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Herd Immunity And Christianity
There on that hillock is a herd of cattle, all but one of which is inoculated against hoof-and-mouth disease. Chances are the one beast that escaped vaccination won't fall ill since that malady is spread fastest in herds where lots of individuals are infected. And here, of course, none can become infected. There will be no other cows to pass the disease to our iconoclast.
Such are the dry facts. But suppose our lone bovine, recognizing its unique status, were to say to the other cows, "Moo", which translated is, "Vaccinations are bad for you. Vaccinations take the savor from the taste of grass and cause our calves to stare too much. Look at me. I'm not vaccinated and I never get sick, I love grass, and my calf doesn't stare."
The cow—stick with me, we're almost there; the title will make sense, I promise—would thus sound like any one of a dozen Hollywood actresses who with wild eyes and intense convictions take to the airways and announce they are "against" vaccinations. One lady summed up the now common suspicion of vaccines thusly:
- "Pharmaceutical Companies Can't Be Trusted"—they're only in it for themselves.
- "ALL Vaccines are Loaded with Chemicals and other Poisons"—they do more harm than good.
- "Fully Vaccinated Children are the Unhealthiest, Most Chronically Ill Children I Know"—it's child abuse!
- "Other Countries Are Waking Up to the Dangers of Vaccines"—not everybody believes as we do.
- "You Can Always Get Vaccinated, But You Can Never Undo a Vaccination"—things cannot be unseen, either.
We're finally ready for our ridiculously stretched analogy.
The call of the Enlightened is to remove religion from the public sphere. The joys that await The People when this happens are promised to be many and deep. Yet the percentage of Enlightened are small and they, like the majority, bask in the fruits of religion, for example like hospitals, peace, charity, science, and more importantly the desire for these things if not always the things themselves. Once religion is banished, these desires will wane and even disappear.
The Enlightened are thus like vain Hollywood actresses who are sure vaccination (religion) is the cause of many evils. They are immune like the lone cow is immune from the evils caused by the absence of vaccination (religion). Since they don't fall ill, protected as they are by the inoculated (religious) around them, they are sure they will never fall ill, and that their non-inoculated (religion-free) states are superior.
And just look at what happens to those who are vaccinated (catechized)! Autism (ignorance), immune system (susceptibility) and neurologic disorders (credulity), hyperactivity (ditto), learning disabilities (ignorance), multiple sclerosis (fixity of vision), and many other disorders.
On the whole, vaccines cause more diseases than they cure. Vaccines are child abuse! The vaccine didn't do me any personal good, therefore it doesn't do any good to anybody. Best to eliminate them and the diseases which everybody fears, which are really caused by imbalance with nature, will disappear of their own accord. Belief in "invisible friends" discourages belief in reality. Religion is a threat to rationality and science, which is defined as the absence of religion.
Why, remove Christianity and we can remove that last vestiges of art as beauty, everybody can be an artist, everybody is an artist. We can go back to the old days (the really old days) and get going strong on polygamy, incest (why not?), abortion, infanticide, euthanasia (voluntary and otherwise). Sure, Christianity brought us the university, but only to promulgate philosophy and metaphysics. Science (as now defined) has removed the need for these outmoded concepts.
Sure, religion brought us hospitals and the idea that the sick should be cured. But this slows down evolution, which too many people want to stop. We have the tools we need now to enhance and perfect the human race.
Okay, so all this is weak. It's just me thinking out loud, playing; filler for a slow day. Our generation, perhaps because we were given the best toys, concentrate on the now and forget the past. Too many of us not only have no memory of the benefits religion brought us, but have turned history upside down and believe it was religion that has held back progress. This implausible story has been debunked countless times (see esp. Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies) but the debunking never sticks.
People have an active interest in seeing it doesn't. Another sign that the herd immunity is weakening.
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This essay is a good example of an overgeneralization — implicit is that "Christianity" is homogenous in its beliefs relative to what is important to society.
"Christianity" is very very very diverse, inconsistent; adherents embrace mutually exclusive beliefs and values under the banner "Christianity" such that the term, often, has little meaningful relevance without additional clarification.
For R. Catholics, teaching evolution, astronomy (including the "Big Bang") and so on is no problem; this is in large part to a recognition that much of the reference document is allegorical & needs to be interpreted accordingly.
To a fundamentalist/evangelist those anti-creation/intelligent-design views acceptable to R. Catholics are not only heretical, they are demonstrably scientifically false; this is in large part via a recognition that much of the same reference document is literal and must be interpreted as such.
Given that Texas, for example, by its size effectively drives what textbooks are chosen elsewhere (pretty much the majority of the USA) due to its effect on economies of scale & unit textbook prices…and…Texas generally finds science at odds with the proper literal interpretation of the key reference material, classroom teachings of science suffers–even after the courts have intervened (about creationism/intelligent design — which while religious do-gooders asserted were different their own source materials proved, in court, they were in fact one-and-the-same…which in layman's terms is that certain evangelical groups lied…and many are still lying about this). It is this variation of "Christianity" the "Enlightened" Briggs mentions primarily target with vigor, and significantly for the anti-science nonsense foisted into our classrooms.
