I am troubled and you must be too
The world is troubled and all its people too.
I look around and its chaos everywhere.
I close my eyes and there is chaos everywhere.
She yells, some shout.
They scream, they cry.
They exhibit their chaos,
Decorate it with jewels of pity.
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The Social Media Kindness Project
by: Talin Orfali Ghazarian
Social media has become a big part in today’s society and some people use it for goodness, positive and inspiration, but others not so much. Some people tend to use social media in a negative and toxic way to spread hate, bullying, rudeness, and sending terrible comments to anyone. As previous generations have taught “If you have nothing nice to say or do, do not say or do anything at all”. That is the golden rule.
So, with that I have come up with the social media kindness project. You have no idea what someone is going through in their lives. It is always a good idea to be kind and use social media in empowering and positive ways. This is going to take a village to do. Social media needs a big makeover and we need to start somewhere.
I…
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””Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
~ Eliezer “Elie” Wiesel KBE (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor. He was the author of 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night,.”
Consolation is your sadness on my table.
Pain that is allowed to be.
Consolation is the power of silence.
My listening without judgement.
Consolation is training in little.
Not judging. Not talking.
Not wise advice.
Consolation is hardly anything.
Except being there.
There and then.
Close by.
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Preceding
Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Troost is daar waar pijn gewoon mag zijn
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Filed under Being and Feeling, Movement Without a Name
Lots of youngsters may like the bonke-bonk music and often do not listen to what is said in the lyrics. Often there is much noise going on, one ear in and one ear out,without much notice. But at God‘s station every note can work inspiring and uplifting, even the silence in between brings the necessary peace.
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To remember:
Just like radio waves unseen in the air = God’s Spirit ever present all around you > waiting for you to make contact. designed by your creator to receive those signals
. God’s power is always on. The message is always there but in order to receive it you must turn on & tune in to His frequency!
Prayer = hand of faith that flips the switch & turns on power + hand of hope tunes with expectancy, feeling for the frequency upon which God is broadcasting
spiritual receiver continually turned on & tuned in to His frequency?
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Since a year or five we do notice that the ten years of the growing ‘right’ has not only brought an aversion against immigrants and/or refugees. More and more the Jewish community became target of bullying and hate actions.
The deathly attack on the Jewish museum in Brussels was something which should have awaken the politicians. In Belgium the Jewish schools and centres could receive extra security measures from the Belgian government. That is nice but should be something that would not be necessary.
All over the West-side of the European continent we do see a growing resistance or hate against the choice of living of the Jews in Europe. Several young Jews found it already better to take everything together and to leave this part of the world to go to live in Israel, even when that meant also to go in the army for two years.
Many of us really wonder what we should do today in the face of global anti-Semitism?
There are those who still caution a “better to hush it up and make believe it isn’t there” policy. Giving it publicity, they claim, will only stoke the fire. A shrill response is counterproductive. When we show that we hurt, the argument goes, we’re giving our enemies comfort.
But they are wrong. They are as wrong as those in the early stages of the Holocaust who pretended not to see, who claimed Hitler can’t really be considered a threat, who were sure that the evil of Jew hatred was so obviously uncivilized and barbaric that it had no chance of succeeding. Wait it out, said those who counselled against protests, those who didn’t want to identify themselves as Jews with profound interest in saving their fellow Jews. It can’t happen here, they claimed. But it did – and they were proven wrong six million times over.
There are all too many Hamans today. Anti-Semites require the spotlight of our attention and the public scorn of our protests and demonstrations.
Today we see the growing hostility toward or prejudice against Jews or Judaism as well as against Muslims, because of fundamentalist Muslims (Jihadists) defiling the Muslim faith and calling for a hate against Jews and non-believing people. It looks like we are also getting a revival of the rising nationalism like the one of the 19th century. Today we also see how the Roman Catholic Church, which in the 19th century sometimes subscribed to the idea of Jewish racial identity and sometimes denied it, like then not only fails to condemn European anti-Semitism and anti-Islamism, now the Muslim communities stayed too long silent condemning those Islamist fundamentalists who have nothing to do with real Islam. 
A problem by the Catholics is that in the East of Europe there are still some very right-wing priests and we must remember that in the Balkan several priests in the past had worked together with the Germans to get rid of the Jews. For Rabbi Giuseppe Laras this can well be the reason why the Catholic Church does not react stronger against the growing anti-semitism. He sees in it a continuation of a contempt towards the Jewish people that found genocidal expression during World War II, when Catholic Priests ran half the concentration camps in Fascist Croatia. Though we also should remember that this loathing also extended to Orthodox Christian Serbs, real or non-trinitarian Christians, like the Jehovah Witnesses, and also other minorities like the Roma who were slaughtered in these same camps by the hundreds of thousands.
By the threats of the jihadist groups like Al Qaeda, Daesh or ISIS, and the big amount of refugees coming into Europe lots of poorer Europeans see their jobs threatened and are fearing they would loose out on them.
Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We need not only to shout out our pain, we should motivate others to open their eyes and to see what is going on. We have to call onto those who say they are lovers of God.
We need to assert our Jewish identity – not mask it – with increased passion and vigor. We need to make the elimination of anti-Semitism not simply a Jewish cause but the universal response to a heinous crime which for far too long has soiled the pages of history.
As we prepare to observe Purim this year, let us make the noise required to eradicate the genocidal ambitions of anti-Jewish hatred which still continue to plague us.
The US delegation for the 2004 OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism, led by former New York Mayor Ed Koch and former US Secretary of States Colin Powell. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Preceding article
Seeds from the world creating division and separation from God
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Every day, for the duration of a lifetime.
So many questions. So much doubt. So many thoughts.
Newspapers tell us about possible paths to take.
Friends give advice.
Books give insight.
What happens when you empty your head ?
What do you feel when it is quiet?
When you close yourself off from the outside world?
When you make everything go quiet, very quiet, as in hibernation.
The intense silence makes you restless at first.
Your thoughts go on raving.
And that is allowed.
Accept your doubts and your fears.
But then, listen…
Silence speaks.
Your inner voice becomes powerful.
You can quieten yourself.
In the Great Silence you find your own voice again.
And also your own answers.
Every now and then, become silent.
Be at home in yourself.
Silence is not an empty space, but full of answers.
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Dutch original / Nederlands origineel: De stilte is niet leeg maar vol antwoorden
sign for being quiet (Zeichen für Ruhigsein) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Movement Without a Name
An average Westerner lives in his head. From kindergarten until university he is indoctrinated with the idea that there is an answer to every question and a solution to every problem. In this way his need to understand and control keeps the illusion alive that we have a grip on our reality and have everything under control.
But nothing is further from the truth.
In his book ‘De Schaduw van de Verlichting” Eddy Van Tilt speaks about ‘the over-drive of rationality‘.Because we give our ratio absolute status , we have become estranged of that part of reality that is not rational and with which we have lost touch.
The psychologist Van Tilt asks :
” What happened that caused the heads of Westerners to become so hard and their hearts so weak?”
Because he is confronted with the pathological results of too much ego, the delusion of manipulability and rationalising.
The psychiatrist Mark Epstein reacts to this as follows :
‘our thinking mind is compulsive, because it does not want to forget or be forgotten and therefore always has something to do’.
That is why it will not be easy to ” let go of everything” on holiday.
Because as hungry and restless as our mind is preoccupied with the past and the future, it will need other kinds of stimuli, in order not to forget or be forgotten.
We can put our mind at rest.
In the first place by keeping our heart open, by simply observing what happens inside ourselves and by reconnecting with our body, our surroundings, and by accepting …to be moved. When we enter silence, we will experience “now” and not so much hearing it, but rather feeling it or even better …. experiencing it.
To obtain this , it is not necessary to leave your ego or anything else behind, but to look past its borders.
