stigmatised by some people due to their lack of knowledge and hate toward something they don’t understand. Among these people, are those who nourish the hatred in our politician’s mind.
This next part is about a person not known by many but whose influence is still in power

What about …. #21

We all fall sick once in a while, we have to take what is necessary to get on our feet again, and for that we’ve got two types of medicine, the Chemical and the Herbal. Once someone told me that “every Chemical medicine is natural, because what we call Chemical, comes from nature itself”.

Actually I think that’s true, let’s say for instance that you have a headache, you might take an aspirin (or a paracetamol / ibruprofene, they’re all non inflammatory drugs, in which the major ingredient is the Salicylate found in the brark of the willow tree) which consist of about 90% acetylsalicylic acid, along with a minor amount of inert fillers and binders, or you might drink a decoction of a willow tree’s bark. Both will give you the same result, in approximately the same amount of time. But we must chose between the passion of herbalism and its preparation or the practicity of the drug already in a tablet. Herbal medicine vs Chemical medicine is what we’re going to focus today.

Let’s start with a bit of History: Since the beginning of times people cured themselves with plants; wounds, colds, pains, etc…were taken care of quite easily, obviously not every disease had its cure but most of them had. Greeks and Egyptians were the most renowned for their healing theories. Lots of stories are known from the middle age, the preparations were made by a herbalist which were mostly men at the time. Women who possessed the knowledge were treated as witches in most places till the 19th century when women began to stand up for themselves. Very few women were renowned for their knowledge in the 12th century; there was Dorotea Bucca head of the university of Bologna in Italy and Abbess Hildegarde of Bingen in  Germany.

Still, women couldn’t practice herbalism without apprehension, “The superior learning of witches was recognised in the widely extended belief of their ability to work miracles. The witch was in reality the profoundest thinker, the most advanced scientist of those ages… As knowledge has ever been power, the church feared its use in women’s hands, and levelled its deadliest blows at her”. Matilda Joslyn Gage, 1893,

During the 16th and 17th century, all across Europe, in every town and village, women were killed, en masse, as witches. The killings went on for two centuries and touched everyone’s lives. They spread fear, destroyed networks and resistance and did not stop until the population was sufficiently subordinated and the emerging state, capitalist social relations and church had got its claws into the lives and psyches of the people. The beginning of the western medicine started in Iran. The best university of medicine was in Isfahan, at the time of Avicenna in the 11th century. Muslims and Jews students learned together, they spread their knowledge wherever they went. Medieval European medicine became more developed during the Renaissance of the 12th century, when many medical texts both on Ancient Greek medicine and on Islamic medicine were translated from Arabic during the 13th century. The most influential among these texts was Avicenna’s The Canon of Medicine, a medical encyclopedia written in circa 1030 which summarized the medicine of Greek, Indian and Muslim physicians until that time.

Herbalism is a way of curing diseases in a natural way, as all the plants are not harmless, a herbalist is necessary to find the right plants and to prepare them in the right way. The plants are gathered, dried for a few days and then, either they are stored as they are or they are used to prepare the medicine and then stored for further necessities because sometimes it takes up to a month depending on the medicine and taken many times a day. Knowledge, patience and passion are required for the job. But as I said, all plants are not harmless such as these Marijuana, Cannabis and Hashish.

I would say that the chemical medicine (also called drugs) started with Pasteur in the 19th century, this kind of medicine is obtained through extraction from medicinal plants, but more recently also by organic synthesis. Much more diseases are cured, and in a easier way to take. Lots of expenses are needed and it takes years of learning and research to find a cure.

For instance, Sometimes a part of the body can’t make enough of a certain substance, and this can make a person sick. When someone has type 1 diabetes the pancreas can’t make enough of an important chemical called insulin, which the body needs to stay healthy. If the body makes too much of a certain chemical, that can make us sick, too. Luckily, medicines can replace what’s missing (like insulin) or they can block production of a chemical when the body is making too much of it. Many people also take chemical medicines to control illnesses that don’t completely go away, such as diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure. With help from these medicines, people can enjoy life and avoid some of the worst symptoms associated with their illnesses which can’t be found in the Herbal medicine. Finally, there are important medicines called immunizations, and they are usually given as a shot. They prevent people from catching serious illnesses.

