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Definition and Meaning
Dualism states that two opposing, or opposite, ideas, things, or categories mutually exist. A person holding such views is a dualist. Such views are expressed in the humanities.
For example, in anthropology dualism may explain facts about man by two fundamental causes: reason or the passions, soul or body; freedom or determinism.
Dualism explains the theory of knowledge by the confrontation of two different realities, subjective or objective; the religious cosmos in the terms of a perpetual conflict between good and evil, which has always existed.
As one examines any dualistic situation he discovers that the two opposites are usually considered as coming from the same or similar source.
The perpetual conflict of good and evil, a prime dualistic subject, is notably discussed when surveying the history of religion.
When hearing this statement many think it only pertains to recent formalized religions, but such dualism has an ancient aspect as well.
This is seen in the ancient religions centered on animism; that is the belief in spirits of the same genus capable of doing good or benevolent things or evil and injurious things.
The results of the actions of the spirits determine whether it is good or evil, not the qualities themselves. Since all these spirits are forces of nature they can be good in some respects or circumstances and bad in others.
Moving onto more highly developed religions one finds that a supreme, all-powerful spirit has emerged, called a great God.
According to tribal legends among the Native Americans, and tribes in central and north Asia this supreme God is not the sole creator of the world, but has an adversary or collaborator who committed a malicious or stupid act that lead to irreparable harm.
Such legends express the astonishment of men finding themselves in the presence of evil and death, and expressing their belief that these terrible things do not belong to the essence of things, and they are not attributable to the supreme God.
Here lies the germ of the dualism; the terrible things are believed to have come from the second being even though his independent origin is never positively expressed. This being may be a creature of the God, or his origin is omitted.
This dualistic struggle between good and evil is exhibited between the sun god Re, symbolizing life and truth, and his antagonist snake god Apep, Greek Apophis, in the ancient Egyptian religion.
Apep, a monster living in perpetual darkness, perpetually tried stopping Re's barque on its nightly journey through the underworld.
During this struggle between light and darkness, the gigantic serpent is wounded by knives and spears hurled by Re's divine entourage.
In legend, Apep was the personification of darkness, evil, and chaos. Occasionally the deity was victorious for a short duration, but in the end Re triumphed. Apep was slain by Re who cut up his body and burned it. It is observed that both deities have the same divine nature but have opposite objectives.
The dualism theme is expressed again in the ancient Egyptian religion with the legendary battle between Osiris and Set or Seth.
Osiris, the grain god, was considered by some the counterpart of Re after death. He was crucial to Egyptian agriculture; therefore, every king was the divine embodiment of Horus in life and became Osiris after death.
From this evolved the Osirian legend found in the Pyramid Texts to be later popularized and embellished by the Greek writer Plutarch. The legend describes Set as the adversary and jealous brother of Osiris who during a drunken party was persuaded by his brother to step into a sarcophagus. Once inside the coffin was nailed shut and thrown into the Nile.
This was followed by years of searching by Isis who eventually found the body. She brought it home. On the journey back, she breathed breath into the body and impregnated herself with Osiris' semen and bore his son Horus.
Set was not always depicted as being evil. According to one legend he helped the sun-god Re when he was about to be swallowed up by Apep. However, later Set became the personification of evil. Here again, both parties share a divine nature but have opposite objectives (Jordan 195, 233).
The Babylonian mythology shares a similar legend. Marduk, the chief deity and tutelary god of Babylon, engages in the primordial battle with Tiamat, the power of the ocean. He kills her, splitting her in half and uses parts of her corpse to fashion heaven and earth. Tiamat fought him in revenge for the death of Apsu, the deep. These were two opposing deities sharing a divine nature (Jordan 158).
In Greek mythology the primordial battle was waged between Zeus and the Titans, Cronus, his father, in particular. Cronus swallowed all of his children.
Zeus escaped the fate by trickery of Rhea, his mother. In battle Zeus overthrew his father, making him vomit up his brothers and sisters and also freed his aunts and uncles whom Cronus had imprisoned (Jordan 296). This ushered in the Olympians. Both deities shared the same nature; one was begotten from the other.
The strict personification of evil in a deity began with the religion of Zoroastrianism, founded by Zoroaster or Zarathustra. The exact time in which Zoroaster lived is uncertain; many give the date of 6000 BC while others state 1200 BC.
From the style of his teaching it is generally accepted that he resided in north-east Iran. The broad setting of his religion was the Indo-Iranian tradition reflected in the Rg Veda. Also, the literature of Zoroastrianism deflects the times and conditions of the era: �the practices described in sections of the Younger Avesta are only those of agriculturalists and herdsmen. Stone mortars, pestles, and the ritual flint knife were implements associated with the Neolithic times, were still being used, and bows and arrows were often flint-tipped. Events described in the Younger Avesta appear to possibly have occurred as often in the Stone Age as in the Bronze (Settegast 213-214).
Other references indicate that it was an agricultural society. Such renovation was to occur through husbandry. Although ancient Iranian kings are claimed to have invented husbandry, Zoroaster is said to be the first to embed it into a religious system.
Soil cultivation became a kind of worship to his followers, «He who cultivates corn [grain] cultivates righteousness» (Vendidad 3.1). . His aim was to secure both the material and spiritual welfare of the «Good Creation,» to renew and preserve the sanctity of the world to restore it to a state of perfection. This hope is uttered in the prayer «May we be those who will renew this existence» (Y 30.9).
From these statements one sees that Zoroaster was not just a religious leader but a social reformer as well. He strived to change the society that he lived in.
He consciously felt himself physically powerless, filled with a deep longing for justice; he sought the moral laws of the Ahuras in order to establish tranquility for all, the strong and weak alike (Boyce 19).
Zoroaster not only lived in an agrarian society but a warring one as well. The Rg Veda describes the Indian society of the times with Indra, the ideal warrior, nobly depicted. From the prophet's perspective this sort of society was full of destructive forces which he wanted to eliminate.
Many Iraniologists think possibly this was the most difficult transformation the prophet attempted to make upon his society.
His initial step was the separation of gods, replacing All of the Immortals as mentioned in the Vedas, the warrior gods such as Indra and Mithra, with those he called the Holy Immortals, benevolent gods toward the people.
The Holy Immortals included Ahura Mazda, Lord of Wisdom, and the six lesser Ahuras which he created through his Holy Spirit, Spenta Mainyu. According to Zoroaster these with other divinities were the Yazatas who helped mankind.
Opposing them was Angra Mainya and the Daevas. This was the premise of the dualism of Zoroastrianism.
The basis for the premise was formed by the eternal struggle between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainya. These were both uncreated spirits, existing in time, they were destined by nature to be constant combatants within the physical world that Ahura Mazda, the good spirit, created; Angra Mainya, the evil spirit, by nature would continually try to destroy the world and everything in it.
The Zoroastrians believed that Angra Mainyu would win some battles but at the end of the world, the eschatological theory, he would be defeated and good would triumph.
It is in Zoroastrianism that the nature of dualism changes and assumes its more permanent characteristic.
The common meaning of a dualistic conflict became good versus evil, right and/or wrong, and so on; the sources of good and evil were separate, both no longer came from a single source as in the Aegean era. The Aegean gods, such as Zeus, were both good and bad; they shared both qualities as their worshippers considered them deities with human traits.
Within the Zoroastrian theogony this changed, good and evil came from separate sources, not one; dualism no longer was a combat between a more powerful versus a weaker god; it now involved the struggle between the good, or perfect, deity against the evil one.
This struggle, or war, as shall be seen influenced most-later religious philosophies.
Ahura Mazda, as envisioned by Zoroaster, was the Creator divinity, the good god and creator of the world and everything within it while Angra Mainyu was his adversary, the evil god, author of destruction, the continual combatant trying to destroy the word.
This would become the classic definition of moral dualism, the war between the forces of good and evil. As was noted in Zoroastrianism the concept of Angra Mainyu came from Zoroaster's experiences with the harshness of life.
The single new concept in Zoroaster's theogony was the role of Ahura Mazda as the Creator God and not equal to the other Ahuras as guardians of asha; otherwise his description of the world theorized possible causes for events as he saw them. By declaring the spirits, or forces, of good and evil to be uncreated Zoroaster practically declared them to be eternal; his assumption that good would eventually triumph over evil might be called presumptuous by some. As it will be shown this dualism of good versus evil is only overcome by the concept of polarity.