‘By standing still we do not see new things, but we look at things in a different way’,
is what C.G. Jung concluded once.
Or how going on holiday is mainly… silence in your head and heart.
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Preceding:
Summerholiday season time to read the Bible
Home-stayers and their to do list
Written by inspiration of God for our admonition, to whom it shall be imputed if they believe
Dutch version / Nederlandstalige versie: Vakantie is… stilte in je hoofd
Sigmund Freud, G. Stanley Hall, C.G. Jung, A.A. Brill, Ernest Jones, and Sándor Ferenczi posed at Clark University, Worcester, Mass. Photograph first published in September 1909. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Movement Without a Name
Love and Light.
There are 2 passages in the Bible which appear to say that women should be silent in church.
1 Cor. 14:34-35 & 1 Tim. 2:11-12
A closer look shows that they are talking about different things and use a different Greek word for silence.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (KJV)
“ Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted to them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”
Notice that it doesn’t just say that women can’t speak – even if they have a question they must ask their husbands at home. This implies that husbands are able to answer their wives spiritual questions.
Notice also that Paul appeals to the law, but he doesn’t say where he’s quoting from.
What’s also interesting is it seems to be the ONLY time Paul says he’s quoting the Old Testament, and he doesn’t back it up with the quote.
Let’s take a look at Paul’s normal writing style when he says he’s quoting scripture.
CITING QUOTES – (Thanks to Ian McHaffie for his research on this)
Paul introduces an Old Testament quote by “It is written” about 30 times and Includes full quote
Paul says “it says” or “the law says” about 25 times and includes the quote.
Sometimes Paul just quotes with no introduction about 36 times
So that’s a total of 91 times where Paul gives the actual quote.
The only where he says he’s quoting scripture, but doesn’t say where, seems to be this verse .
1 Cor. 1:1–2a from the 14th century Minuscule 223
It seems strange that if this is a weighty passage intended to stop women speaking for all time – that Paul doesn’t back it up with the exact scripture in the way he normally does. There’s another possibility. Corinthians was written to mostly Gentile believers living in a Roman city. Maybe it’s Roman Law mentioned here.
ROMAN LAW
The word “law ”in 1 Cor. 14 can mean any law whatever -not just the law of Moses. For example Rom.3:27 “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith – so here the word law refers to a law of works and a law of faith. It’s possible the word Law in 1 Cor. 14 could be referring to yet another Law – the Roman Law. Under Roman law a woman was subject to a man all her life. The Romans had a law called Patria Potestas -power of a father – absolute authority – power over life and death. When his daughter married this power could either go to her husband to have control over her, or stay with the father, whichever way, she was always controlled by a man.
But the traditional church argument has been that Paul is referring to Genesis and a Law that women must submit to men. Let’s see if such a law exists.
GENESIS 3:16 is where the traditional argument takes us back to – the events in Eden.
“Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
What is the context of this verse ? It’s often been interpreted through Paul – but let’s think about it again realising that we don’t know if Paul was referring to it.
What happened in Eden was a breakdown of relationships, especially with God, and it lead to sin. When Eve was tempted she didn’t turn to God, she turned to her husband. It was a mistake to turn to her husband, she should have turned to God.
It’s also interesting that the term, “cursed”, arur, is absent from God’s announcement to Eve. The serpent is cursed above all the animals and punished, and because of Adam’s sin, the earth is cursed. But nothing is cursed, using the word ‘arur ‘because of Eve.
Let’s compare this verse in Gen. with Paul’s verse in Corinthian –
“Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16
“They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as also the law says. If they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” 1 Cor. 14:34
Notice that The verse in Genesis isn’t a commandment, it’s a statement -That men WILL rule over women – a prophecy. The verse in Cor. says that women MUST be submissive to men – this is a commandment to obey, two different things.
The question is – is Paul really referring to Genesis?
The traditional view is that Paul expanded what was said in Genesis, that he in fact gave it a different meaning than we would otherwise take from it.
But why would Paul appeal to the Law in this verse, when he says so many times we are no longer under the law?
LAW QUOTES
“Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” Galatians 3:13
“If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:18
This Law of sin and death that we are set free from goes back to Eden. Paul is clearly referring to it and saying we are no longer under it – we still die, but if we are in Christ it doesn’t have a hold over us in a spiritual sense.
So what is this law that Paul is referring to? It’s inconsistent to say we’re NOT under the law and then to enforce it in 1 Cor. 14. Could it just be the Roman Law? Or could there be a fuller explanation?
When Jesus was tempted to take a passage of scripture at face value during his temptation in the wilderness, His response was to say “IT IS ALSO WRITTEN”. He considered the broader picture of what else the scriptures had to say. So now I’d like to do the same. Let’s think about the rest of the Bible and what it has to say about the silence of women. Let’s start by looking at some women in the Old Testament.
The Bible provides examples of women who led, spoke out, and gave wise instruction to both men and women.
I’ve heard it said that men shouldn’t listen to women because Eve deceived Adam – more about that later- but we have the example of David hearkening to the voice Abigail and it was a good thing. She stopped him from sinning. There’s the example of Deborah who judged and led Israel.
Esther who saved the nation by having the courage to speak out – A Jewish girl who married a foreign King at a time when other Jews were forcing men to divorce their foreign wives. (more about that in next post)
Huldah the prophetess -The King and priests – the most important men in all the land – went to her to hear God’s word.
Miriam was chosen by God to lead Israel along with Moses and Aaron.
NO -There weren’t as many women as men in leadership roles but there’s enough to show they DID have God’s approval. I don’t believe it was God who told women to be silent but the prophecy of male dominance taking effect.
RABBIS –Let’s have a quick look at Jewish thinking by the time of Jesus and Paul. As well as the Law of Moses they had all the interpretations of it by Rabbis known as the Mishnah and Talmud. These are some examples of what they said.
“Out of respect to the congregation, a woman should not herself read in the law.”
“It is a shame for a woman to let her voice be heard among men.”
“Even the sound of a woman’s voice is lustful.”
Josephus summed them up:
“Thus says the scripture, a woman is inferior to her husband in all things.”
So clearly these Rabbis thought women were inferior to men and made statements to say that the scriptures backed them up. There’s definitely no scripture which says that a woman is inferior to her husband in all things –it was a story going around because of how the Rabbis re-interpreted scripture.
Let’s compare these sayings with what Jesus said.
WHAT JESUS SAID
“For you have one Teacher, and you are all brethren (includes male and female). And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors (Rabbi, Master), for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant.”Matt. 23:9-11 NIV
So we are not to call anyone but Jesus our instructor or leader. It’s Jesus women turn to for ultimate guidance, not their husband, nor people who wrongly interpret scripture. Likewise it’s Jesus men should turn to, not their wives. Jesus is our leader. How can women ask spiritual questions of their husbands at home if they don’t have a husband?
Let’s think about a woman with no husband. In John 4 Jesus broke the protocol of the day by talking to a woman alone. She had no husband to ask questions of.
The disciples left their nets to follow Jesus, but she left her water pot to go and preach. She was the first person to be told by Jesus that He was the Messiah
She spoke to the people (including men), of the town and “many came to believe because of the words she spoke.”
She was the FIRST to hear Jesus words and go out preaching the good news.
This was clearly an example of a woman preaching the good news of Jesus to men. This woman grasped the message of Jesus and ran with it – she didn’t need a husband to know what the right thing to do was.
Jesus TRAVELLED WITH WOMEN we are told in Luke 8:2
“He went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women.” Luke 8:2
After His resurrection He APPEARED FIRST TO A WOMAN & TOLD HER TO PROCLAIM HIS RESURRECTION – just as we should be doing now.