To argue from an undefined position of "Christianity" (and what happens next if….) simply obfuscates & oversimplifies reality by presupposing things are much simpler than they really are. "Christianity"–one term, many many different meanings. One needs to define what is meant by that term, because in actual practice it encompasses a lot of disputed territory and embraces a number of values that are at cross-purposes.
One argument for forced vaccination is supposedly to protect others but it would seem a vaccination only protects those who are vaccinated from succumbing to whatever illness but doesn't necessarily mean the vaccinated person can't carry and spread a disease to those not vaccinated.
Yes, the herd will be better but if one is vaccinated does it really matter that there are those who are not?
Applying this to your analogy: yes, the herd will be better but so what? If others are not religious (vaccinated) but you are, why should it matter? I mean outside of being a pushy missionary/do-gooder?
You seem to be making the argument for forced indoctrination.
Are you?
I'm not sure herd immunity is the best analogy for scoffers benefiting from the social capital accrued by dozens of generations of (more or less) devout living, but it does reveal the crucial point that at some level of prevalence, scoffing will eat up all the social capital and cause civilizational catastrophe. No culture without a cult. My own thoughts on "Deep Heritage" are (offerred humbly) here.
In all ages everywhere, ignoring or flaunting social norms usually causes all kinds of harm, both to the individual and to society at large by degrading social trust and cohesion. Taboos usually exist for good reasons, even when those reasons cannot be well articulated, and those who flaunt them pretty much deserve social opprobrium.
Yet in every age (at least since the Psalmist, "why do the wicked prosper") there have been a small minority who prosper in spite of their rejection of social norms. Usually this is because of great wealth and power (they'd win anyway), but rarely in human history has such rule-breaking itself been raised to the level of a virtue. In fact, if you'd payed attention only to Hollywood movies for the last 60 years or so, you'd be forgiven for believing Rule-breaking had become the last standing Cardinal Virtue.
This has something, I think, to do with unprecedented and pathological levels of Narcissism in the West. It's no longer enough to violate norms and get away with it, i.e., sponge off the cultural capital of the majority. No. You must violate the norms and get away with it AND feel good about yourself whilst doing it. Those norms are evil. You are a hero for violating them. The norms themselves are evil, and moreso those narrow-minded hypocrites who want people to live by them, or at least not be rewarded for breaking them. This is, I think, the new thing. And it makes modernity suck a lot worse than it should.
You seem to be making the argument for forced indoctrination.
Are you?
My reading of Briggs is the much more modest point that you shouldn't advocate getting rid of immunization and shouldn't treat your lack of it as some sort of virtue. The honest non-immunee (like say John Derbyshire or Dennis Mangan) would recognize that he still benefits from herd immunity and be glad its there.
Yet in every age (at least since the Psalmist, "why do the wicked prosperâ€)
There are those who would argue that prospering is itself wicked.
My reading of Briggs is the much more modest point that you shouldn't advocate getting rid of immunization and shouldn't treat your lack of it as some sort of virtue.
Perhaps but isn't that itself arguing that one should not argue for what is believed?
DAV: To answer your question in terms of vaccines–yes, it does matter to those who are vaccinated that others are not. Children have died from whooping cough because a baby cannot be vaccinated until 2 months of age. The choice is then to keep your baby home for the first 2 months (no doctor visits, etc, unless you cover the baby completely to avoid someone coughing or sneezing near enough to the child to cause infection) or take a chance the baby will get whooping cough. One can also ban all unvaccinated children and adults from areas where very young babies are. I suppose we could just write of the 1 or 2 percent of babies that die from the disease and say it's worth it for others to not be subjected to the vaccine.
People don't live in tiny bubbles that keep anything anyone else does from affecting them. Morality, disease, government or any other entity affects people as a group. You simply can't say (well, you can but you'd be wrong) "What I do does not hurt anyone else" unless you live alone in cave in the back woods, and even then there is a tiny margin of error in the statement. You could perhaps contaminate a stream, eat animals to extinction, etc. What someone does affects many other people. It's the way reality works. Reject it if you wish, but it doesn't make it go away.
. One can also ban all unvaccinated children and adults from areas where very young babies are.
That statement is what I was driving at. It's not at all clear that being vaccinated prevents one from being a carrier. It seems to me that vaccination is self protection.
Ken makes the error of supposing that Christian beliefs are what Christians believe. But rather they are what the Magisterium and Holy Traditions teach. Both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which together comprise two-thirds of the world's Christians, hold this position and while they differ in a number of details, they differ hardly at all in core beliefs. (The main differences are in how those beliefs are articulated, and which beliefs are designated as dogmatic. The latter in turn depends on which heresies most afflicted that lobe of Christendom.)