In Judaism
Judaism is one of the first religions considered when discussing the influences of Zoroastrianism. In 586 BC the Babylonian Empire conquered the Jews, destroyed their Temple, and forced them into exile.
This captivity lasted almost fifty years. In 539 BC the Persians, under the Achaemenid King Cyrus, captured Babylonia.
The next year, 538 BC, Cyrus issued a decree freeing the Jews, saying they were to be allowed to return to their homeland. He and his Achaemenid successors even went further by helping to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.
This generosity did not just come from religious piety, other pagan groups were assisted too, but from the wisdom of knowing that grateful people were less likely to rebel.
However, all of the Exiles did not choose to return to their homeland. The adaptable Jews had over the years established themselves in Mesopotamia, settling there, starting businesses, entering politics and even rising to high positions in the imperial court.
Gradually change in Jewish thinking took place. Such change began during their Exile and continued afterwards. The first change occurred in the Jewish faith itself; being in exile they had no Temple or sacrificial animals which were at the center of their faith.
Also within this change was their conception of God who could no longer be looked upon as a tribal protector who would save them from being conquered or exiled. They were forced to change their past religious concepts and practices.
It is most likely that Zoroastrianism influenced Judaism indirectly through everyday contact of the two populations living within this Mesopotamian area. It seems unlikely that the Jewish religious leaders would have access to the Gathas and Yashts which were only accessible to Zoroastrian priests.
The material contained within these works was only orally accessible to the ordinary Zoroastrians; therefore, their teachings, if spread, could only be spread by word of mouth. Also, the archaic language of such texts would have posed a barrier for the Jews.
Another barrier would have been posed by the Jews themselves; even when in Exile the Jews practiced their faith by strictly, as possible, obeying their religious rules which also served to separate them from outsiders. The Zoroastrians also had their own purity laws which they strictly followed.
Thus, the only permitted relation between both groups was through oral communication.
As previously noted one of the first changes in Jewish religious thought surrounded the concept of God. Even before the Exile thinkers were beginning to move away from the idea of God as a tribal protector to whom animal sacrifices were offered to a concept of a universal and absolute being who would be adored by praises and moral actions. Among an exiled and enslaved people such a concept began fermenting.
Both the Zoroastrians and the Jews believed in monotheism, but each viewed it differently. Whereas Zoroastrianism had one God, Ahura Mazda, who was all good, Judaism had one God, Yahweh, who was believed to both reward and punish.
The Jews probably recognized the Zoroastrians as monotheists, but clung to their belief in Yahweh; «I form the light, and create darkness; and create evil; I, the Lord, do all these things» (Isaiah 45:7). It is quite clear from this passage that even though both groups believed in one God, for both he had different attributes.
The God of the Zoroastrians only gave beneficial or good things to his people while the God of the Jews rendered both good and evil. The Jewish concept of Yahweh is derived from the monotheistic revelation attributed to Moses just as the concept of Ahura Mazda came from the revelation of Zoroaster; both concepts are unique and independent.
A more readily recognized influence surrounds the idea of hell in an afterlife. Before the Exile the Jewish teaching was that the souls of the dead went to a dull, Hades-like place called Sheol.
But after their Persian contact, the idea of heavenly rewards for good and hellish punishment for evil began in Judaism. This is recognizable because one of the Biblical words for heaven is Paradise which is from the ancient Iranian words pairi-daeza, meaning «enclosed garden»; and is one of the very few distinctive Persian barrowed words in the Bible. This moral view of an afterlife is characteristic of Zoroaster's teaching initiated in the Gathas.
There is speculation that the concept in Judaism of a savior or messiah was Zoroastrian influenced. In the book of Second Isaiah, written while the Jews were in Exile, the prophet speaks of a Savior that will rescue his people; there are some inferences to Cyrus as the Liberator.
This helped to spur the Jewish general conception of the word savior as anyone helping the Jewish people. Although there was a parallel between the words Saoshyant and Savior, both assuming almost a divine quality, this would later cause friction between Christians and Jews who never accepted Christ as a divine Savior.
In Christianity
As it will be shown the Christian Yahweh is more identical to Ahura Mazda than the Jewish Yahweh; the Christian God is all good like Ahura Mazda and in the same way is beneficial to his people.
Many scholars believe that similarities between religions indicate that the beliefs of older religions influence younger religions; this is a common workable theory, but it does not seem definitive provable as other factors may also influence religious development.
Accepting this theory, one can say the Persian God more fitted the mode of the Christian God than the Jewish. Each is supreme, monotheistic, and beneficent. Likewise, with the Christians, as with Zoroaster, such a God does not fit the world in which they found themselves living; how could an all-good God create a world, not perfect, having evil in it?
They possessed the identical problem which Zoroaster faced; the evil could not come from the all-good God, so there must be another source.
The early Jews did not face this predicament, as mentioned earlier, their God Yahweh, was believed to give both reward and punishment; they had eliminated the pure dualistic God who just was beneficent to his people; but the Christians took the dualistic God back again.
However, the Christian are not entirely to blame. As seen in the article The Devil the early Hebrews recognized the deity Jehovah as possessing good and evil qualities. Jehovah was similar to the Canaanite gods, in fact; originally he was considered a god among many.
Gradually, however, Jehovah took on the attributes of an omniscient and omnipresent God. Also, during this early Hebrew period there was belief in angels that reign in God's court, a suspected Zoroastrian influence, and in malignant and hairy spirits living in barren places which, one might say, gave rise to the belief in Satan.
As noted in The Devil Satan initially does not appear in the Old Testament as the arch-enemy of God, but in his first appearances he was sort of a prosecutor trying persons before God.
In the book of Zechariah, possibly written in the later 6th century BC, the prophet sees Joshua, the high priest, standing in judgment before God. Satan is seen standing to the right of Joshua probably as his accuser. Even within this early Biblical book Satan is portrayed as a zealous prosecutor for which God admonishes him.
In the book of Job, written about one hundred years after Zechariah, Satan is seen as the more malignant accuser. He joins a heavenly group composed of God and the Sons of God.
He says, when asked, that he has been walking on earth, leaving no doubt he can go between heaven and earth. As the story unfolds one sees that Jehovah allows Satan to tests Job's faith and Job proved himself worthy. However, from this story three factors emerge which characterize the current role of Satan, or the Devil, within the Judeo-Christian religion:
- First, Job, the human, has no determination as to the onset of his fate. All he can do is accept it or reject it, this is his limited choice.
- Second, Jehovah, or God, is the initial character. He has the final say as to what action that is to be taken. Nothing is done without his approval.
- Third, the Satan is the instrument of God. He can suggest to God courses of actions to be taken; but he cannot put such actions into effect unless and until God gives his approval.
- Fourth, it is still believed, as with Job, that God and the Satan essentially still test men.
As can be seen Satan has gradually became the equivalent of the Zoroastrian Angra Mainyu. The dualism is intact again. The development of this evil antagonistic deity which Christianity accepted began with the Hebrews as has been demonstrated.
The dualistic components are present even if they are not identical. Both God and Satan are spiritual, sharing the same nature; instead of being twins, God created Satan. And, Satan is believed to be almost as powerful as God. Satan, as believed, cannot do anything without God's approval; he could not tempt and/or torment Job without God authorizing it.
Only partially does he play the role of Angra Mainyu, the destroyer; Angra Mainyu destroyed independently, Satan need God's approval.
However, Satan's spiritual destruction is the same as Amgra Mainyu's; it is irreversible. This was true in the case of the sin of Adam. After Adam sinned by eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge his and Eve's relationship with God in the garden of Eden could not be restored to where it had been before the sin; God was angered and compelled them to leave the garden.
In this sense, Adam and Eve had chosen wrongly just as Zoroaster said the Daevas chose not rightly when the Deceiver came upon them as they consulted; so they chose the worst purpose. As one can see the relationship between God and Satan surrounding story of Adam and Eve is similar to the relationship of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu.
According to Zoroastrianism Angra Mainyu was evil by both nature and choice. And, according to various teachings of both Judaism and Christianity Satan, or the Devil, also chose evil.
One of the versions of this occurrence in the Old Testament the fuller description of the events appears in the Book of Enoch.
It had happened that men of earth had produced beautiful and comely daughters which were seen by some of the angels of heaven who lusted after them. These angels decided to take these daughters as their wives.
The angels were of the order called the Watchers, or the sleepless ones. Their leader was Semjaza, or Azazel. They supposedly descended Mount Hermon. Then they entered and defiled the young women. They taught their wives charms and enchantments, botany and cutting of roots.