In John 20:17 Jesus said to Mary
“Go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”
We are told in Luke 24:11 that “It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”
Mary became known as the “apostle to the apostles” because Jesus chose her to give the news of His resurrection to the other disciples. We are told that the 11 men didn’t believe her. We are also told that Jesus rebuked them sternly for this.
Mark 16:14 “Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven … he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen”.
Jesus wasn’t impressed when the men refused to believe these women who were proclaiming the resurrection, especially when they had been instructed by Jesus Himself to proclaim it. This is a powerful point and warning to men who refuse to listen to women proclaim the gospel.
The New Testament is full of examples of women preaching alongside men. Just a few examples here.
Acts 2 says “ALL received the holy spirit, ALL spoke in tongues.” This is what was spoken by Joel the prophet in chapter 2:
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
It was an exciting time for the church – men and women were working together to proclaim the gospel.
We are told that Phoebe (a woman) was a servant/deacon of the church in Cenchrea in Romans 16:1-2, and that Priscilla and her husband Aquila were a preaching team “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” Acts 18:26, 1 Cor. 16:9
Priscilla and Aquilla taught Apollos, they are mentioned together about 5 times and usually it’s Priscilla who is mentioned first. So in the New Testament we hear of women speaking and preaching together with men.
But what of the two difficult verses by Paul which seem to say at face value that women are to be silent???
CONTEXT
–Before we look at the quote in 1 Cor. 14 Let’s think about the context within the rest of 1 Corinthians. Paul doesn’t expect women to be silent because –
1 Cor. 11 discusses what men and WOMEN will wear when PRAYING AND PROPHESYING– both spoken activities.
1 Cor. 14:5 says “I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy”.
1 Cor. 14:26 says “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.”
1 Cor.14:39 says “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy” (NIV)
In the IMMEDIATE CONTEXT – Paul approved and encouraged both men and women speaking in the ecclesial meetings.
In the WIDER CONTEXT – Women spoke, judged, prophesied, led.
EXPLAINING 1 COR. 14:34-35
It seems to me that 1 Cor. 14:34-35 can’t be saying the opposite of what is established by the rest of the Bible. Women did instruct and speak both in the Old Testament and New Testament WITH GOD’S APPROVAL.
The difficulty with 1 Cor. Is that Paul is answering a whole series of questions. We have the answers but not the questions, nor the punctuation in the original Greek to make the questions stand out. We know that all through 1 Cor. Paul is answering questions that have been written to him. 1 Cor. 7:1 makes this clear when Paul says “Now for the matters you wrote about”.
I believe that the strongest explanation for this puzzling verse is that it’s actually Paul quoting one of these questions that he’s been asked .
1 Corinthians 14 is a QUOTATION of the matters they wrote about.
This is what it looks like if we put the words of Paul in italics
QUOTATION 1 Cor. 14:34-35
Paul’s words – Italics
“And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”
“As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame for women to speak in church”.(PART PAUL IS QUOTING THEY HAVE WRITTEN TO HIM ABOUT)
“What?
Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?” (Paul dismisses the idea as nonsense)
I think this passage is the outcome of the Rabbis re-interpreting Genesis 3:16, something that was the thinking of the day, and is one of the “things you wrote about” which Paul refers to.
This theory makes sense of the strange exclamation of “What” at the start of verse 36 -It’s Paul’s dismissal of such an idea that women can’t speak. If we understand it like this, then Paul’s message takes on the opposite meaning to the traditional view. It’s dismissing the silly idea of women not being able to speak. Let’s look more closely at Paul’s dismissal of the idea.
If we understand that the passage is something quoted – then this response from Paul makes sense. The problem verses would be a whole new teaching that contradicts Jesus.
Women to be silent and ask questions of their husbands? Paul challenges this new teaching with two questions.
In Jesus women are “Sons of God”. Being male or female doesn’t matter, they are born of God’s will not men’s will, nor a husbands will.
“To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12
Let’s move on the Paul’s other difficult quote in 1st Timothy
What was Paul’s Purpose of Writing to Timothy?
Paul tells Timothy to stay in Ephesus – so that he could command certain people not to teach false doctrine. So our setting is Ephesus in the 1st Century and there is a problem with wrong doctrine. Lets’ try and go back in time to ancient Ephesus, and try to understand the wrong doctrines that were in circulation.
ANCIENT EPHESUS – Was the home of the Temple of Artemis – one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.
Ephesus was the trade centre of the ancient world. It was a melting pot of myths.
Trying to understand these myths is useful when thinking about the problems that Paul is addressing in his letter to Timothy
Archaeological site Ephesus at the time of Marcus Ampe’s 1992 visit
Besides the cult of Artemis, there is evidence of various mystery religions, the practice of magic (Acts 19:19), worship of Egyptian gods as well as a large number of other gods.Legend has it that the city of Ephesus was founded by the Amazon women who also built the first temple to Artemis. Ancient Statues of the Amazon women still exist. Artemis, according to Greek mythology, is one of the virgin goddesses who remained independent and free of any man. She is the Goddess of pregnant women and childbirth, Goddess of all animals and Goddess of the hunt.
Let’s think about the Amazon women who supposedly founded Ephesus.
AMAZON WOMEN – According to Greek mythology the Amazons were a nation of all female warriors who originated from Northern Turkey. They were skilled warriors who rode horses, enslaved men and forced them to build the city of Ephesus. They also worshipped Artemis. By the time of Paul Artemis had merged into Diana of the Ephesians.
DIANA of the Ephesians
We know from Acts 18 that Diana was worshipped all over the Roman Empire, and this is confirmed by ancient coins which even call her “Saviour”. From Acts 19:27 we have the quote
“The goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world.”
She had many titles, one of them was PROTECTOR OF WOMEN IN CHILDBIRTH
The Roman Diana had evolved from the Greek One. The idea of powerful independent women was reinforced in the Artemis cult because unlike other Greek goddesses, Artemis had no need of a male partner. Images of the Amazon women also lined her temple in Ephesus.
Philosophers, Myths -As we’ve seen Ephesus was a breeding ground for myths and also attracted philosophers. Paul said –
“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified.” 1 Cor. 1:20-25
Ephesus, library of Celsus – Photo by Marcus Ampe
Here in Ephesus the thinkers of the age came together. There was a statue in the library in AD 117 where wisdom or Sophia was personified as a woman.
At some stage there were the Gnostic stories going around. It’s hard to date the origin of the Gnostic stories as they evolved over time, but it seems likely that the ideas that fed them would have been present in Ephesus at the time of Pauls writings. This is one of the Gnostic texts which mentions Eve as the daughter of Sophia (Wisdom) who wakes Adam from sleep.
Myth – Eve made first (difficult to date the origins of these myths)
Sophia sent Zoe, her daughter, who is called “Eve,” as an instructor in order that she might raise up Adam, in whom there is no spiritual soul so that those whom he could beget might also become vessels of light. When Eve saw her companion, who was so much like her, in his cast down condition she pitied him, and she exclaimed: “Adam, live! Rise up upon the earth!” Immediately her words produced a result for when Adam rose up, right away he opened his eyes. When he saw her, he said: “You will be called ‘mother of the living’, because you are the one who gave me life.“ from ‘On the Origin of the World’
We’ll keep these ideas in mind while we look at Paul’s other difficult passage.
Paul’s other difficult passage
SILENCING WOMEN ? 1 Tim 2:11-15
“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. And she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”
At face value Paul appears to be silencing women because Adam was made first and wasn’t deceived like Eve was. He appears to be giving Adam an elevated status and endorsing a MALE HIERARCHY. Let’s see how these ideas compare to the teachings of Jesus.
Would Paul contradict Jesus? What did Jesus say?
NO HIERARCHY
“Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant.”
Matt.23:11“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Mark 10:43
“Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:35
ORDER DOESN’T MATTER
“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Matt. 19:30
Younger brothers chosen: Jacob not Esau, Isaac not Ishmael, Joseph ruler of older brothers, David the youngest son
WHAT PAUL APPEARS TO SAY
MALE HIERARCHY ?