An Orthodox theologian once characterized fundamentalists like Bill and Ted's Excellent Bible Shack as one small step away from atheism. They have substituted for the collective beliefs of the Church throughout the world and time their own personal beliefs (or those of some charismatic m/u/l/l/a/h preacher). From "my truth" to "no truth" is the work of a moment, as when a 9-year old Dawkins "just knew" there was no God. So, many of those of whom Ken complains are simply the Late Modern malaise manifested among Christians on the fringes of the herd, those most likely to be picked off by predators. Some people receive a weakened or adulterated batch of the vaccine.
DAV: Okay. I see what you mean. I found this:
So the kids who were vaccinated as babies are protected but they can still be carriers?
With IPV you are protected, but you will still shed the virus. Your goal [with vaccination] is the person doesn't get polio when you vaccinate and also they don't spread it. With IPV you protect the individual but don't do as much to protect the gut and protect the community. With OPV you get both protection of the individual and the community.
This is on the "dead" (IPV) versus "live" (OPV) vaccine for polio. I am not sure if it applies to other vaccines. In this case, the answer to your question seems to be dependent on the version of the vaccine that was used.
Perhaps but isn't that itself arguing that one should not argue for what is believed?
Well I wouldn't presume to argue for Briggs, but my take on it is that there is in any society a (more or less) coherent set of norms that people (more or less) live by, and that these play a role in the adaptive success of the society. (They may in fact be eternal truth as well, but that is not strictly necessary.) It turns out of course if you look at the content of diverse moral codes, you don't really find successful, i.e., civilized, societies that don't have the final 7 (by RCC counting) of the ten commandments. And this makes sense because if socially enforced moral norms did not contribute to the adaptive success of various cultures, then they'd be a heckuva lot more random than they actually are. So if you're arguing for an ammendment to one of these 7, then you're on shaky ground to begin with, but even so, again ignoring for the moment whether these represent eternal truth (or whether eternal truth even exists), you're still destabilizing the society, eroding social trust, etc. Now as long as such "Advocacy" is safe, legal, and rare, I suppose a healthy society will survive it, but once Advocacy of Rule-Breaking becomes sufficiently widespread, social capital will get burnt up in a few short generations.
"This essay is a good example of an overgeneralization — implicit is that "Christianity†is homogenous in its beliefs relative to what is important to society."
As a strong general rule, practicing Christians have a -very- strong repugnance to:
-) Corruption (lying, deception, etc, etc, etc, etc),
-) Violence (Murder, rape, ),
-) Theft (blue-collar, white-collar, taxation, etc),
-) Collectivism (i.e. relating to personal responsibility, freedom of thought – expression – etc, etc.)
I could go on: the list is amazingly long. The anti-list very much more so.
The general hippie – leftist – atheist has some MILD repugnance to these things, depending upon the individual. And that mostly due to being infected with these values as a child in a somewhat-Christian environment.
Now imagine a large group of practicing Christians, and living there. Now imagine a large group of practicing Atheists, and living there.
This is not debatable, it cannot be (properly) argued against: it is just what is.
Having has some unpleasant dealing with some corrupt online Hungarians recently, I can now say that the general manners, mentality, speech, etc, of a scammer-in-action is fairly identical to that of a leftist – activist. Recognition took a little while, if only because it was unexpected: but then the -reality- of worthless a-holes always manages to surprise me.
These things listed above are ALL observable in the real world. In short, leftists truly are the children of the devil: FACT. All else is clutter.
May I point you in the direction of one Tony Blair, ex-Prime Minister of the UK.
"Teflon Tony" as practiced a political rogue & liar as any of them and a Catholic.
Christianity is like any other religion, largely a load of bollocks.
Just because somebody's a Christian, it doesn't preclude them from being a thief & a murderer. Cast your eyes through any history of the world and the devout Christian will be there, merrily robbing, raping, enslaving & murdering. If it's a "heathen", so much the better, but if it's a member of another Christian sect, well, so much the better as they're heretics!
"Teflon Tony†as practiced a political rogue & liar as any of them and a Catholic.
From which one deduces one's political allegiances. But I recall that he converted after he was out of office.
Just because somebody's a Christian, it doesn't preclude them from being a thief & a murderer.
Of course not. What part of "all men are sinners" failed to register? Or the business about the Church being a hospital, not a country club? What the Christian does have is a well-developed body of knowledge by which to say that these things are wrong. (And even under what circumstance theft is okay.)
Christianity is like any other religion, largely a load of bollocks.
Who can take seriously a religion that commands us to love our enemies, do good to those who attack us, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, which invented hospitals, orphanages, and universities, which nurtured within its ambit natural philosophy and (alas, too briefly) the quaint notion that the State was not the be-all and end-all of human life. To a certain frame of mind this is indeed "bollocks."
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible."