Azazel instructed men in the making of the weapons of war: swords, knives and shields. He also taught them the evil art of cosmetics.
It did not take much persuasion for the first century Christians to connect Lucifer and Satan to the serpent in the garden of Eden who tempted Eve. But, strangely enough the book of 2 Enoch gives this graphic story too along with the Old Testament.
It describes an archangel named Satanail trying to make himself equal to God by seducing the Watchers to rebel with him. They all were banished from heaven, and to revenge himself for his fall Satanail tempted Eve in Eden.
There is another version, according to the Vita Adae et Evae that Satan refused to worship Adam, as the angels were commanded to do by God, God became angry and hurled Satan with his angels down to earth; therefore, Satan tempted Eve. Here the concept of the Devil's pride which caused his rebellion is combined with angelic jealousy of man.
There are other versions of Satan turning against God by choice to make his character similar to that of Angra Mainyu. Many scholars judge this to be another example of Zoroastrian influence in Christianity.
Another seen influence is the Holy Spirit of God. In Zoroastrianism Ahura Mazda is believed to have invoked through the Holy Spirit, Spenta Mainyu, the six lesser divinities called the Amesha Spentas. The Holy Spirit especially in Christianity is to be God, notably in the Trinity this is referred to as the third person of God. Some authorities think the Holy Spirit was indicated in Genesis when God created Adam; he blew his breath into him. That breath was supposedly the Holy Spirit.
The Trinity in Christianity seems analogous to the heptad in Zoroastrianism. The heptad is composed of Ahura Mazda and the six lesser divinities whereas the Trinity consists of God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, Ahura Mazda, believed to be father of the Amesha Spentas, with the help of his Holy Spirit, Spenta Mainyu, invoked the other divinities; whereas, God, the Father, through God, the Holy Spirit, incarnated God, the Son. God, the Son, Jesus Christ became incarnate through the virgin birth of Mary similarly as the Saoshyant would become incarnate, born, of a virgin who had bathed in Lake Kasaoya which had miraculously preserved Zoroaster's seed within its depth.
At this point there seems to be no direct parallel between the figures of the Saoshyant and the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
As it has been shown in Zoroastrianism Saoshyant gradually became pluralized to Saoshyans to include any or all powerful people who helped the Zoroastrians in achieving their final goal of Separation. Such a plural concept would prohibit a further association of Saoshyant with Jesus Christ, a divine redeemer. Likewise, this was why Judaism never accepted Christ, as previously noted, as their savior or messiah. The Jews accepted more of the Zoroastrian description of the Saoshyant or savior: anyone who helped the Jewish people; Jesus failed to meet their requirements.
Although Christ was believed to be the personal redeemer in Christianity he certainly did not put an end to religious dualism; this is perfectly clear in the Biblical description of his temptation. Even here Satan is still seen as the antagonist of God in the person of Christ.
After Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights in the desert Satan tempted him three times with worldly things promising to give them to Jesus if he would worship him. Christ said, «Begone, Satan, for it is written, 'Thou shall worship the Lord, thy God, and him only shall you serve'» (Matthew 4:1-11).
Christ's role as personal savior did not put and end to the belief of eternal damnation in Christianity either. For Christ said, «Verily, I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies with which they shall blaspheme; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit has never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation» (Mark 3:28-29).
Nor did Christ's role as personal savior end the conflict of good and evil as Paul preached, «For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places» (Ephesians 6:12). In the same chapter Paul tells the people that their only defense against such powers is the armor of God, comparing pieces of armor to an attribute of God (v. 13-17).
The disciple also speaks of victory, «And, having spoiled [the] principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it» (Colossians 2:15).
Thus, one can see from these passages even through Christianity does promise personal salvation, it did not eliminate the threat of eternal damnation or the conflict of righteous dualism. Such a belief that the Christian God both saves and condemns has become both difficult and confusing at times. A notable example is the theologian and church leader Martin Luther.
Luther is a principle example of the intellect comprehending the true nature of dualism without acknowledging it. To Luther, God through his omnipotence both created the cosmos and maintained everything within it.
God's will was absolute, there could be no absence of God, such a phenomenon was an impossibility for nothing would exist; therefore, God, the creator, constantly cared for and ruled heaven, earth, hell, the Devil, and all creatures.
Luther's belief in God's omnipotence was so strong that he completely abandoned the notion of human free will; here he differed from theologians such as Augustine and Aquinas who affirmed free will but described the cosmos as predetermined in fact.
Luther's teachings rested on his personal belief in the total, consuming omnipotence of God. He believed that God was both remote and the immediate cause of everything, he wills everything both good and evil. Luther stated God is love, and the good that he willed was revealed through Jesus Christ; his stern will, the resulting hardships, appear to be the ways of the Devil, but they are not for God turn evil into ultimate good.
Luther refrained from going as far as to state that the Devil was the manifestation of one side of God, but instead said, the Devil's will is only apparently God's will; while the Devil and God may will the same thing, their purpose is never the same. God has an ultimately benevolent purpose in every act, while the Devil's purpose is to destroy (Russell 37).
To understand this with the inferior intellect faith and grace are required. Luther explained man's inferior intellect often fails to see this but with divine grace it is possible. Luther by refraining from stating that the Devil was a manifestation of one side of God failed to recognize and eliminate the divine dualism; if the Devil was one side of God, and then there would be no dualism because both good and evil would come from God.
The Christian Gnostics (see Gnosticism) continued the cosmic dualism, but varied it in a different fashion. Good and evil still existed, but resided in two different Gods. The Christian God, Yahweh, they called the Demiurge, and they believe the good God was aloof from the world.
The Demiurge had been born of the Spirit of God, wisdom, personified as Sophia, the divine creative force. Sophia, without the knowledge of God, her mate, gave birth to her son, the Demiurge, a horrible looking child.
Unbeknown to the Demiurge his mother had given him some of her power which contained the Spirit, which he thought was his and with which he created the physical world. When doing this the Gnostics believed the Demiurge entrapped the Spirit in matter.
They viewed the Demiurge as being the Christian God, the creator, basing their belief on the statement, «I am God, and there is no one besides me.»
For the Gnostics this changed the dynamics of the dualism. It was no longer between good and evil; they held the Christian God, called Demiurge, was evil representing the Devil; but between Spirit and matter since the Spirit was entrapped in matter.
This oppositional change of good versus evil to spiritual versus material generated an overwhelming desire to eliminate the material among members of the Gnostic sects. This desire to eliminate the material was based upon the belief that the Demiurge through creation had entrapped the Spirit, especially in man, in matter, and the only way to ultimately free the Spirit was not to prolong life through propagation.
This view was part of the intuitive or reflective knowledge, which the Gnostics called «gnois,» which came from the study of man's inner self or soul and illuminated the Logos to bring salvation. This led to a schism among the sects. The majority of the sects practiced almost total monasticism and a few practiced libertinism.
While some monastic sects permitted marriage, all sexual acts were forbidden. Many sexual acts and perversions were permitted and encouraged within the libertine sects. For example, the Ophites — a name which honored the snake or serpent — were known for their love feasts.
The purpose of all the sects on both sides of the schism was the same, to liberate the Spirit by stopping the propagation of life.
The Gnostics took Jesus' answer to his disciple Solame's question, «How long will death reign?» literally when he responded, «As long as you women bear children» (Nigg 36). This was one of the major beliefs of Gnosticism which caused the Orthodox Church to vigorously battle it.
Likewise, Manichaeism, being another Gnostic sect, preached a similar doctrine of positioning God against matter.
This dualistic teaching embodied an elaborate cosmological myth that included the defeat of a primal man by the powers of darkness that devoured and imprisoned the particles of light. Thus, to Mani, the devil god which created the world was the Jewish Jehovah.
Mani said, «It is the Prince of Darkness who spoke with Moses, the Jews and their priests. Thus the Christians, the Jews, and the Pagans are involved in the same error when they worship this God. For he leads them astray in the lusts he taught them.»
The cosmic process of salvation goes on as the light is delivered back to its original state. Thus, unlike Zoroaster, Mani appeared to believe that the original state could be restored. Saving knowledge promoting this process is delivered by the apostles of light among which Mani himself to be the final one. Also through his self-conscious syncretistic thought process Mani included various Biblical figures along with Jesus, Buddha (see Buddhism) and Zoroaster among these apostles (Bowker 812).