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” 1 Tim. 2:12
“They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” 1 Cor. 14:34-35
“The head of the woman is man” 1 Cor. 11:3
DOES ORDER REALLY MATTER ?
“She must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” 1 Tim 2:13
Conclusion – At face value – the words of Jesus and the words of Paul don’t seem to agree.
Let’s compare Paul’s words in here to some of his other words.
Would Paul contradict himself?
The question is – Would Paul really command all women to be silent when
he has encouraged them to speak?
1 Cor. 11 discusses what men and WOMEN will wear when PRAYING AND PROPHESYING– both spoken activities.
1 Cor. 14:5 – “I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy”.
1 Cor. 14:26 – “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.”
1 Cor.14:39“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy” (NIV)
Would Paul say order matters in one place when he said it doesn’t in another?
1 Cor. 11:11-12 “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. And everything comes from God.”
Compared to
‘Women are to be silent for man was formed first.’
So once again – at face value – Paul’s words are very puzzling. Let’s think about Timothy the young man Paul is writing to.
Timothy’s Background
Paul begins his letter by saying –
“To Timothy, my dear son…
I thank God, whom I serve… I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Tim 1
Let’s compare this to our difficult passage
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” 1 Tim. 2:12
Again the passages seem to clash. Would Paul really silence Timothy’s mother and Grandmother? In 2 Timothy he commends them, he even seems to say that Timothy’s faith had been nurtured by his mother and grandmother. It would seem very much that they had in fact been teachers to Timothy
Let’s think about another part of the difficult Timothy Passage.
Verse 14
“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” 1 Tim 2:14
A misunderstanding of 1 Tim 2: 12 has caused Eve to be blamed for the original sin which brought down mankind – yet Adam and Eve were together in the transgression. Eve turned to Adam when she was deceived. Adam knowingly sinned.
It’s interesting that in Eden God had given the command not to eat of the tree of knowledge to Adam – before Eve was made. It would seem that Eve was told about the command via Adam, and what Eve told the serpent was not quite what God Told Adam.
After they ate the fruit it was Adam that God spoke to- the one given the original command from God. Adam’s guilty verdict starts with “Because you listened to your wife,” which gives the impression that listening to his wife is his main misdoing; this is NOT what it’s about at all.
The point of Adam listening to his wife was not about listening to a woman, and therefore all men should never listen to women- the point was about Adam messing up and disobeying the direct and clear command from God. Adam deliberately sinned by eating the fruit, he knew it was wrong and still did it anyway. Eve had been deceived by wrong doctrine, she wasn’t sure if it was wrong anymore.
Paul said repeatedly that is was ADAM who brought sin into the world.
IT IS ALSO WRITTEN
“For as in Adam all die”1 Cor. 15:22
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin” Rom. 5:12
It’s very likely that the church in Ephesus would have read Paul’s letters to the Romans and Corinthians Letters which stated that Sin came into the world by one man – Adam. It’s very likely that the women were questioning whether Eve was part of the original sin of Adam. In 1 Timothy Paul is emphasising that women were drawn into the transgression by being deceived, that is the point here – to correct wrong doctrine. It seems likely that some women were saying that Eve was not part of Adam’s sin.
Different Greek words for silence
Next let’s compare our difficult verse in Cor. with our difficult verse in Timothy.
The translators have used the same English word “SILENCE” in these 2 passages. But in Greek the words are different with different meanings. The word for silence in the Cor. passage means silence as we understand it – without sound.
But the word in the Timothy passage doesn’t necessarily mean to be without sound – It has more of a slant to meaning stillness, or behaving in a quiet way, or settling down.
COMPARE -So let’s compare our Timothy passage with another passage which uses the same word for silence – only this time the translators decided to call it quietness.
1 Timothy 2:11-15
“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.”
2 Thes. 3:11
“We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread…14And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.”
So in this passage the same word takes on the meaning of quietness. It’s the Greek word hesychia, it’s not the word sigan, “refrain from speaking”, used in 1 Corinthians 14 when speakers in tongues, prophets and the women are told to be silent. “Quiet” in verse 2 of the same chapter in Timothy means “free from disruption or persecution”, and it has been suggested that Paul meant the same in verse 11, i.e. that no attempt should be made to disrupt the process of a woman being taught.
Traditional Interpretation
Let’s compare the traditional interpretation with an alternative one
Traditional interpretation –
Women are to be silent because Adam was made first. A universal rule from Paul to apply to all women for all time.
Alternative interpretation –
Deceived women teaching wrong doctrines are to stop teaching and learn in quietness. Advice for a local situation to women who still needed to learn and were leading others astray. Other women like Priscilla were ready to teach and they did.
1 Tim 1 What was PAULS PURPOSE OF WRITING TO TIMOTHY?
1 Tim 1:3 says
“Stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.”
NOTICE: Paul’s command was only for ‘certain people’ – the ones teaching wrong doctrine.
FROM THE CONTEXT OF 1 TIM. 2 The Wrong Doctrines appear to be
– Doubts about Jesus being human
– Angry men
– Women overdressing
– EVE MADE FIRST and not part of Adam’s transgression
– HAVING CHILDREN WAS BAD or women hoped Diana would saved them in childbirth
Paul’s comments – Wrong Doctrines
I want to try to explain this passage by comparing what Paul is saying, to what appears to be the wrong doctrines he’s referring to.
Remember that in chapter one Paul told Timothy to stop some of the people from teaching – the people to stop teaching were the ones spreading wrong doctrine.
“Stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.”
Then in chapter two he goes on the say who those certain people are he is not allowing to teach – it is directed at a woman or perhaps a group of women.
I don’t allow a woman (with wrong doctrine – who is still following the myths and genealogies) to teach nor to “usurp authority” (act of herself – independently of the men) but to learn quietly.
For Adam WAS formed first. Remember we know that there were ideas circulating in the Gnostic writings that Eve woke Adam. It’s not unreasonable to suppose that those ideas were forming at the time of Paul’s writings. Paul is not saying
“Women must be silent because Adam was made first”
He’s saying that women with wrong doctrine must not teach and the fact is that Adam WAS made first, and that Eve WAS in the transgression.
Paul warned of those who claimed to have true knowledge but had a false knowledge (gnosis “Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge (gnosis)” 1Tim.6:20
WOMEN HAVING AUTHORITY
The Greek word for “AUTHORITY” that Paul uses in this verse is unique – it’s the only time it appears in the Bible.
1 Tim 2:12 “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence (meaning quietness).”
Authority – authenteo –means “to act of oneself” a SELF WORKER
The most common word used for authority in the New Testament is
– exousia– means power or authority – used 103 times
We know from the context of 1 Timothy that there were women in Ephesus who were trying to dominate but they were lead astray by wrong doctrine and still needed to learn. We know there was a culture in Ephesus of Diana worship and of the worship of independent women who had once dominated men – according to myth.
Paul is saying that women with wrong doctrine were not to be self workers, not to be independent of the men.
It should also be noted that Paul is not saying that men can have authority over women or be self workers – MEN can’t work independently of women – JUST AS WOMEN CAN’T WORK INDEPENDENTLY OF MEN.
Saved through childbearing?
What does Paul’s statement mean that women will be saved through childbearing?
I don’t believe this verse is saying that women are saved by the birth of Jesus.
It’s not saying “through the childbirth” there is no “the” in the Greek. It is in the same sense of childbearing that he uses in chapter five.
1 Tim. 2:15 “And women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”
1 Tim. 5:14 “So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.”
Women are not saved by a different process MEN AND WOMEN are saved by grace – by belief in God and Jesus.