So the pros and cons of these two kinds of medicine are:
I think that for the love of Nature and what has been given to us through those little harmless leaves and roots, it’s better to use Herbal medicine as long as the disease isn’t life threatening, but for much more serious diseases, the chemical medicine is mandatory.  Now the choice is  yours, do you prefer to heal Naturally or Chemically?

Milau

The town dates back nearly 3000 years when it was situated on the hills above the Granède.
By the second century A.D. the trade had collapsed from competition and subsequent invasions during the fourth and fifth centuries by barbarians saw the town relocate and settle to the opposite bank, changing its name to Amiliavum, then to Milhau en Rouergat (in the Millhau language), then to the French Millhau.

By the ninth century the town has grown and is the seat of a viguerie, a mediaeval administrative court, and a centre for the production of lambskin gloves. At this time the town is surrounded by ramparts. The tenth and eleventh centuries saw the creation of the Viscount of Millau and subsequently passed to the Counts of Provence, the Counts of Barcelona and eventually, in 1112, to the father of the future King of Aragon. In 1187, the King of Aragon grants him the seal and communal freedom of Provence by Consular Charter. A consulate was thus created, and was responsible for administering the city to raise taxes and to apply justice. In 1271, Millau passed to the crown of the kings of France.

In 1361, during the Hundred Years War, the city came under English rule. The return to peace in the fifteenth century gave the city a boost.

In the Middle Ages the town had one of the major mediaeval bridges across the river Tarn. It had 17 spans, but after one poorly maintained span fell in the 18th century, the bridge was mostly demolished. Just one span remains, with a mill that is now an art gallery, as testament to this significant trading route from north to south across pre-Renaissance France.
The Millau Viaduct was completed in 2004, eliminating traffic jams in the town centre. The town is now a tourist centre with one of the largest touring campsites in central France, benefiting from the attraction of the landscapes all around, and the architecturally acclaimed Millau viaduct. It is also a major centre for outdoor sporting activity.

It was designed by the English architect Lord Norman Foster and French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux. As of November 2018, it is the tallest bridge in the world, having a structural height of 343 metres (1,125 ft).

The Millau Viaduct is part of the highway from Paris to Béziers and Montpellier. It was built over three years. The bridge has been consistently ranked as one of the great engineering achievements of all time, and received the 2006 Outstanding Structure Award from the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

The highest pylons in the world: 244.96 metres (803 ft 8 in) and 221.05 metres (725 ft 3 in) in height, broke the world record previously held by the Kochertal Viaduct (Germany), which is 181 metres (594 ft) at its highest

Since opening in 2004, the deck height of Millau has been surpassed by several suspension bridges in China, including Sidu River Bridge, Baling River Bridge, and two spans (Beipan River Guanxing Highway Bridge and Beipan River Hukun Expressway Bridge) over the Beipan River.

What about… #20

Is cruelty part of the human nature?

I’ve finished reading the last book of Robin Hobb called Assassin’s Fate, which is the third book of the Fitz and the Fool triology about two weeks ago. And personally I hated a character named Dwalia for her cruelty upon a 10 year old girl (among other victims) and her hartless nature . This Dwalia made me think of all those human beings who suffered and still do by the hands of other beings. 

We all know the story of Cain and Abel, mentioned in the Holy Scripures. The Bible “Genesis”  4.2-16 tells us:

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the LORD said to him, “Not so ; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

And in the Quran in the chapter “TheTable” 5: 27-32

27. And relate to them the true story of Adam’s two sons: when they offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, but it was not accepted from the other. He Said, “I will kill you.” He Said, “God accepts only from the righteous.”

28. “If you extend your hand to kill me, I will not extend my hand to kill you; for I fear God, Lord of the Worlds.”

29. “I would rather you bear my sin and your sin, and you become among the inmates of the Fire. Such is the reward for the evildoers.”

30. Then His soul prompted him to kill his brother, so he killed him, and became one of the losers.

31. Then God sent a raven digging the ground, to show him how to cover his brother’s corpse. He said, “Woe to me! I was unable to be like this raven, and bury my brother’s corpse.” So he became full of regrets.

32. Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel: that whoever kills a person—unless it is for murder or corruption on earth—it is as if he killed the whole of mankind; and whoever saves it, it is as if he saved the whole of mankind. Our messengers came to them with clarifications, but even after that, many of them continue to commit excesses in the land.

We know the torture that was inflicted on thousands of people in the middle age, i.e burned, chopped, hanged, drowned… it’s almost the same today, but in hidden places where no one witness their atrocities (prisons, rituals, laws)

Some people enjoy seeing a person in pain, but why?  Is it a psychological disorder? Or do they feel more powerful? Here is what I’ve found on Wikipedia: Torture has been carried out or sanctioned by individuals, groups, and states throughout history from ancient times to modern day, and forms of torture can vary greatly in duration from only a few minutes to several days or longer. Reasons for torture can include punishment, revenge, political re-education, deterrence, coercion of the victim or a third party, interrogation to extract information or a confession irrespective of whether it is false, or simply the sadistic gratification of those carrying out or observing the torture. In other cases, the torturer may be indifferent to the condition of the victim. Alternatively, some forms of torture are designed to inflict psychological pain or leave as little physical injury or evidence as possible while achieving the same psychological devastation. The torturer may or may not kill or injure the victim, but sometimes torture results in a deliberate death and serves as a form of capital punishment. Depending on the aim, even a form of torture that is intentionally fatal may be prolonged to allow the victim to suffer as long as possible (such as half-hanging).

Research during the past 60 years, starting with the Milgram experiment, suggests that under the right circumstances, and with the appropriate encouragement and setting, most people can be encouraged to actively torture others.

John Conroy:

“When torture takes place, people believe they are on the high moral ground, that the nation is under threat and they are the front line protecting the nation, and people will be grateful for what they are doing.”

Unfortunately the human being is really complex, we can find the most kind and the most evil in the same city. And the worst of all is that, the first impression someone takes isn’t always what it is. We can’t judge a person by its garments. There is so much evil in this world that I personally don’t trust easily the people I meet. Probably most of us are good, but in this planet where the big fish eats the small one, it’s best to stay focused, so that we don’t get eaten easily. Probably it’s mean of me to think that way,  but it is the way I see the world. I believe that we all lack of Innocence, since our first father and mother, but the difference between us is who strives for the greater good and who doesn’t.

People of the book – part 16

“Say, “O People of the Book, come to terms common between us and you: that we worship none but God, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides God.” And if they turn away, say, “Bear witness that we have submitted.”
Holy Qur’ân 3:64

“PEOPLE OF THE BOOK” is the respectful title given to the Jews and the Christians in the Holy Qur’ân. The Muslims is here commanded to invite – “O People of the Book!” – O Learned People! O People who claim to be the recipients of Divine Revelation, of a Holy Scripture; let us gather together onto a common platform – “that we worship none but God”, because none but God is worthy of worship, not because “THE LORD THY GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME.” (Exodus 20:25). But because He is our Lord and Cherisher, our Sustainer and Evolver, worthy of all praise, prayer and devotion.

In the abstract the Jews and the Christians would agree to all the three propositions contained in this Qur’ânic verse. In practice they fail. Apart from doctrinal lapses from the unity of the One True God, there is the question of a consecrated Priesthood (among the Jews it was hereditary also), as if a mere human being – Cohen or Pope, or Priest, or Brahman, – could claim superiority apart from his learning and the purity of his life, or could stand between man and God in some special sense. Islam does not recognise priesthood!

The Creed of Islam is given to us here in a nutshell from Holy Qur’ân:
“Say: “We believe in Allah, And the revelation given to us, And to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, And that given to Moses and Jesus And that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: We make no difference Between one and another of them: And we bow to God .” Holy Qur’ân 2:136.
The Muslim position is clear. The Muslim does not claim to have a religion peculiar to himself. Islam is not a sect or an ethnic religion. In its view all Religion is one, for the Truth is one. It was the same religion preached by all the earlier prophets. (Holy Qur’ân 42:13). It was the truth taught by all the inspired Books. In essence it amounts to a consciousness of the Will and Plan of God and a joyful submission to that Will and Plan. If anyone wants a religion other than that, he is false to his own nature, as he isfalse to God’s will and plan. Such a one cannot expect guidance, for he has deliberately renounced guidance.