During the Middle Ages there was the teaching of Martin Luther, as previously mentioned, but preceding him were the dualistic Gnostic teachings of the Bogomils, Cathars, and Paulicians; principally though there were the teachings of Saint Augustine.
Augustine's dualistic teaching rested on his argument that everything which God, creator, had created was essentially good; thus, evil could only exist in the absence of good, that is, where good should be.
Augustine held that moral evil was the consequence if freewill, whereas, physical results from imperfection. Augustine set himself as being against Nature when establishing the «original sin» teaching.
He held that because of Adam's sin that all, of Adam's descendants, were deprived of their original endowment from God, and thus suffered an inherited defect and can only be saved by God's grace (Bowker 109).
In summary, Augustine believed in predestination, God knew what he wanted to do in the world, but man, due to his fall because of sin, temporary interfered with the divine plan. Again, Augustine's argument materialized into a spiritual versus natural dualism.
Thus the resolution of the dualism, whatever it may be in terms of opposing concepts, weak versus strong, good versus evil, or spiritual versus material, usually does not disappear naturally or without some difficulty.
The reason for this resides within the nature of the dualism itself; the opposing concepts which compose the dualism need to be resolved through agreement that rarely occurs. For this reason the dualism usually perpetuates itself and leads to continual antagonistic feelings between parties holding the opposite concepts.
As it has been shown throughout the article the principle dualism permeating Western society is good versus evil mainly originating from the Biblical heritage of the spiritual versus the natural, which established the Western worldview or mindset.
God is not deemed in nature, but above it or opposed to it even through it is proclaimed God created the world, the universe, and man. This absence of God from nature is the purposeful significance of the Adam and Eve story or myth.
By eating the fruit, the thing which God forbade, the first man and woman separated themselves from God; the hindrance of the sin. In truth, though, their sin was their act of becoming independent people. In Eden, they were one with God; God was one with them, walking in the cool of the evening with them, always guiding them.
They knew God, but not themselves or even their sex. And since Eve, the woman, was the first bearer of life, now evil since it was absence the presence of God, she and all who followed her have suffered ridicule and scorn.
Their gained knowledge was sinful in that it separated them from God; they became conscious of themselves, their separateness or sex, and began thinking for themselves. Here an unanswered question rises, didn't God want this?
The answer lies within the Judeo-Christian worldview of God versus nature, Adam and Eve were natural, human, now; no longer with God but separate from him; the world he made was separate too. Thus, anything separate from God became synonymous with sin. Again the unanswered question arises did God want this, or has man proclaimed it to be.
Joseph Campbell so aplty discusses this in The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers in his discussion of The Message of Myth. Here he discusses the Mask of Eternity, which is really the mask of God. This huge mask contains a face looking straight ahead; everything it sees is good, nothing is evil, because it represents God in the center of everything.
On either side of the face are figures, male and female, walking away out from the center. The figures symbolize people, humanity, entering the temporal world composed of opposites, or opposing forces or energies.
The temporal world is also finite, meaning it has dimensions, width, height, breath, upper, lower, and so on, in other words, the physical world. The world which God is proclaimed to have made, but is not a part of; thus giving meaning to Augustine's words, evil can only exist in the absence of good, or God. Therefore, if God is absence from the world, then it is evil, and will continue to be evil until God enters it, or a different worldview is accepted.
Campbell said such a worldview is found in Buddhism and Hinduism where the divine is joined with nature.
This joining of the divine with nature also is celebrated in the nature-based religions such as Neo-paganism and Witchcraft. When the divine and nature are joined, mingled, there are no more opposing forces or energies, all become one forming a balanced whole–the harmonious world.
This is the Spiral Dance of the Goddess:
Alone, awesome, complete within Herself, the Goddess, She whose name cannot be spoken, floated in the abyss of outer darkness, before the beginning of all things. And as she looked into the curved mirror of black space, She saw by her own light her radiant reflection, and fell in love with it. She drew it forth by the power that was within Her and made love to Herself, and called Her «Miria, the Wonderful.»
Their ecstasy burst forth in the single song of all that is, was, or ever shall be, and with the song came motion, waves that poured outward and became all the spheres and circles of the worlds. The Goddess became filled with love, swollen with love and She gave birth to a rain of bright spirits that filled the worlds and became all beings.
But in that great moment, Miria was swept away, and as She moved out from the Goddess She became more masculine. First She became the Blue God, the gentle, laughing God of love. Then She became the Green One, vine-covered, rooted in the earth, the spirit of all growing things. At last She became the Horned God, the Hunter whose face is the ruddy sun and yet dark as Death. But always desire draws Him back toward the Goddess, as He circles Her eternally, seeking to return in love (Starhawk 31).
To some reading this it may appear to be a feminine creation story. When read in prose it is, analytically the beginning is similar to the Judeo-Christian story: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2).
And the Goddess�floated in the abyss of outer darkness, before the beginning of all things. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light (Genesis 1:3).
The Goddess became filled with love, swollen with love and She gave birth to a rain of bright spirits that filled the worlds and became all beings. Already a significant difference between the two creation stories is seen.
In the Biblical story God appears to be commanding things to happen or occur; whereas in the creation story of the Goddess she gives birth to everything from the love which she has for herself. God's act of creation is more intellectual as emphasized by John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him not anything made that was made (John 1:1-3).
With the Goddess all beings are seen naturally being born from her, «�swollen (pregnant) with love and She gave birth to a rain of bright spirits that filled the worlds and became all beings.» The Mother Goddess gave birth to the spirits which filled the worlds and became all beings as naturally as the human mothers give birth to children.
beings born of the Mother Goddess possess her nature just as human children possess their mother's nature. There is no separation in this worldview; the Goddess nature fills all things. This sameness, Goddess nature, is why Goddess worship can simultaneously be referred to as nature worship.
The duality between the Divine and nature, and humanity and nature vanishes because all things are the same.Thus, this is the poetry of creation.
All beings in this worldview are part of the Goddess and she is part of them. Most sharing this view or belief system feel «an aliveness or 'presence' in nature» (Adler 4).
Literally members of these loose-nit nature-based religious groups, without formal dogma or set of beliefs, no matter what they call themselves, Witches, neo-Pagans, or both, or just being in the Craft or Pagan, feel the Goddess interacting with nature and themselves; likewise, these individuals feel that they are interacting with the Goddess and nature.
Nature is once more acceptable, even death which is viewed as part of nature. This is among the aspects of the Horned God, the Hunter, who as well came from the Goddess. His face is the ruddy sun and yet dark as Death.
The sun gives light to grow, but can burn as fire. Here are opposites, but opposites having purpose: vegetation needs light with which to grow, but when its utility is served it decays and needs to be destroyed or burned away. Opposites are viewed as natural polarities, not as dualistic combatants, offering balance for the maintenance of nature.
So it is why in her dance the Goddess spiraled out from herself forming the Gods, symbolizing the masculinity of nature. There are no sinful connotations placed upon natural functions such as life, sex, birth, death, and rebirth; they are seen as life's functions coming from the Goddess.
One might question the inclusion of neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in an article concerning dualism. The reason might be expressed as twofold. In the discussion of dualism it was expressed that the first obvious cosmic dynamic of religious dualism was stronger versus weaker, stronger deities versus weaker ones; then the dualistic dynamics changed to good versus evil, right versus wrong.
In various ways Witchcraft and Paganism were affected by and have affected these dynamics. When discussing the struggles between the stronger and weaker deities it should be noted they mostly belonged to the Egyptian and Greek pantheons; the gods which ancient Witchcraft worshipped, and the same gods which are worshipped by current Witches and neo-Pagans.
These were the gods that the Judeo-Christian traditions attempted to destroy as they attempted to destroy Witches and heretics throughout the centuries (see Burning Times).
Accompanying such destruction the Judeo-Christian traditions also helped to enforce the change in the dualistic dynamics from stronger versus weaker to a more moralistic good versus evil. As it has been demonstrated the process of changing and/or eliminating gods began in Zoroastrianism and has been incorporated to various degrees in both Judaism and Christianity.
Now the major portion of Western culture is moralistic, and to a certain extent this applies to Eastern culture as well. Simply put, most people find themselves being governed by moralistic-based laws; laws, which to many, do not seem moral at all.
It is within the current Witchcraft traditions and neo-Paganism that ones find a resounding protest to such moralizing. Many within these groups feel alienated by the progress of modern society and the formality of institutionalized religion.