But idle widows at Ephesus were being deceived by wrong doctrine (turning after Satan). Perhaps they were following the wrong teaching of abstaining from marriage. Perhaps Paul suggested that marrying, having children and keeping busy would save them from being led astray as Eve had been by wrong teaching.
Paul silences Men
Paul didn’t only silence women, he also silenced men. He silenced anyone with WRONG DOCTRINE !
That’s the real point here. It’s not a matter of gender – it’s a matter of stopping those who teach wrongly whether they are male or female.
Titus 1:10-14
SINNING PEOPLE (men included) DECEIVING OTHERS WITH JEWISH FABLES TO BE SILENCED
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
ANOTHER WOMAN WHO TAUGHT WRONG DOCTRINE
Rev 2:24 “Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols….. But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you no other burden.”
POINTS
There was no other burden put on the men & women of Thyatira The only one told to be silent is the one with wrong doctrine.
Jezebel was not condemned for speaking – but for speaking wrongly, for turning after Satan.
Eve’s undoing was that she was deceived by wrong doctrine. Adam’s undoing was his deliberate sin.
ADAM WAS GIVEN God’s word first – presumably Adam told it to Eve. After the sin it was Adam who God confronted with the question “Have you eaten from the tree that I COMMANDED YOU not to eat from?”Gen 3:11 God didn’t ask this question of Eve.
Adam sinned knowingly, he should have saved Eve when she was deceived.
JESUS -the second and greater Adam – didn’t give in to sin and died to save his bride. Being first didn’t make Adam better than Eve – he sinned.
Jesus the 2nd Adam is greater that the 1st Adam. The fact that Adam was formed before Eve doesn’t make him greater. Paul was more likely correcting wrong doctrine when he made the point that Adam was made first. Probably some were saying that Eve was made first.
MEN are GIVEN the SAME WARNING
2 Cor. 11:3 to both MEN AND WOMEN
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray”
So Paul warns MEN as well not to be deceived and fall into sin like Eve.
The point of the passage in Timothy about deception is DON’T MAKE EVE’S MISTAKE – don’t be deceived – turn to God not people
What about Paul’s advice to young widows? Is Paul’s giving advice in a Local Context or making a rule for all women for all time?
1 Tim 5:14 “So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, rule their households”
Compare this to
1 Cor. 7:8 ”Now to the unmarried and the widows
I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.”
(Anna had been a young widow – SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO MARRY AND HAVE CHILDREN. She spoke to “ALL (men and women) who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem”.)
Man as the Head –is A symbol to show Christ’s relationship with the church… it’s a marriage symbol. By not understanding this symbol some people have fallen into the “men domination women” relationship of Eden that Christ freed us from. Man as the head is not about male domination but a relationship in marriage that echoes Jesus saving his bride.
MARRIAGE
THE WIFE- the church
She is presenting a picture of how believers submit to Christ.
THE HUSBAND -symbol of Christ. He is to love his wife as Christ loved the church.
Someone looking at a believing husband should be able to see a picture of how Christ loved the church.
JESUS & HIS BRIDE – He didn’t tell His bride to be silent – He told her to go into the whole world and preach the gospel
It is also written
We began by looking at 2 quotes that many people have taken at face value.
But Jesus didn’t just take verses at face value, He also weighed up everything else that God had said. So Jesus didn’t isolate verses to mean something that was incompatible with the rest of scripture.
So when we see a verse that says “Women are to be silent for Adam was formed first”
We should also remember the verse that says that man also comes from woman and everything is from God, and the multitude of verses which encourage women to speak, pray, teach.
There is neither Jew nor Greek
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal . 3:28
PAUL’S FINAL COMMENT ABOUT TEACHING
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” “reliable people” = men & women
2 Tim. 2:2 New NIV © 2010
SUMMARY
1 Cor. 14:34-35
Paul was quoting one of the matters that he had been asked about before dismissing it as nonsense.
1 Tim 2:11-15
Deceived women teaching wrong doctrines are to stop teaching and learn in quietness. Advice for a local situation to women who still needed to learn and were leading others astray . Other women like Priscilla were ready to teach and they did.
Robin Jones
PPT presentation at oneinchrist.yolasite.com
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Filed under History, Religious affairs
Who in this world is used to be lonely perhaps did not try enough to get in contact with others and to reach out the hand of love giving trust and did not opened his or her mind to feel the Most High divine Creator Who is prepared to meet all His creatures who are willing to meet Him.
When used to being lonely, having voices sounding like silence, we do have to recharge ourselves and dare to go out in what looks like the storms outside that may look serene.
Related articles
- Numinous Experience (mrlivermore.wordpress.com)
I thought up the question ‘Numinous experience is incapable of supporting belief in God’. Discuss, firstly because I don’t think a question on it has ever come up before, and also because I think there is a strong argument that the concept of numinous experience (as devised by Rudolf Otto and set out in The Idea of the Holy) is not really capable of being an argument for God’s existence. I am fairly sure Otto didn’t intend any explicit ‘argument from religious experience’ anyway, but there is obviously an implicit thread about experience pointing to God in his book which can be picked up and evaluated.- How Can a Mystery as Large as the Universe Connect to a Being Like Me? (findingourwayhomeblog.wordpress.com)
Human beings have long imagined the possibility of an infinite being, a divine being, who is creator and sustainer of the universe, commonly known in our culture as God. Not all human beings resonate with this idea, and the details vary as to what God might be like, but most peoples have some sort of divine being or beings as a part of the stories and values of their culture. I have spoken of God as the larger Mystery of which we are a part.- Divine Trust (thenewsageblog.wordpress.com)
If only you loved, cherished and trusted yourself as much as your soul does, you would not think twice about making your heart’s will the conscious motivation behind your every thought, word and action.- Confidence through Jesus (prayersofmysoul.wordpress.com)
Jesus is no longer with us. Wouldn’t it be better if he could still walk among us, visiting every nation, performing miracles, and continuing to teach us how to live? Imagine the impact he could have had over the past two thousand years! But the truth is, Jesus has not left us alone. He is still with us; he still guides us. And even better, he is also in heaven, interceding for us before his Father (Hebrews 9:24).- Signed by God (youngadultministries.wordpress.com)
It’s so painfully obvious that if I’m a child of God, then you must be one too, but it’s too easy to forget that in the daily tasks of life.Jesus was constantly picking up God’s letters off the street, reading them, loving them, and acknowledging how miraculous they were. That’s the kind of world I want to live in: where everyone celebrates just how miraculous their cashier at Starbucks is or just how much they love their car mechanic.
You’re so used to being lonely,
That the voices sound like silence,
And all the storms outside
Look serene.
You’re so used to being lonely,
That the crowd in the streets
Look like black and white
Shadows.
You’re so used to being lonely,
That you can live a lifetime lonely,
And enjoy the company
Of the lonely souls inside of you.
You’re so used to being lonely.
Not alone, but lonely.
Lonely,
Because alone is only for a while,
But lonely is a state.
Lonely is forever.
On the 25th of April 2013 I wrote, on my personal pages, the page Bloggers for Peace. Over there on Marcus’s Space I wondered if it would still be possible to get several people come together to share like-minded thoughts of love and peace. Nearly a year later I must admit I am a little bit disappointed with the meagre result. On the 29th of March 2014 there were only 4 likes and not one real response or reaction, though there were 9 Pingbacks.
Give Peace a chance by promoting it and by sharing your positive thoughts.
I myself did some search and placed links to several other “Bloggers For Peace”, but they never gave me a personal sign or contacted me further to really take further action. Perhaps because I placed it on my personal blog, nobody dared to join. So, I do try at this place. Perhaps a Club does not frighten them off and would give more people confidence enough they may say what they want and write when they want. Those who want to join the guest writers shall be able to publish when they want and how much they want, so they should not be so afraid of restrictions.