What sustains a cancer patient receiving a 2nd line treatment failure diagnosis? What overcomes the fear and fright of the Soldier engaged in battle? Try surviving these as a practicing atheist. When death looms, those without faith, die horribly, painfully, and alone. I've watched it. Joined the Enlightened Heard; await death.
"Just because somebody's a Christian, it doesn't preclude them from being a thief & a murderer."
Rather say: "Just because someone CALLS themselves a Christian…"
But that is obvious. You are unlikely to be unaware of this. You -are- likely to be a lying, filthy, leftist – atheist, playing debate-dabate (hence Rom 1:29).
Your utter lack of respect for the true state of things proves my very point, you despicable hell-spawn.
In -general-, practicing Christians are -very- much against those things.
In -general-, the practicing Atheist – leftist has only, possibly, a mild (personal) distaste for such activities. Unless raised in a Christian environment.
As an example: consider the reaction of the average leftist to a description of partial-birth abortion, and contrast that to the reaction of the average practicing Christian.
A practicing Muslim can blow up a bus full of (infidel) children for Allah, and be applauded by his-her peers.
A practicing Atheist – leftist – socialist can blow up a bus full of children (e.g. of anti-socialists), for sake of The Cause, and be applauded by his-her peers (off the record, of course).
A practicing Christian can blow up a bus full of children for… heck if I know; BUT he-she will NOT be applauded by his-her peers.
It takes mindless 'arguments' from mindless 'debaters' to work at trying to obfuscate the obvious truth: hippies are lying, filthy, murderous, excrement. Hippies will all go to Hell, since that is where all those who choose to be – stay (human) filth is to be deposited.
Repent, or burn.
Shrug. Of course you will not repent: after all you are not ignorant of your choices, you merely lie about them.
Perhaps a statement of the extremely obvious would be fitting:
You become a Christian when you ask the Lord to be His.
After that, the onus is on you to read the bible, and do what is in it: i.e. to PRACTICE not lying, not killing, caring -deeply- about the truth, hating wickedness, etc etc etc.
Building hospitals and the like are examples of individuals who are PRACTICING not being scum.
The expression is practice makes perfect, but in the real world practice merely makes BETTER.
A group of practicing Christians therefore WORK at not being scum.
Now contrast such a group with a group of atheists, socialists, etc: not only do they NOT practice being scum, they have ZERO reason not be scum – just consider how utterly uncaring hippies are about liars whom they support, vs those they do not. Consider how little they care about 3rd-term abortion. Consider how they continue to support to total ban of DDT (as opposed to a sensible partial ban.) The list is as endless as the list of the greatest evils committed in this world.
Death, oceans of drops of misery, carpets woven from individual lies. Evil. Wherever hippies are in charge, there is pervasive evil.
For the fact is this: if you practice something, you are bound to become a least SOMEWHAT competent at it. Not a little bit more competent, as the hippies would argue, but significantly more so.
Obvious. Simple. Yet the hippies use debate as the weapon against truth it naturally is… and Christians in general LET them. After all, if it were admitted that atheists, in general, are scum… then there would be no 'communication' with them… but such would be biblical, now would it not, and therefore it is condemned by the world, and all those non-practicing Christians who infest the churches.
This post is a perfect example of the type of poor reasoning which leads to the belief in God.
Considering that it's not arguing for that, it must be really poor. We look forward to the specific fallacies which you will no doubt shortly point out.
The entire OP is full of straw-man arguments. As if defeating those arguments strengthens the idea that there is a God and that Religion is a force of good. Nonsense.
Even Briggs acknowledges this by saying "Okay, so all this is weak."
And I should have added — it's the lack of evidence that God exists that causes people to engage in such weak arguments.
How do those arguments "strengthen the idea" that God exists?
What I saw was a pragmatic case that certain beliefs "inoculate" the population to particular ills in a manner analogous to vaccinations, and that the population has a "resistance" to "moral epidemics" provided only that "enough" individuals have been immunized. This can be true regardless whether the God exists, so long as the belief exists.
If the post was full of straw men, then it shouldn't be too difficult to trot one out for all to see.
Well said, YOS.
Jim S: There are no arguments that prove God exist. Never was, probably never will be. There are also no arguments proving that God does not exist (yes, that would be proving a negative). It's not about arguing whether God exists. As YOS said, this is about the belief that God exists and the results.
"Why, remove Christianity and we can remove that last vestiges of art as beauty, everybody can be an artist, everybody is an artist. We can go back to the old days (the really old days) and get going strong on polygamy, incest (why not?), abortion, infanticide, euthanasia (voluntary and otherwise)."
@ Ye Olde: You don't see anything wrong with this argument? This is sound reasoning?
"….bask in the fruits of religion, for example like hospitals, peace, charity, science,…. " Seriously?
And should I create a list of all the horrors that religion has wrought upon society?
But I'm sure anything I put forth would be shot down as not really "being part of religion". We'll, this is strictly true – since there is no objective foundation upon which religion rests, it's possible to both include and exclude anything that is convenient. It'a a non-finite, non-falsifiable hypothesis that god exists, so anything can be attributed to him (or not) since no proof is ever offered up.