Being gravitated to the polytheistic gods of the pre-Christian religions they are urging a return to nature with less moralistic conformity. The individual, along with his needs, needs to be more recognized; giving rise to the Rede: «Harm no one, and do what you will.» These two reasons seem to signify the significance for the inclusion of Witchcraft and neo-Paganism in this discussion of dualism; as with many things in life, dualism seems to have came full-circle.
This article has attempted to present a history of religious dualism to show its social importance. An acknowledgement must be given to the recognition it will not change the attitudes of many in institutionalized religions and such dualism will continue.
However, for the objective minded it is hoped that the possibility of future change or trying something different has been presented.
by Alan G. Hefner
Adler, Margot, Drawing Down the Moon. [Rev. and expanded ed] Boston: Beacon Press, 1986
Boyce, Mary, Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, New York, Routledge, 2002
Bowker, John, The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, New York, Oxford University Press, 1997
Campbell. Joseph, The Power of Myth, «The Message of the Myth,» DVD, CD ROM
Dictionary of the History of Ideas «Dualism in Philosophy and Religion»
Erbstosser, Martin, Heretics in the Middle Ages, Edition Leipzig, 1984
Grimal, Pierre, Larousse World Mythology, Secaucus, New Jersey, Chartwell Books, 1965
«Influence of Zoroastrianism on Other Religions,» Metareligion
Meyer, Melvin W., translator, The Secret Teachings of Jesus: The Four Gnostic Gospels, New York: Random House, 1984
Nigg, Walter, The Heretics, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962
Pagels, Elaine, The Gnostic Gospels, New York: Vintage Books, 1979
Russell, Jeffrey Burton, Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World, Ithaca, New York, Cornell University Press, 1986
Shepard, Leslie A., ed. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1991
Starhawk. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. [Special 20th Anniversary Edition] New York, HarperSanFrancisco, 1999
«Zoroastrianism,» Metareligion
Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity


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TechRadar Verdict
A fabulously featured and truly unique screen, though hi-def pictures do lack true star quality
- +
Assist+ OS
- +
Strong colours
- +
Great sound quality
- -
'Black hole' in dark images
- -
Slight judder
- -
High price
Why you can trust TechRadar
The Loewe Connect Media 32 is not only the most advanced TV we've ever reviewed, but it's also one of the easiest to use.
There is nevertheless some confusion about what the set's built-in twin satellite TV tuners can do. This bafflement is caused less by Loewe, though, as ITV must take most responsibility.
Our review sample had a combination of one terrestrial digital and two satellite tuners, a combination that has been available for a few years.
Tuner Limitations
Crucially, neither the Freeview nor the Freesat-capable tuners work with interactive services. So the glorious 'red button' won't work on this Connect, and neither will the interactive services on Freesat. Sadly, that means that hi-def simulcasts from ITV HD are off the menu.
It does, however, have MPEG4 decoding, so it can receive and record BBC HD to the built-in hard-disk drive, which is an improvement on many Freesat boxes.
With channels Four and Five rumoured to be launching unscrambled free-to-air HD channels this autumn, the Connect could be an exciting proposition for HD fans. But this set has got an additional secret weapon.
Loewe's streaming talents
And that's an ability to stream videos, music and photos wirelessly from a computer. But this full HD resolution TV is neither aimed at the mass market nor at gamers. It lacks a dedicated picture preset for games, although 'personal values' can be assigned to each individual input and digital TV.
The media streaming works with both PC (natively via WMP9) and Mac (using a free-to-trial and cheap external TwonkyMedia software web download) computers. You just enter your network's WEP code.
Those with a wired broadband network at home can operate the same system using the Ethernet port on the set's rear, where you'll also find a couple of HDMI inputs.
Meanwhile, the combination of Loewe's Image+ processing and 24fps playback ensures total compatibility with Blu-ray.
Plenty of storage
File compatibility covers MP3, WAV or WMA music files and digital pictures stored as JPEG, BMP or PNG files. The same files work with WiFi streaming, as well as video files such as DiVX, XViD, MPEG and WMV.
A built-in (yet optional) DR+ 160GB hard disk can store around 200hr of TV programmes taped from its integral tuners. For DR+ models a twin satellite receiver kit (to enable simultaneous recordings) costs £145, while a single satellite upgrade is £75.
The final clutter-busting feature is the Connect's high-power speakers.
Idiot proof TV
Kudos must go to Loewe for developing Assist+, which consists of a drop-down menu that's not just pretty to look at, but also almost completely idiot-proof.
The remote is equally well designed and can control all TV tuners, the hard disk recordings, media browsing and even the basic controls of a Blu-ray player.
Finding a WiFi network can take a few minutes and occasional blips in the signal and long loading times for files are the main problem. While file compatibility is the biggest issue, you're unlikely to have video files other than DiVX, XViD, MPEG and WMV.
During our test the set stalled when streaming video and had to be restarted, the inevitable flipside of introducing PC hardware into a TV.
Mixed picture quality
Freeview pictures are just about watchable, but do suffer from considerable noise artefacting. The same applies to streamed video files, which are of variable quality.
We did have problems fast-forwarding and reversing streamed video, though pictures are clean and represented in their native shape. The same goes for DVDs, which are free of noise and enjoy solid edges.
Footage from Batman Begins on Blu-ray is played at 24fps to reduce judder from discs and images are incredibly smooth, although a modicum of motion blur is due to its lack of 100Hz processing.
Image+ processing removes most noise and generally lifts the picture, with colour high on realism and lots of detail on show. Although peak whites are strong, contrast does seem forced, with fine details tending to get lost in 'black hole' areas of the picture.
A blast of Xbox 360 reveals jagged edges and lots of picture noise. A gaming TV this is not.
Versatile LCD
Able to render useless external digital recorders, a satellite receiver or a Freeview set-top box, a media streamer and to some extent a home cinema, the Loewe Connect Media 32 suddenly doesn't look quite so expensive as it originally appeared.
A decent Blu-ray companion in terms of picture and sound, its lack of versatility with digital TV and games makes it a set that's more about style and convenience.
Jamie is a freelance tech, travel and space journalist based in the UK. He's been writing regularly for Techradar since it was launched in 2008 and also writes regularly for Forbes, The Telegraph, the South China Morning Post, Sky & Telescope and the Sky At Night magazine as well as other Future titles T3, Digital Camera World, All About Space and Space.com. He also edits two of his own websites, TravGear.com and WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com that reflect his obsession with travel gear and solar eclipse travel. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners (Springer, 2015),

subset: commoncrawl


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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills president Russ Brandon sees no reason why last year's stalemate in contract talks with Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd would prevent the two sides from reaching a long-term deal this offseason.
"It's a process and there's no carryover. You start over again and you try to get something done," Brandon told The Associated Press on Monday. "We just weren't able to come up with a solution that worked for both parties, so you reset it and start again."
Brandon said the team maintains "great communication" with Byrd and his agent, Eugene Parker, and said there are no lingering hard feelings from talks last year.
"We all are hoping to get a deal done," Brandon said. "And we're going to do the exact same thing this time, work our tails off to try to get another one done."
Byrd is the Bills' most high-profile player not under contract this offseason. He spent last year playing under a franchise tag after the sides were unable to reach a long-term deal by a mid-July deadline.
The stalemate in talks led to Byrd waiting until the final day of training camp to accept the contract. He then missed the first five games of the season because of plantar fasciitis.
Despite the missed time, the fifth-year player was selected to his third Pro Bowl after he tied for the team lead with four interceptions, and added a sack and a forced fumble.
General manager Doug Whaley said the Bills are in the midst of putting together contract offers to pending free agents, including Byrd.
Whaley wouldn't rule out using the franchise tag one last time on Byrd in order to retain his rights.
Byrd did not return after hurting his back in the first quarter of the Pro Bowl on Sunday. Byrd posted a message on his Twitter account that he's OK.
I'm ok, thanks everyone — jairus byrd (@jairusbyrd) January 27, 2014
Whaley had no update on the injury. He said Byrd was expected to return to the team's headquarters for evaluation.


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Protect your family and your pets from the rabies virus by keeping your pet current on its vaccination and keeping your pet under control. Sterilizing your pet will help reduce unwanted pregnancies causing pets not to be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly. Call Animal Services at 706-769-3956 to remove all stray or seriously ill animals from your neighborhood, and to keep potentially unvaccinated animals from your family and pet. Daytime activity of otherwise nocturnal animal is occasionally a sign of sickness. However, during spring and early summer, while offspring are being born and raised, it is not rare to find wildlife active during the day, especially on overcast days or on wooded lots. Remove bird feeders, pet food, and access to other types of food or water to decrease the chances of wildlife interaction with people and pets. If you see wildlife, contact the Sheriff's Office non-emergency, 706-769-5665, or an animal removal company.