I do find it strange that I can find a lot of American blogs where they throw with all sorts of Awards and Prizes, and do seem to appreciate others writings on peace, spiritual and religious living. But I do never see them getting together and taking action with others or really sharing articles. To me it more often looks like an adventure of getting free advertisements for certain websites or blogs (the initiator of the award). Mostly they say to feel free to accept the Such or such Award, like the Inner Peace Award and to add it on your blog, asking you to keep to just one or two rules. The one to pass the award on demanding to share some kind words with that person, is not a bad rule and can help to spread some nice words, which this world for sure can use more. Some present other rules where we can question what it has to do with peace or happiness. We can see that by a lot of such awards the interest is more placed to the persons themselves, having them to tell about themselves, what they like to eat, read and watch on television or in the cinema. Not really about the project or telling more about their action how to bring peace to others and how to contribute so that people could live better together.
Altogether it looks like the maker of the award can receive more readers to his blog by all the links back to his or her blog.
We are not so much interested in awards, but we would love to see many more people coming together and sharing their ideas, bringing understanding joy and peace to people from all over the world. This is the magnificent element of the new technology of internet.Everywhere in the world people can read and get to know people from everywhere in the world.
When we look at the world we may find one big mess. For many uncertainties about the future increase every year or even every month.
Our world has, to some degree, got used to living with uncertainties about the future – so much so nearly all plan for the present, for this year and maybe next, especially if they have children. There may be a lot of problems in the families and in the world, but every where may be living people who can shed some light in the darkness. When you would put all those little candles, those little light-bulbs together, you would find a major light attracting more people.
Internet offers a lot of noisy and spectacular things and tries to lure people into many adventures looking at certain things and buying lots of things. Insistent invitations to look at a picture, video, or the latest trend lots of people come to live in a sub-real world stuffing themselves with the junk food of audible and visual ‘noise’ and ‘information’.
:
No longer are there pockets of peace in the places we frequent. Medical waiting rooms, once havens of quiet where the only sound might be the pages of a magazine turning, now have blaring televisions, sometimes competing with music from an overhead sound system. Even the relative silence of libraries is interrupted by clicking keyboards. Places of worship, too, have become stimulating, noisy spaces in their congregations’ quest to become relevant. And, when was the last time you saw a sign that said, “Quiet. Hospital Zone”? {The need for quiet}
We would like to find more souls who do not mind sharing ideas with each other and getting others to know such blogs where time is taken to look into the soul of man, and to look at wonders of the world. Nature has so much to offer, and so many people are gifted to bring the beauty of nature closer to the heart. It would be lovely if we could have such persons who would not mind to bring their talents together on a place like this one, and enable those interested to go from here to the many proposed interesting sites.
Because time flies and we do not have much time it would be marvellous if we could have some people who present us with their selection of interesting material. Yes you perhaps could call it a “Readers Digest” of contemporary times. If you have qualities you would not mind sharing with us, why hesitate, and not join us? You may find here a place where you can place articles which could not find a place on your personal blog or which ad to or even may direct to your blog(s) and blogs you feel could be of interest to others. By presenting your selection you can help others to save time searching, but also wasting time reading less interesting blogs. Because of our limited time short presentations, reblogs of interesting articles will be more than welcome by many readers which can be build up, because there can be found several authors at one place.
Image of the Oslo Business for Peace Award (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In a few days time we are facing the month of April as “Peace Month”. Perhaps lots of activity shall take place in the press and in your neighbourhood. Perhaps more people also would like to look fro more information or would like to do something against all the controversy and fighting which is going on in this world. Serious teen problems like bullying, violence, drugs, depression, and suicide shall be able to find some more attention. and this would be some subjects we would love to see spoken off on this site. But what also could be interesting is to hear personal experiences how people could cope in live and how they think they could make their live and that of others better.
Whilst my lifestyle magazine “Stepping Toes” is more concerned about the way we are spiritually living and looking at it all, from a more religious point of view, here at “From Guest-writers” all subjects can receive a place, seen from non-religious as well as from religious points of view. Most interesting can be also to find some writers, who would not mind to bring up political issues and show us different ways how a society could work, to become a better place to live for every body.
We would like to offer young and older writers the opportunity to reach more readers. The writers themselves shall also be able to ‘earn more’ from writers of every colour, ethnicity, religious faith, sexual orientation, political viewpoint, and country of residence or origin. The public finding more writers in one place, willing also to direct them to still more other writers, by presenting links and reblogs to interesting articles can enrich us all.
Here the writer may be the guest-speaker and the audience at the same time. As such he or she will have the responsibility to engage the audience (internetters from all over the world) and triggering the debate, discussions and conversations, this in a world where there is a lot of competition in a (virtual) world where it is not easy to engage the head and heart of the audience which has a short attention span.
By sharing each others work we also want to world to show that there is more unity in the universe than many think.
Our common goal will be to show that by increased focus on each of core areas of expertise we shall be able to give a broad spectrum to our public, and shall be able more successfully bring over our message of understanding and peace.
In order to collaborate, many of us will have to get out of our comfort-zones. Those of us working in the non-profit sector have to learn to operate effectively along side each other so we aren’t trying to “do it all”. We do have to trust that others can do that what they are best in. Each having an other speciality or an other main interest is best to concentrate on the subjects they are good at or which are not yet been tackled or spoken off. We need to focus deeply on our core capabilities and trust others to fill the gaps. But naturally there have to be others willing to come to full those gaps. Therefore we would like to ask all who come along this site and who read this article, to think about joining us and helping everybody to create a way to reach more people with our message for making a better world for all around us.
Better than giving awards and prizes we let others know those sites which could be of interest and do take actively part in spreading good news, up-building words, uplifting stories and designs or pictures, showing the world the beauty which is to find if we want looking for it and seeing it.
All those who join us should be people who want to care or who have the right spirit to look and find the “unlimited loving kindness of others”. It should be people who carry the “caritas” in them, the philanthropy and charity, to help others and reduce inequity and suffering while in process becoming caring individuals.
I am convinced, though we may not know the persons individually, with our writings we can reach them and have something to bring to them which can relieve them. In the articles we can point out roots of problems and show solutions to problems. Seeing and recognising the problems in the world, lying them in the “open”, we do have no other choice than to act and react, to relieve the pain of our neighbours. Looking at giving chiefly through the lens of amount of money is inappropriate and belittles the efforts of those who are giving far more of themselves.
Giving is about helping humankind and becoming better people in ourselves; It is a willingness to know your own position and to be aware of the position of others. You shall always find people who are better off and also whoo are worse off. there also would always people you like more than the other. It even can well be there are persons you hate. there are many people in this world who loose a lot of energy hating someone. We would love to bend that energy in the positive sense. We do believe that the more you start to care for that person the more each of you will be growing to each other respecting for what you are.Showing love not hateShowing to the world that we care, this will in the end bring some changes. Every little change will be worth the effort. Whether or not they will react, if they are going to say something to you, and whether they actually feel something towards you.
Hate takes to much time out of your life. It destroys your relationships and makes you a person you don’t want to be. {Hate is for the Weak}
We would like to bring the message to the general public:
Why hate someone and show them that you care more than you say? Why put in all that time and energy for someone you don’t want apart of your life? {Hate is for the Weak}
We want as many people as possible to become part of our world. We would love to see a rainbow-nation, where many ideas may find their appreciation and may construct something nicely.
Nothing is wrong to have an own opinion and being passionate about it. We do hope more people shall be coming out of their shell, to be wanting to become more determined to come out on top and show people they have the right to be where they are or stand in their life.
Saswata Mitra tries to bring a box full of shimmer, being fresh, imaginative and alluring, like a jukebox, their perhaps you may ask and get, but also here we would like to offer such a sort of jukebox. We do believe the best medicine is the positive thought. We would love to find more writers and photographers or plastic artists who can share their positive ideas and beautiful pictures to inspire others.