Briggs, can you, please, put a "share" button to LiveJournal?
"Why, remove Christianity and we can remove that last vestiges of art as beauty, everybody can be an artist, everybody is an artist. We can go back to the old days (the really old days) and get going strong on polygamy, incest (why not?), abortion, infanticide, euthanasia (voluntary and otherwise).â€
@ Ye Olde: You don't see anything wrong with this argument? This is sound reasoning?
It's not an argument at all. Granted, the waning of religion has led to art divorced from beauty, as well as to abortion and euthanasia, but much of this is accessible to natural law reasoning, which one religion does teach. Granted, too, that much of this was common before the rise of that one religion. But Aristotle, promoted also by that one religion, also taught the art of the beautiful beforehand. But I believe Dr. Briggs' plaint has to do with the fate of the collapsing Western Civilization rather than with civilization, per se; that is, with the removal of Christianity from Christendom.
"….bask in the fruits of religion, for example like hospitals, peace, charity, science,…. †Seriously?
Let's not confuse an historical perspective with some sort of universalistic Theoretical perspective. The love of Theory is the root of all evil, or something like that. We can certainly imagine a world in which these things arose absent Christianity, but we are for the most part stuck with the world that actually happened.
Gone are the days when the naked priest of Mars annually danced forth from his temple and threw the spear of war in some random direction influenced by the drugs he took and the legions marched in that direction to fight whomever they encountered. Gone indeed the days in which the Athenians could say to the Melians, "The way of the world is that the strong take what they can and the weak suffer what they must" to justify their unprovoked attack on that neutral city-state. And of course now that Christendom has birthed them, other cultures may maintain hospitals and science for their proven benefits. At least for a time. (Hospitals are already morphing into for-profit corporations.)
And should I create a list of all the horrors that religion has wrought upon society?
What is "religion"? Is there in fact an objectively defined object of study? Prior to Christianity, there was no distinction between the binding rituals of the State and the other aspects of the State. (In Greece and Rome, the priesthoods were elected offices of the government.) So the actions of, say, the priesthood of Mars are indistinguishable from the will of the Senate and People of Rome.
"What is "religion� Is there in fact an objectively defined object of study?"
Well, no there is not. Because God does not exist. Thus, to quote myself:
"….since there is no objective foundation upon which religion rests, it's possible to both include and exclude anything that is convenient."
"What is "religionâ€? Is there in fact an objectively defined object of study?â€
Well, no there is not. Because God does not exist.
You misunderstand. There might well be religion whether God exists or no. Many classical religions — of the Greeks, the Egyptians, et al. — did not postulate a God (although the Greeks were ultimately driven in that direction by logic). The question is whether things that are normally classed as "religions" are really instantiations of the same sort of thing. If Finnish shamanism the same kind of thing as Theravada Buddhism? Is Confucian ancestor-worship the same kind of thing as Hinduism?
If as you have just said there is no such thing as religion, how can there be a list of horrors which religion has wrought?
"As a strong general rule, practicing Christians have a -very- strong repugnance to:
-) Corruption (lying, deception, etc, etc, etc, etc),
-) Violence (Murder, rape, ),
-) Theft (blue-collar, white-collar, taxation, etc),
-) Collectivism (i.e. relating to personal responsibility, freedom of thought – expression – etc, etc.)"
Interesting list. Let's see how the Catholic Church does according to those standards:
Corruption: Widespread corruption in the Vatican Bank, which is run by Catholics many of them priests. Cover-ups of filthy perversions (which, incidentally, are also breaches of their vows) by Catholic priests.
Violence: For many years, IRA violence was given the nod by Irish priests – including mass murder. In addition, sadistic brutality in Catholic schools run by monks and nuns is widespread. (I was a victim of it – a 9-year-old being caned hard enough to draw blood is NOT acceptable by anyone decent.)
Theft: See Vatican Bank, above. In addition, the vast amount of gold, silver and jewels in the possession of the Catholic Church might be and has been called theft.
Collectivism: Obedience is one of the primary tenets of the Catholic Church. Freedom of thought, at least in certain matters, does not exist.
Ask yourself a question. If Christ came back tomorrow, what would he think of and do to the Vatican?
You fail to understand what a "practing Christian" is. If they are doing all of the above, they are practing Christians.
Ah, Fletch. You may have missed that part about the Church being a hospital for sinners not a country club for saints. No one supposes that because someone ignore the tenets, tenets themselves are faulty. One must further distinguish between that which is essentially the case from that which is annexed to it. For example, caning students for misbehavior may have more to do with the national culture than with a universal religion. I too went through Catholic schools and never heard of such a thing.
When you say that "the vast amount of gold, silver and jewels in the possession of the Catholic Church might be and has been called theft," you might reflect that it might be called a ring-tailed wombat, too; but that doesn't make it so. Granted, national governments seized much of this during the Enlightenment, but the theft was on the part of the secular state.