Show All Answers
The shelter is closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning, additional vetting, bathing, and other animal related duties. Appointments are available upon request.
The fee for dogs or cats is $90. The price includes sterilization, rabies and distemper vaccinations, micro-chipping, wormer, and a light veterinary exam. All animals are sterilized prior to release for adoption and will be picked up from the veterinarian's office unless prior arrangements are made with the shelter. Oconee County Animal Services does not guarantee the health, temperament, or behavior of an adopted animal. If problems are evident, the shelter will disclose the information to the adopter. Oconee County Animal Services accepts checks and MasterCard, Visa, and Discover cards. A convenience fee of 3% is added when using cards.
The shelter is partnered with PetSmart and has total access to the Cat Adoption Center located on Epps Bridge Road and with the store supplying all food, litter, cleaning materials, and volunteers cleaning, the shelter is able to adopt these cats at a reduced price; $50. This discount applies to animals at PetSmart only, unless otherwise noted.
To view the shelter's animal inventory, please go to: petango.com/oconeecountyanimalcontrol
If you have any difficulty navigating the page, please feel free to contact the shelter at your earliest convenience. 706.769.3956
If you would like to donate, whether by volunteering or items, please contact the shelter at 706-769-3956. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Animal Services will accept: - Adams Flee Spray - Any Type of Treats - Blankets and Sheets - Canned Dog Food - Catnip - Dog Eyewash - Esiblac Milk Replacement - Knotted Raw-Hides
Any other item you may wish to donate to the shelter will also be accepted.
To report an injured animal, call the shelter during business hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.), 706-769-3956. If after 5 p.m., call 911. Keep away from the animal. If the animal is in pain, it may bite. Officers have special training and equipment to help an injured animal without further injuring the animal and without the Officers getting injured. The best way you can help is to call the professionals.
Prior to reclaiming your pet, you must provide proof your pet is current on its rabies vaccination. Contact your veterinarian and request a faxed copy of your pet's rabies certificate. The shelter's fax number is 706-769-2933. Owners are responsible for all boarding and impound fees and fees are due at the time of reclaim. If your pet is not current, you are required to purchase a pre-paid rabies voucher from a veterinarian. The cost will vary by each clinic. You have 3 business days to vaccinate your pet. If you elect not to comply, a citation may be issued. Boarding and Impound Fees start on the first day the animal is impounded. All animals, without a rabies tag on the collar, will receive the following: - A Microchip upon reclaim (if not micro-chipped already) - Bordetella – kennel cough vaccination (dogs only) - Distemper vaccination - Wormer Find reclaim fees on our page.
On the HOMEPAGE, scroll down and to the right of the page, clink the link "Report a Concern". Be sure to give as much detail as possible; what the complaint is, who is the owner (if known), address (if known), type of animal, color, etc. Please refer to the Animal Ordinance, Section 5-8; Animal Nuisance. The more information you provide, the sooner your complaint will be remedied.
The shelter encourages individuals and groups to volunteer at the shelter. After a brief orientation, volunteers may play with the cats and kittens, walk puppies and dogs or play in the interaction pens, and even bathe the animals to make them more adoptable. For groups of 5 or more, please call ahead and schedule an appointment. Volunteers 16 and younger must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
All lost and founds are directed to Helping Lost Pets. It's a free website. HelpingLostPets.com You are required to set-up an account. You decide how contact is made; email, phone, text. You may upload a picture and identify the location. You are welcome to call and see if the pet is at the shelter or see if someone may have called about the pet. 706.769.3956
To report animal cruelty or neglect, please click on the link "Report a Concern" towards the bottom of the page. Please supply as much information as possible to insure the call is responded to properly.
If you are an Oconee County Resident, you may bring the animal to the facility. There is an owner surrender fee and it's based on the animal's weight. Please refer to the "Fee" link.


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Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins
Recipe By :Susan Voisin
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:30
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon Ener-G Egg replacer — MIXED WITH
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup soy milk — or rice milk
3/4 cup applesauce
2/3 cup blueberries — fresh or frozen (measured then defrosted)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift the first 5 ingredients together, and then add all the wet ones. Mix just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries and then fill muffin cups (paper-lined or sprayed) full. Bake 20 minutes.
"1 dozen"
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 141 calories, 4 calories from fat, <1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 227.5mg sodium, 59.1mg potassium, 31.6g carbohydrates, 1.1g fiber, 12.6g sugar, 2.7g protein, 2.6 points.


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The Tony-winning Best Musical Kinky Boots will strut its way into a town near you as the crowd-pleasing Cyndi Lauper/Harvey Fierstein tuner launches a national tour. The production kicks off at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas in September 2014, show reps confirmed to Broadway.com. No word yet on casting. Additional tour cities to be announced soon.
Kinky Boots picked up six 2013 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Score (Cyndi Lauper), Best Chorography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus), Best Sound Design of a Musical (John Shivers) and Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Broadway.com video blogger and Audience Choice Award winner Billy Porter).
Based on the 2005 film and inspired by a true story, Kinky Boots follows Charlie Price (Sands), an aspiring young businessman who, after the death of his father, is forced to give up his dreams of living in London in order to save his family's fledgling shoe factory in Northern England. Charlie finds inspiration in Lola (Porter), a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As the unlikely pair works to turn the factory around, they find they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible. Directed by Mitchell, Kinky Boots co-stars Stark Sands, Annaleigh Ashford and Celina Carvajal.
In addition to the Tony Award, Kinky Boots won the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite New Musical, The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical.
Take a look at the award-winning musical's Tony Awards performance below.


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You probably already know how Mitsubishi re-purposed the Eclipse name for a Qashqai-sized crossover, don't you? Well, the automaker won't stop here!


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UFC 132 is in the books - Michael DiSanto breaks it down...
Dominick Cruz proved on Saturday night that he is the best bantamweight in the world—at least, in most people's minds. The judges tapped the tall, lanky champion as the victor over world renowned challenger Urijah Faber, but more than a few thought that the "California Kid" did enough to win the fight. For the record, I'm among those people. Nonetheless, any time a fighter hunts and pecks, as Faber did throughout the fight, rather than taking some risks to get in there and brawl, he has nobody to blame but himself for the loss.
That is right. Even though I felt that Faber won, I cannot argue with the judges' decision. Leaving a fight to the discretion of three individuals is always a risk. Faber could have taken more chances. He didn't. The fight was close. Cruz was awarded the decision. Who cares if it was 50-45 or 48-47? A loss is a loss.
What matters to me is that Cruz and Faber are now 1-1. It makes a lot of sense to begin thinking about a rubber match. I'm not suggesting that an immediate third fight is necessary. I think it would probably be better for everyone to have the pair fight different opponents on the same card, further hyping the rubber match and giving each man a chance to prove that he is a better offensive fighter than what he showed on Saturday. Nonetheless, a third fight is as warranted as any three-fight series that I can recall.
Keep in mind that Faber was dominant in the first fight, scoring a first-round stoppage. Cruz was, at best, awkwardly effective in the rematch. Where Faber erased all doubt with a submission win, Cruz raised further questions by letting his opponent stick around for five full rounds without really throwing anything of real effectiveness. Those questions can all be answered if these guys run it back.
Faber's initial reaction when Bruce Buffer read the judges' decision said it all. He pulled his arm away from referee Steve Mazzagatti and took several steps toward his teammates in obvious frustration. He felt that he did enough to win the fight, and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the judge who scored every round for his opponent should, at a minimum, be forced to complete some sort of training exercise to learn how to properly score a fight.
Yet, by the time Joe Rogan interviewed him, Faber was as gracious as anyone that I can remember who just dropped a close, controversial decision. Sure, he stated that he thought he won the fight. Yet, there was no protesting about the decision. He gave full credit to Cruz for doing what he needed to do in order to win. He blamed himself for not being more aggressive in search of a finish. And he thanked the fans for supporting the event.
After more than a decade of wacky judges' decisions, fighters know that they take major risks if they don't press hard to finish a fight. Hunt-and-peck standup exchanges and quick ground transitions without legitimately close submission attempts make a fight exceedingly difficult to score. Guys should know this by now. Faber certainly does, which is why he handled the loss like the gentleman that he is.