The blog “The Mystic Sandbox ” initiated by Saswata and Navneet, revolves around crisp and precise about stuff that you will be able to relate. We too would like to find writers who manage to offer enough material to which many could relate and get inspired from.
We do not mind presenting people here who may have notions that are contradictory to mainstream conjecture. We do not have to go along with the majority in life. We also could try to convince others they are not so strange or mad to have other ideas than the mainstream. We would like to show others they might have confidence in the way they are thinking and the way they want to go, though it is not how the majority wants them to go.
Saswata wrote:
“In life, we come across many challenges. Some of them make us who we are while some tell us what we should be. Sometimes it is the opposite. There will be struggle, there will be bad days. Days which would never seem to end. Days which would go on and on, which would keep hurting us till the end. Many of us actually most would give up but the people who wont will be the ones to face the brighter side of the day. The night is darkest before dawn but how can we forget the rainbow after the rain? We understand to love, to give, to endure, to find pleasure, to please but what we do not understand is ourselves during all of this. Life can lie to us and no one will stop it, it can play all sorts of games with us without us even knowing because there is no one controlling it. But whatever happens in life happens for good. Good of all in it..” {Sorry For The Long Absence and What’s Been Going On In My Life!}
We would love to let others see that we all can learn from our own bad experiences and turn them into something good. By sharing each-others experiences we would like to show the love for our neighbours and allow them to have a peep in our own bad and good experiences so they might learn from them as well.
Let us all always remember:
“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
-Martin Luther King
and that: when we do not speak, we also give a voice or “speak”, and enable that good, but also bad things, can happen.
Therefore I do hope many will be willing to join and give a voice to spread nicer messages than all the violence we hear every day on the wireless. We also do hope some will like to share some nicer pictures than the awful images we every day get to see on the screens of television and computer.
We invite everybody who would love to spread a thought of love and peace to join us. Even when they only would contribute once a year, with having twelve writers this would give once a month a thought bringing some positiveness to others. It might be telling about something positive that happened somewhere in the world. Not focussing on all the bad things that happen in this world but giving once attention to something positive, the media may forget or put it somewhere forgotten in a small corner of the so ‘maniest’ page. We sould love to find some facts, but also would appreciate some fiction as well, that can make us dream or look at the world in a positive way. We would love to see stories that may have a human connection. A real life story. Please remember no story is big or small. Every story matters.
Every one may come forward to share their stories or pictures. they may do it by acting or reacting on something what is published here or they may offer their services as a co-author. It is a free choice. We also offer a platform where people are invited to share ideas and to talk their heart out.
In case they would prefer to stay anonymous they are also welcome to send in material and we will publish it not disclosing their identity.
In the hope to find many people who would like to come along here to read and to share,
I do thank all those who came along and took some time to linger on this site, and do hope to see them coming back again.
Looking forward to find more people from all over the world willing to share their contributions and letting us know other interesting websites, writers and artists,
Yours sincerely,
Marcus Ampe
You too may join a movement the world needs.
We are having a “membership drive” so-to-speak, and we would really love you participation.
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>>> This club of writers was initiated by Marcus Ampe founder of the Lifestyle magazine Stepping Toes. <<<
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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Announcement, Introduction, Lifestyle, Social affairs
Lifestyle and Readers Digest Magazine founded by Marcus Ampe on the 26th of March 2014
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We belong to the Bloggers for Peace and you can join them too. (Click on the picture to know more and to connect.)
I first started to write about “Why certain people don’t understand some things” but this night wrote first more about the lack of empathy we encounter in this world. Being 4 am, I got lost in writing, forgetting the initial title. So today I changed the title of my first writing on the question What’s […]
What’s something most people don’t understand? Throughout history, one can find some people who have acted weird, according to the majority of people. It was men and women who preferred to be themselves and not go with the mainstream. At their time they have strange things and did not mind following their dreams or thoughts. […]
The further attack by publishers of novellas and literary masterpieces by simply deleting words and descriptions to be supposedly acceptable in our contemporary culture.
What do you wish you could do more every day? The present days seem to have exchanged their hours for minutes or seconds. At times, it is impossible to stop those hands of the clock or call the days to silence. Even if I leave the days of the tear-off calendar untouched, they are gone […]
De Belgische regering is in haar eigen bedje ziek maar lijkt de betonrot in eigen gelederen niet op te merken.
While I may be uncertain about my own abilities, I am very confident about the things that have become prophesied in the Bible, which makes me joyful on that front of confidence every day.
What makes you most anxious? There may be lots of things that may get me worried, but also lots of things I am anxious to do. I might be anxious that something should happen, me very much wanting to do it, or very much wanting it to happen. Not meeting requirements or expectations worries me […]
Originally posted on Levant's Agora:
The National Editorial. Sunday’s news that Lebanon’s residents woke up in two different time zones led to jokes about “Muslim time” and “Christian time” but it also exemplified some of the problems facing the state. The government announced that the usual start of Daylight Saving Time would be delayed…
Originally posted on Levant's Agora:
By Ghassan Charbel. The world is living on Kremlin time. The decisions of its master leave their mark on the security of the planet and the prices of energy and grain. Experts agree that another year of the Russian war on Ukraine will be catastrophic to the world. Vladimir…
Putin suggested a nuclear announcement was on the way earlier in the week, saying Russia would respond to Britain’s decision to supply armour-piercing shells to Ukraine made of depleted uranium.
Long Covid Two-thirds of affected UK workers face unfair treatment, says report TUC and charity call for better support and legal right to reasonable adjustments at work for sufferers UK ministers should act to ensure long Covid sufferers receive the support they need from employers, with as many as two-thirds claiming they have been unfairly […]
The weather has finally started to brighten up in the UK. If you’ve been neglecting your gardens, or the little patch of green you have been nurturing, what better time is there to turn back to it than spring? Matt Collins has set out an easy-to-follow guide of affordable gardening tips that you can implement […]
Christians in politics have been accommodated through a policy of don’t-ask, don’t-tell, but some argue endlessly about which bathrooms trans people should be allowed to use. Cisgender psychologists and sexologists pathologise the transgender experience according to their own biases, cisgender insurance executives arbitrarily what is and isn’t “necessary care” for transgender policyholders, and so on.
Het kan niet genoeg herhaald worden: antizionisme is geen antisemitisme.
Originally posted on Quo Vadis:
Zionisme is het (blijven) streven naar en behoud van een Joodse staat. Anti-zionisme is dus het verzet tegen de enige joodse staat. Behalve de genoemde landen met een islamitische meerderheid, zijn praktische alle andere landen, incl Israel, seculier, geen enkele religie is dominant en er is godsdienstvrijheid. Godsdienstvrijheid is één…
Een kijk (door Willem Frederik Veltman) op wat de beste remedie is tegen nationalisme.
Introducing a news website that may well deserve your attention as it also debunks fake news and brings out the true facts.
Voorstelling van een nieuwswebsite die gerust uw aandacht mag verdienen omdat deze ook fake news ontkracht en de ware feiten nar boven brengt.