One might also check what the common approach by psychologists was in the 1970s when the homosexual priest scandals were happening. As usual, when the Church defers to Science, it often turns out the Science was bad advice.
Ye Olde Statisician – Sure. However, it appears to me (and many others, I might add) that if the Church is a hospital for sinners then it's a mental hospital, run by the inmates.
As for the colossal riches of the Church – well, if the stuff isn't stolen then it is at the very least obtained under false pretenses – which is also immoral everywhere and illegal in most places.
BTW, I couldn't care less about homosexual priests – although the Church itself supposedly does. Paedophilia (or ephebophilia, in some cases, which is sometimes a more correct word) does, however, get my goat. That particular brand of pervert shouldn't be a priest. Or a Catholic, for that matter.
"it appears to me … that if the Church is a hospital for sinners then it's a mental hospital, run by the inmates."
Certainly it would appear that way to you.
"As for the colossal riches of the Church…"
These have been estimated for the Vatican at about the same level as the endowment of Harvard. Much of it consists of an artistic patrimony held in trust for mankind, and as such not alienable.
"…it is at the very least obtained under false pretenses…"
How so?
"I couldn't care less about homosexual priests – although the Church itself supposedly does. Paedophilia (or ephebophilia, in some cases…) does, however, get my goat."
Not just "some" cases. 80% of the cases involved ephebophilia by homosexual priests on young men. (Nationally, 67% of such cases involve man-girl, so there is a very definite difference in the kind of men involved.) That is, the Church scandal was almost exclusively chicken-hawking. There was very little man-girl and virtually no pedophilia.
Hmmm… Interesting information there. Of course, the data you quote is about reported cases, which are almost certainly a minority.
Regarding ephebophilia vs. paedophilia; personally, I think the distinction is important. While both are reprehensible, IMHO the former isn't as much so. I can understand the attraction of young, but sexually mature, people (though I certainly don't intend to do anything about it!) but really can't understand the attraction that prepubescent children hold for some.
And BTW, attraction to teenage boys (or girls) isn't illegal and isn't all that immoral – who's going to know, anyway? – although it may be sinful. (I don't know all that much about what the Catholic Church defines as sinful.) If it's sinful, it isn't seriously so.
Doing something about it is.
Fletcher: Are you saying we should ignore sinful behaviour? Yet you object to sex with children. Why? If teach children that is normal, they know no different, according to the secular world. Teach them sex with adults is okay and they'll buy it. Worked pretty well for homosexuality–we now beat up those who call it a sin instead of those that practice it. A marked improvement, don't you think? After all, trying to label and stop sin is bad and wrong, but apparently not a sin in itself?
Sheri – What I'm saying is that impulses to immoral action are not in themselves immoral. They might be sinful, but not very much so – "having carnal thoughts" is something a Catholic confesses to his priest (I believe), but it doesn't seem to be taken all that seriously.
Giving in to such impulses is immoral and may be unlawful – whether the latter is the case depends on where one lives.
I would also like to mention a very large disparity in public opinion regarding two very similar situations. If a man (such as a teacher, perhaps) very much older than a young girl seduces her, he is thought of by most as a dirty old man and almost universally despised, and the girl thought of as a victim. If a woman seduces a teenage boy in similar circumstances, the general reaction is very much different. Why?
Fletcher: Okay, I think I understand. I am not used to thinking from a Catholic perspective, it seems.
I have no answer to your question. It's one I ask constantly and never get an answer to. There was even a television show that clearly ignored/grudgingly approved of pedophila because the woman was 21 and the male partner was 15. Had it been the other way around, I would have anticipated an outcry. Makes no sense, but then again a high school guy will keep track of his "conquests" yet when he becomes a father, he will be furious if his daughter becomes a conquest. It's not about rational thought, obviously.
The greatest contumely is reserved for male sex with young men, hence the huge outcry over the homosexual priests. Locally, in the public schools hereabouts there have been three cases of female gym teachers having relationships with a female student. One of them was sentenced to the exquisite torture of wearing an ankle bracelet. Fortunately, she was not a priest.
Since the overwhelming number of incidents involving priests were cases of post-pubescent (teenaged) men, we must conclude that Fletch was not especially outraged.
Oh, I was. And am. I would be even more so if they had been fiddling with boy children – to be clear, I mean obvious children in this case. It's especially disgusting for at least four reasons.
Active homosexuality is a grievous sin according to the Church; very likely, the same priests were denouncing it from the pulpit. Sexual activity of any sort is a grievous sin for an ordained priest, in that he breaks vows that are supposed to be sacred. Priests are in a position of trust in the Church, greatly violated by these acts. And probably worst of all, the hierarchy spends a great deal of effort in covering up this sort of thing and the priests themselves generally remain priests and are presumably therefore entitled to a stipend from the Church – ultimately paid for by the laity, at least in part.