Other professional athletes should take note of the "California Kid's" graciousness and class in defeat.
It is shocking to me that so many people are expressing surprise over Chris Leben's 27-second knockout win over Wanderlei Silva. This fight had nuclear bomb written all over it from the moment that Dana White announced the matchup.
Silva did just what I predicted in my pre-fight feature: he came out full throttle with wild hooks in true berserker style. Leben reacted just like I predicted: he planted his feet and swung back with all of his might. It just so happened that Leben pressed his own reset button before the Brazilian pressed his.
It was the most intense, action-filled 27-second fight that I can remember in all my years covering or watching mixed martial arts. That is why it was my personal choice for both Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night. Fights like that don't happen unless both men are willing to put themselves squarely in harm's way while searching for a knockout victory. Nobody can ever claim that the fans don't get every penny's worth of excitement and action out of a Chris Leben or Wanderlei Silva fight. Put those two together and something special is bound to happen, just like it did on Saturday night.
The win catapulted Leben's standing in the middleweight division. Remember that this is the same Wanderlei Silva who beat Michael Bisping and was ultra close to defeating Rich Franklin in his last two bouts. Leben's annihilation of the "Axe Murderer" firmly entrenches him among the best in the division, all but erasing the bitter taste of his knockout loss to Brian Stann back in January.
I know he prefers to be called the "Crippler," but for my money, the "Cat Smasher" is back!
I don't think any superstar has faced the same dire situation as Tito Ortiz did on Saturday night. Mired in a 57-month run without a victory, the former champion entered the Octagon to face upstart 205-pound prospect Ryan Bader in a fight that had "passing of the torch" written all over it. Indeed, MMA oddsmakers labeled Ortiz the biggest underdog of his career heading into the fight—to the tune of 5-1.
To add to the already suffocating pressure, White was very clear heading into the fight that Ortiz's career in the UFC would come to an abrupt end if he did not win—period.
In one of the true feel good moments in professional fighting, Ortiz responded by turning in his most dominant performance in a decade. No, I don't count the two fights against an aging Ken Shamrock as equal feats. Those really were passing-the-torch bouts. Ortiz hasn't looked as good as he did on Saturday night since his brutal first-round stoppage win over Elvis Sinosic at UFC 32.
You read that correctly – UFC 32. More than 100 UFC events have taken place since that June 2001 evening, several of them when Ortiz was the unquestioned kingpin of the 205-pound division. It was good to see the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" resurrect his career in such dominant fashion against a guy that many believe has the tools to someday become champion.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. The win proves that Ortiz remains a viable commodity in the ultra-deep light heavyweight division. It does not, by any stretch of the imagination, prove that he is once again a top contender. I'm not saying that Ortiz doesn't have the skills to once again contend for a title—not at all. I'm only stating the obvious point that a guy who was 0-4-1 in his last five bouts needs more than one win to put him back into contention. The win, however, definitely puts him in the mix for future marquee matchups as he tries to fight his way back into contention.
Well done, Tito. The world counted you out one too many times. It's great to see you back.
How many times has Mike Goldberg or Joe Rogan stated that, in their opinion, Melvin Guillard is the best athlete in the UFC? You know what, I agree with them. This kid has all the tools to be great. Very few fighters enjoy the same blend of insane speed, devastating power, and jaw-dropping coordination. Yet, the early part of Guillard's UFC career was an extreme rollercoaster ride of highlight-reel knockouts and puzzling defeats.
Then, he decided to begin training with Greg Jackson. Five wins later, including a win over highly regarded Evan Dunham, Guillard stands among the best in the 155-pound division. Another win or two and it will be difficult to deny this kid his first title shot. His star is rising that quickly.
Guillard's career turnaround has been nothing short of amazing. Again, he has always had all the physical and athletic tools to be great. He never enjoyed the full potential of those tools until he began training with a world-class team. Young fighters should take note of that fact.
To be clear, I'm not suggesting that Guillard's success is unique to his decision to join Team Jackson. Jackson is undoubtedly one of the best trainers in the world, and his talent-laden stable of fighters ensures that everyone has top-notch training partners on a regular basis. But there are other gyms that offer similar situations, like the American Kickboxing Academy, Xtreme Couture, American Top Team, among others. The point is athletes wanting to maximize their odds for success should seek out the best training that they can find, just like Guillard did after his disappointing loss to Nate Diaz back in September 2009.
Carlos Condit knows what it is like to be a champion. The elite 170-pound mixed martial artist ruled the WEC's welterweight division before it was folded into the UFC. And then he fell into the abyss of being just another fighter as he was folded into a division with established stars like Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Mike Swick, and a dozen other household names, in addition to welterweight mega star Georges St-Pierre.
After walking through previously undefeated Dong Hyun Kim like a knife through warm butter, Condit is anonymous no more. This guy has definitely established himself as one of the very best in the division with wins over Dan Hardy, Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, and now Kim. The question is whether he is ready for his first shot at UFC gold.
With GSP occupied until the end of the year with his upcoming title defense against Nick Diaz, Condit doesn't have to answer that question just yet. It would be crazy for him to sit on the sidelines for the next 8-10 months while campaigning for a title shot. That is not the way to peak for a guy like GSP. Condit instead needs to keep busy, preferably by testing himself against one of the myriad of former title challengers who still stand among the very best in the game.
The two names that instantly come to mind are Koscheck and Penn.
Both men are coming off injuries, though both should be able to fight before the end of the year, which is perfect timing for Condit. A bout with either guy would be a major test for the former WEC champion, one that he might not be able to pass. That is why a bout with someone like Kos or Penn is just what the doctor ordered to legitimize Condit's claim to the number one contender spot.
Watch UFC 132 here: http://www.ufc.tv/ufc/event/cruz-vs-faber/541
Jamahal Hill Talks UFC 300 Main Event
Hall Of Fame


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"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster."
Scorsese's epic movie about life in the mob.
It makes me want to be a gangster, too.
Goodfellas is the true story of Henry Hill. Hill became a mobster very young in life, and grew up living the life. In 1980 he was arrested on narcotics charges and became convinced that his criminal associates were going to kill him. In order to avoid imprisonment, and out of fear for his and his wife's lives, Hill turned state's witness and joined the federal witness protection program. He shared the story of his life with crime writer Nicholas Pileggi, who used it as the basis for his 1986 non-fiction novel, "Wiseguy"
Scorsese, a Bronx native, was drawn to the authenticity of the material. He's quoted as saying that the neighborhood he grew up in was full of the same types of people as the movie portrays. I don't doubt him for a moment. The movie feels too… real. It's one of the greatest crime stories of all time because it's a thorough, detailed, realistic portrait of a "life of crime" – from beginning to end. Both the highs AND the lows. All the little details.
It begins with the allure of the life, the attractiveness of it. There are thrills and profits and excitement in living a life without laws… where you can take anything you can steal, and make people do things by sticking a gun in their face. People give you respect. Doors open. Women are attracted to it. No more school, no jobs, no taxes.
All you had to do was remember the two most important things in life.
Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut.
Watching "Goodfellas" is an intoxicating vicarious experience. It's impossible to watch and not thrill along with the Goodfella's victories. Their camaraderie is infectious. Their world is full of excitement and adventure, even as it's fraught with danger. There are untold riches to be had. Stacks and suitcases of money, just waiting to be taken. There seems to be no limit to the size of their scores. No one crosses them, or they pay. They themselves don't pay for anything, they TAKE. They have Wives to have children and girlfriends to date.
This movie never lets the viewer forget the dangers inherent in being a part of the mob, however. Living outside the law works both ways. These people can't go to the police, they have to police themselves. As such, they're always the flaring of a temper away from being shot or beaten or strangled or all of the above and then winding up in a hole in the woods covered with lime.
In fact, the movie pokes holes in all the "glamourous" aspects of "the life". The cops are always over their shoulders. They're constantly in and out of jail. Their women are victimized by the life they lead. Drugs slowly erode their sanity. And their friends… the people whom they kill with and steal with, who they revel and whore and gamble with… the people they've known their whole lives… They're the biggest threat to their lives.
"If you're part of a crew, nobody ever tells you that they're going to kill you, doesn't happen that way. There weren't any arguments or curses like in the movies. See, your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who've cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you're at your weakest and most in need of their help."