Event Turkey has broken Nato unity on Finland and Sweden’s push to join the alliance, blocking an initial vote on accession after President Erdogan demanded that the two countries hand over dozens of Turkish exiles he accused of “terrorism”. The veto came hours after Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary-general, hailed a historic moment for western […]
The Times, May 2, 2022 Event Ukraine, one of the most fertile and productive countries in the world, has been known historically as the “bread basket of Europe”. Now it is facing a complex and unprecedented agricultural crisis, in which landmines are only one of numerous interlinked problems. The United Nations estimates this year’s harvest […]
BBC, April 22 + Audit of antisemitic incidents Event The number of anti-Semitic incidents around the world dramatically increased last year, a study by Tel Aviv University has found. The report identifies the US, Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia as among countries where there was a sharp rise. This was fueled by radical left- […]
The Times, April 16 Russia’s setbacks could prompt President Putin to use tactical nuclear weapons, William Burns, the CIA director, has said. Moscow has a stockpile of about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, also known as low-yield or battlefield munitions, that can be deployed by air, sea or artillery. These are generally less potent than the […]
We continue reading and meditating on Solomon’s Proverbs; if all the people in Israel had put his precepts into practice surely his kingdom would have continued to be a great and righteous kingdom for “a great while” (2 Samuel 18:9) after his death. Sadly the history of the generations that followed shows that was not […]
“Die Tage unserer Jahre, ihrer sind siebzig Jahre, und, wenn in Kraft, achtzig Jahre, und ihr Stolz ist Mühsal und Nichtigkeit, denn schnell eilt es vorüber, und wir fliegen dahin.” (Ps 90:10 ELB)“Stimme eines Sprechenden: Rufe! Und er spricht: Was soll ich rufen? “Alles Fleisch ist Gras, und alle seine Anmut wie die Blume des […]
“Les jours de nos années s’élèvent à soixante-dix ans, Et, pour les plus robustes, à quatre-vingts ans ; Et l’orgueil qu’ils en tirent n’est que peine et misère, Car il passe vite, et nous nous envolons.” (Ps 90:10 LSG)“Une voix dit : Crie ! — Et il répond : Que crierai-je ? Toute chair est comme l’herbe, Et tout son éclat […]
Dans nos vies, il y a un temps pour tout. Lorsque nous venons au monde, nous ne sommes conscients de rien et vivons simplement des choses alors que ce sont nos parents qui sont autorisés à vivre leur temps joyeusement lorsqu’ils ont un enfant. Cet enfant doit être élevé par eux là où il y […]
“The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away.” (Ps 90:10 NHEB)“The voice of one saying, “Cry!” One said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory […]
De uit de wereld gekozenen hebben geen angst om tot de Onzichtbare God te bidden, in Wie zij alle vertrouwen hebben en geloven dat zij Hem als schild kunnen gebruiken.
Wij moeten beseffen dat er in de hemel een Geest is Die naar ons wil luisteren als wij bereid zijn om naar Hem toe te komen.
Het koninkrijk der wereld is het koninkrijk van onze Allerhoogste Heer en van zijn Christus geworden, die autoriteit, heerschappij en macht heeft gekregen en als koning zal regeren tot in alle eeuwigheid.
Meerderen van ons worden getroffen door het leed dat aangedaan wordt door oorlogsgeweld, aards geweld (zoals aardebevingen en modderstromen) maar wij willen niet gebukt gaan onder een slachtoffersrol. Wij beseffen dat al dat lijden mar een tijdelijk gebeuren is.
Wij bidden regelmatig, in alle nederigheid, dat Gods Naam geheiligd zal worden en Zijn Rijk zal komen.
Er moeten geen voorgeschreven woorden volgens bepaalde regels opgezegd worden. Met onze eigen woorden kunnen wij aan God kenbaar maken dat wij Hem liefhebben en nog beter willen leren kennen.
In je dagelijkse communicatie met God is het niet onbelangrijk Hem te laten weten dat jij Hem lief hebt en dat jij graag zou willen leven volgens Zijn Wil.
Er zijn heel wat dingen die er ons zouden toe moeten brengen om ons tot onze hemelse Vader te richten.
Ook al wil de wereld de mensen het anders doen geloven, is er volop reden om tot de Onzichtbare God te bidden.
Het modelgebed “Onze Vader” wordt meestal afgesloten met onze erkenning dat het Koninkrijk toebehoort aan Jehovah God , Die de Allermachtigste is en alle Kracht en Heerlijkheid bevat.
Originally posted on Living Life in a Fish Bowl!:
How’s your prayer life? What is prayer? Communicating with God – the One who rules the universe and all the galaxies beyond, who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere Asking Him to intervene on a particular situation or person Asking for His peace, joy, love, hope…
Remembering Jesus’s two purposes for teaching in parables will help us to overcome four common mistakes.
Jesus once gave a series of seven Kingdom illustrations in close connection with one another. We should remember that the most important reason for his telling such short stories is to persuade people to enter the kingdom of which he speaks.
Klinken onze gebeden als het gebed van Jezus Christus? Hierboven wordt niet gevraagd of u het modelgebed dat Jezus de wereld gaf, bidt. Vermoedelijk bidden heel wat christenen regelmatig het “Onze Vader“. Hierbij kan de vraag gesteld worden of zij wel degelijk de inhoud er van beseffen. Velen denken namelijk dat zij na hun dood […]
Als afsluiting van het modelgebed Het Onze Vader kunnen wij nog eens benadrukken hoe wij Gods Naam, Heerlijkheid of Glorie, Macht en Kracht hoogschatten.
Menahem Schmelzer, a Hungarian refugee who for more than two decades was the doting custodian of one of the world’s greatest collections of ancient Hebrew and other Jewish manuscripts and books as the librarian of the Jewish Theological Seminary, died on Dec. 10 at his home in Manhattan. He was 88. During Professor Schmelzer’s tenure […]
A fun medley about a small but nice get-together
Right now, we are in a time of seeking, and there is good reason to yearn for the Qadosh Barukh Hu, El ʿElyon, thirsting for Jehovah the living God, to find our way through the darkness. Those who have tasted the Bore and got that personal relationship with Him, have found that nothing else can satisfy their souls but Him.
In the north of Europe shelling brings a lot of darkness, but these days our brethren and sisters from Ukraine, with us are all united in the commemoration of another war won by the grace of the El’ Elyon.
As we gain new experiences and learn every day so does the confrontation of reading the Torah every year again from beginning to end, which makes us discover each time some new things, making us grow in our Bible knowledge.
Originally posted on Jewish Young Professional:
I put “Assimilated Jew” in the title of this series because “Authentic Self and the Assimilated Jew” had a nice aesthetically-pleasing alliteration to it. But honestly, I don’t self-identify as a secular Jew or as an assimilated Jew. Secular? I don’t consider myself secular because in spite of my…
Adolfo Kaminsky (or Adolphe; 1 October 1925 – 9 January 2023) was an Argentine-born member of the French Resistance, specializing in the forgery of identity documents, and photographer.
The Pesach teaches that God will ‘skip over’.
We always should remember that Shabbat is not just about not doing certain things, or the other way round, just doing special things, or having special food or bringing sacrifices.
Before planning to live together in union, one should carefully consider the cultural and religious differences and how one will deal with them after the marriage commitment.
Bij de Parasja Nitsawiem 5782 kijken wij uit naar een sjana tova oemetoeka voor ons allen.
Dit jaar zijn er nog 2 sjabbatot tot Soekot en is er voor elke sjabbat een parasja en de sjabbat voorafgaande aan Rosj Hasjana lezen wij nu de de parasja Nitsawiem.
Verwonderlijk kreeg ik vandaag het bericht van WordPress dat ik tegen een jubileum mag aankijken. Gefeliciteerd met je jubileum bij WordPress.com! Je hebt je 5 jaar geleden geregistreerd op WordPress.com.Bedankt voor het gebruiken van onze service! Ga zo door met bloggen. Wat zijn die vijf jaren voorbij gevlogen. Voordat mijn pen al mijn gedachten kon […]
Kijkend naar de geschiedenis van het Joodse Volk in Oekraïne staan zij nu weer op het punt dat er vele doden onder hen kunnen vallen.
Met Rosj Hasjana denken wij aan de wondere scheppingsdaad van de Allerhoogste. Spijtig genoeg moeten wij toegeven dat de mensheid van die schepping een janboel heeft gemaakt.
From guestwriters 