The first two probably bother Catholics a great deal more than they bother me, BTW. What really bothers me about the Catholic Church is the foetid stench of hypocrisy that rises from just about everything the Church does.
Active homosexuality is a grievous sin according to the Church; very likely, the same priests were denouncing it from the pulpit.
The second part is doubtful. I've never heard such a denunciation from the pulpit, myself.
Sexual activity of any sort is a grievous sin for an ordained priest, in that he breaks vows that are supposed to be sacred.
Agreed. The same goes for adulterers, and sundry others who have bound themselves by vows. Even politicians have been known to break solemn vows.
Priests are in a position of trust in the Church, greatly violated by these acts.
And probably worst of all, the hierarchy spends a great deal of effort in covering up this sort of thing
Interesting that you consider this the "worst." There weren't many instances of such "covers up," and much of it was at a time when the best psychological advice was precisely to not make a big deal out of it and deal with it privately. It was also averred by psychologists that counseling would take care of the priests. The bishops accepted this advice and are now blamed for doing so. Put not thy faith in scientists, hey?
the priests themselves generally remain priests and are presumably therefore entitled to a stipend from the Church
And therefore also subject to Church discipline. One priest up in Wisconsin about two years ago, the New York Times made a big deal about how he had not been "defrocked" (as if the Church were a Protestant sect). But when he was released from priestly discipline, he went off cruising the gay bars, so the Times shut up about it.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Westside Briefs:
Halloween family event at center
A "Howlin' Halloween" will feature indoor and outdoor family-geared activities at the Westside Community Center Sunday, Oct. 30 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Offerings will include two bounce houses, several types of games, food and recorded music.
The center is at 1628 W. Bijou St. For more information, call 385-7920 x100.
Oink time at ranch
"Everything But the Oink," an annual event at the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, will be Saturday, Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In keeping with traditional pre-winter farm/ ranch preparations, people can view hog processing, sausage- and soap-making, including step-by-step narratives from those doing the work.
Admission cost is $8 for adults; $5 for seniors and students and $4 for children over 5.
Rock Ledge Ranch, a city-owned working ranch operated in 1880s style, is located off Gateway Road at 30th Street, near the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center.
For more information, call 578-6777 or visit rockledgeranch.com.
Free flu vaccines
Free flu vaccines will be offered Thursday, Nov. 3 at the Westside Community Center's Nurse Center for people who are uninsured or whose insurance does not cover that.
The Nurse Center, recently opened by Penrose-St. Francis Mission Outreach, is at 1616 W. Bijou St. (next to the Billie Spielman Center).
The starting time will be 4:30 p.m. The vaccines will continue to be distributed until 6:30 p.m., or as long as supplies last, according to Ruth Boling of Penrose-St. Francis.
Silver Key ups food effort
Care and Share, the local managing agency for Federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) has recently increased from 450 to 650 the number of CSFP food boxes that Silver Key Senior Services can distribute.
According to a Silver Key press release, income-eligible area residents aged 60 or over can qualify to receive a monthly box of "shelf-stable food."
For more information, call 884-2370 or go to Silver Key, 2250 Bott Ave., weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Westside Pioneer/press releases


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* Your list is public by default.
Alternative Titles
English: Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
Synonyms: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu 2nd Season, Showa and Genroku Era Lover's Suicide Through Rakugo 2nd Season
Japanese: 昭和元禄落語心中~助六再び篇~
Type: TV
Episodes: 12
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jan 7, 2017 to Mar 25, 2017
Premiered: Winter 2017
Broadcast: Saturdays at 02:25 (JST)
Producers: Mainichi Broadcasting System, Kodansha, DAX Production, King Records
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Studios: Studio Deen
Source: Manga
Genres: Drama, Historical, Josei
Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
More of the same, only different . . .
15 comments:
- Paula ~ castleandcottagesigns said...
that doesn't sound like fun, I hope it gets better somehow for you. Family can be hard, and we just have to move on somehow....:(
Love your photo's, you've got tweaking down to an art!
- April 26, 2011 at 2:52 PM
- " SHABBY JUNK" said...
Connie, I have been thru the Greedy thing with one of my brothers. When my daddy died a few years ago by brother took most of his possessions from the house. He was living next door at the time. No big deal, it's just that their were photos I would like to copy. Their were 4 albums. He has always been that way. If something happens to me, he is not allowed in to walk off with things. He also did this at several other relatives. Nervy. judy
- April 26, 2011 at 2:57 PM
- Jill said...
Very nice tweaking!! (I'm sorry about your family)
- April 26, 2011 at 3:17 PM
- Sue@MyArtsDesire said...
Connie, That old house is so gorgeous. I love the questions you asked yourself about the former owners. Beautiful processing on these too! Sadly enough, your family challenges happen to a lot of people. When it came time to clean out my parents home a few years back, we all said many times over how blessed we were that with six siblings there were no squabbles over who gets what. Lots of laugher and sharing memories though...and a few tears too. Xo, Sue
- April 26, 2011 at 4:21 PM
- debsea said...
beautiful photo work, what a fabulous subject! hope your days get easier...family - fooph!