The criminals here are never romanticized, either. Unlike Vito Corleone, who's a patriarch and protector, or Michael Corleone, who wields practically presidential level power, unlike Tony Montana who rises to a king of a cocaine empire… The Goodfellas are thugs. Punks. They're common criminals. Jacking trucks and loan sharking. Dealing drugs and offloading stolen coats. Certainly, they have their share of big scores, but never, ever are they shown to be more than crooks out to steal and rob and threaten in order to profit themselves.
And when it all unravels, it unravels quickly and completely. Utterly. In a rapid downward spiral fueled by drugs and distrust, the 'Fellas begin to turn on each other. Cocaine takes its toll. Paranoia sets in. By the time the Law catches up to Hill, they're literally the least of his worries.
He's convinced he could be killed at any moment.
The success of the film is due in large part to the incredible cast. Paul Sorvino is the steely eyed crime boss Paulie Cicero. Ray Liotta gives the performance of his career up against Oscar Winners Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci (who won for this film) and Lorraine Bracco (who earned a nomination herself for this movie). Together they're so thoroughly believable that I never once feel that any of them are acting, I'm convinced to this day that this is how each of them actually ARE in real life.
Of course the credit for that belongs to the movie's legendary, brilliant director Martin Scorsese. Remarkably, Hollywood legend holds he didn't even direct the movie's most infamous scene, the "I'm funny how?" restaurant scene. Reportedly, he allowed Pesci not only to ad lib, but to take the helm.
There's no question he directed the film's other legendary scene, however. The Copacabana tracking shot.
Like the shower scene in "Psycho", entire encyclopedias have been written about this scene. I'm a movie fan, not a film student, but even I recognize the brilliance at work here. Directors constantly have choices to make. Scorsese could have shot their entrance with varying camera positions, then edited the scene together. Or hell, why even show them entering the restaurant at all? Pick up the date while they're already at the table…
But by using the camera to follow the two of them in in an uninterrupted, single, flowing shot, the fact that "doors are opening" for Henry is emphasized. There's no stopping him. Scorsese is quoted as saying he wanted to reinforce the feeling of limitless possibilities, that Henry had his entire life ahead of him. Now, using a camera shot to illustrate such a thing isn't exactly "hitting the audience over the head with it". Its subtle. It's a nuance. I'm sure a lot of people don't even pick up on it consciously. But they FEEL it. It registers. And that's the mark of a phenomal film maker. They SHOW. Not TELL. And yet every bit of what they're trying to say comes across.
Of course, his fingerprints are all over the film. The Great Train Robbery homage at the end of the film, the frantic pacing and editing and music mixing of Henry's final day, the occasional still frame. If things like that aren't handled with skill, they take you out of the film. But in the hands of the Master, such flourishes blend seamlessly together in a way you might not even notice, but you wind up leaving and saying "That was a great movie".
And "Goodfellas" IS a great movie.
A "Movie That Everyone Should See."


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1) Visit his new professional website and business blog at http://DouglasECastleBlog.com, where he discusses fixing broken businesses and fueling and accelerating the growth curve of successful or potentially successful companies or organizations, or you may:
2) Visit his multi-subject personal blog at http://DouglasECastle.com which will now be the ultimate, centralized consolidation of the large list of blogs which follow. While I might continue to post to these blogs directly, I will be doing so only sporatically. Thank you, as always, for following me and for sharing my articles with your colleagues across your many social media networks using an ever-increasing variety of sharing tools,. The selected blog list follows for your reference:
TAKING COMMAND! ACHIEVING YOUR OBJECTIVES. SENDING SIGNALS! - Communicate With Precision And Power. QUORA DISCUSSION FORUM DOUGLAS E. CASTLE: Observations, Thoughts And Commentary. Disruption Theory And Disruptive Innovation InfoSphere™ Business Alerts And Intelligence THE GLOBAL FUTURIST - Douglas E Castle
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Related Content
Press Release
Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury today returned a two-count indictment against two men previously charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation.
Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, and Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, nationals of Kazakhstan who were residing in New Bedford on student visas, were charged today with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstructing justice with the intent to impede the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov were originally charged on May 1, 2013, via criminal complaint.
Today's indictment alleges that on the evening of April 18, 2013, after the FBI posted photographs of the two men suspected of carrying out the Marathon bombings (who were later identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev), Kadyrbayev received a text message from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev suggesting that he go to Tsarnaev's "room and take what's there." Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov, and another conspirator, according to the indictment, then went to Tsarnaev's dormitory room and removed several items, including Tsarnaev's laptop computer and a backpack containing fireworks, and brought them to Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov's apartment in New Bedford. Later that night, Kadyrbayev, with Tazhayakov's knowledge and agreement, placed Tsarnaev's backpack, which contained several items including fireworks, in a garbage bag, and put it in a trash dumpster outside their New Bedford apartment.
If convicted Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov face up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction of justice count and up to five years in prison on the conspiracy count, each to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Both face the possibility of being deported.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. This investigation was conducted by the FBI's Boston Division, the Massachusetts State Police, and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which is comprised of more than 30 federal, state and local enforcement agencies. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Department of Public Safety, the City of New Bedford, New Bedford Police Department, Dartmouth Police Department, U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Essex County Sheriff's Office, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations provided assistance to this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Stephanie Siegmann and John A. Capin of Ortiz's Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit with the assistance of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


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The ABS will continue to build on its current engagement strategy, with future initiatives focusing on increasing its engagement with Indigenous people, Indigenous communities, governments, and the research community (refer to section 3.1). The ABS will develop a framework for the measurement of Indigenous wellbeing in consultation and collaboration with stakeholders, taking into account both Indigenous perspectives of wellbeing, and policy and research priorities (refer to section 3.2). The ABS will explore how its existing collection and analytical program could incorporate more information on Indigenous children and youth and will seek advice on the feasibility of collecting additional data on young people through Indigenous surveys in the household survey program (refer to section 3.3). The ABS will position itself to understand, and respond to, emerging needs for Indigenous economic and business statistics through continued exploration and assessment of external administrative data sets and by investigating prospective frameworks for measuring Indigenous economic activity (refer to section 3.4). The ABS will continue to enhance existing survey collections to improve the availability and usefulness of Indigenous data and will support efforts to improve the quality of administrative collections so as to facilitate better measurement of change over time across a range of statistics, including births and deaths registration data, population estimates and projections, life expectancy, labour force characteristics, participation in education and crime and justice statistics (refer to section 3.5). The ABS will continue to engage with data users to monitor regional data needs and will explore innovative ways of improving availability of small area data (refer to section 3.6). The ABS is committed to ongoing consultation on its work program, and intends to continue to review its Indigenous statistics program on a regular basis. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window. |


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UPDATE 914/16 : EVOKO has a new room booking management product called the LISO. We have a new video below.
Hello IT Professionals,
Resource management, expecially conference room management, is becoming more and more important. The need to maximize the resources that are available in a given company has become a top priority for: facilities managements, IT professionals and real estate managers. To help start the conversation we have compared the top 5 solutions on the market in a way that will hopefully become a time saving tool.


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Katy Bourne: '˜Sussex Police has an awful lot to learn' from Shana Grice's murder
The Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner reiterated the force's apology to Miss Grice's family after it emerged during the trial that the 19-year-old was fined for 'wasting police time' after reporting that she was being stalked by Lane.
Miss Grice was murdered by Lane in her home in Chrisdory Road, Portslade, on Friday August 25, 2016.
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Hide AdSpeaking on Thursday, March 23, the day Lane was handed a life sentence at Lewes Crown Court, Mrs Bourne said: "Shana's murder was a tragedy and my thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.
"Sussex Police has apologised to the family, the recognise that they may not have done the very best that they could, which is why they've referred themselves to the Independents Complaints Commission, who are going to look at how Sussex Police dealt with the incidents involving Shana leading up to her murder.
"Sussex Police have reviewed all the aspects of how they deal with cases of stalking and harassment but I want to ensure that those are fully implemented, which is why I'm commissioning HMIC, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, to do a further inspection around how Sussex Police deal with cases of stalking and harassment, which will probably be later in the year.
"A key challenge is supporting front-line police officers to recognise stalking as a serious crime when it's first described to them, and also it's important that police must keep victims engaged with stalking investigations to ensure that evidence is secured to support prosecutions where appropriate.
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Hide Ad"So there's an awful lot here for Sussex Police to learn, but police forces nationally as well, how they deal with victims of stalking and harassment.
"This is a hugely serious time, but of course my thoughts remain with Shana's family."
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