- April 26, 2011 at 4:24 PM
- Shelly said...
Connie Girl,
I hear you about the Weather AND the Family dynamics! Both can make life gloomy!
We've had rain on top of Rain! Saturday we got a break for our Parade...it was gorgeous, but as it stands, I think we can mark about 3 days on our Calendar here in Washington without it! And, Oh my Stars, they just did a "weather tease" and they're talkin' SNOW.......Probably not right here,,,but still, it shows how flippin' cold and wet it is!
I guess we've just got to hold on tight and dream of warmer days! (Physically AND Metaphorically)
Hang in there!
Love you my Friend!
- April 26, 2011 at 7:15 PM
- Karen said...
Connie, I'm so sorry to hear that your family is going through such a tough time. When my mom was dying, she told us to "work together". So my siblings and I knew she would come back to haunt us if we didn't get along! Also, my oldest sister reminded us that no THING is more important than people (family and relationships). That helped us all keep things in perspective. We ended up having lots of fun sharing memories and laughter as we sorted through everything. I think mom would have been proud.
- April 26, 2011 at 7:34 PM
- Linda Makiej said...
gorgeous work!!
so glad I found your blog - it is BEAUIFUL!!!
- April 26, 2011 at 10:01 PM
I'm sending you a bit of sunshine to brighten up your heart, soul, and world. I truly understand the things you are going through and hope that in time the dust will settle. I enjoy your blog and photography.
- April 26, 2011 at 10:08 PM
- Danelle said...
Oooh, I want to live by an abandoned house! I love these shots, and the texture just makes the photos even better!
- April 26, 2011 at 10:51 PM
- Linda said...
Beautiful photos, Connie! I witnessed that sort of thing in family members as a child, and learned very early on that I would never let money or material things become that important to me...It's such a difference to go through an estate with family members who understand this. Hope it works out okay for you...XO
- April 26, 2011 at 11:14 PM
- Joyelle @ An Artful Endeavor said...
Great dramatic mood created here with these textures!
- April 27, 2011 at 12:21 AM
- Joanna said...
You are the Queen of Tweaking! Great photos, and the effect you have achieved is wonderful.
I hear you about the family stuff and I'm nodding with you. Nuff said.
- April 27, 2011 at 1:39 AM
- Randi-K said...
Saw this from the Texture Tuesday party. These are great - your treatment enhances the desolate feeling
- April 27, 2011 at 7:09 AM
- Vicki said...
I hope things improve with the family as you sort through things. Times like this seem to bring out the worst in the nicest people. I love what you have done with these pictures. you've left me wondering...
- April 27, 2011 at 7:16 AM


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Ireland is voting on a potentially money-saving proposal on Friday to abolish the upper house of the country's parliament.
The chamber in question has relatively weak power, says Austin Hughes, chief economist at KBC Bank. The amount of money that would be saved is quite limited — about 10-20 million euros a year — and Hughes says the savings would just cause a small dent in the country's deficit.
"In the context of a government deficit that this year is around 12 billion euros, arguments about 20 million euros seem very, very unimportant."
Austin Hughes, chief economist at KBC Bank, joins Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio to discuss.


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There are quite a few things that I am scared of in this world and snakes are one them! I don't even like seeing them even if they are behind glass and can't possibly get to me. After seeing Harry Potter make the glass disappear and the snake get out...yep definitely don't like that idea. So no you will not find me in a reptile park anytime soon. Why am I babbling on about snakes? Well today is day two of the Digit-al Dozen does rainforest - and correct me if I am wrong, but there are snakes (and probably lots of them) in the rainforest so now I have a snake print happening on my nails. Definitely not as scary as an actual snake.
For my base I used China Glaze Dope Taupe and stamped using Colour Alike B An Ice Coffee and Powder Perfect Black Stamping Polish. Stamping design is from Bundle Monster BM-215.
I just love the matte version of this mani.
Don't forget to check out Day Two from the other Digit-al Dozen girls.


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Cox Seeks Pitches from VOD Vendors
Cox Communications Inc. planned to send video-on-demand
vendors a request for proposals last Friday, hoping to launch its first VOD trial by the
end of the second quarter.
While Cox has been a leader among MSOs deploying
digital-cable, telephony and cable-modem services, the company has never tested a VOD
product. "We have been staffing up to make sure we can adequately support the
analysis and deployment of VOD," interactive-services product manager Braxton Jarratt
Cox plans to select one VOD vendor for a trial by February,
pegged to Scientific-Atlanta Inc. hardware, a spokeswoman said. Another source familiar
with the company's plans said the MSO will likely conduct the trial in Las Vegas, San
Diego or Phoenix.
VOD vendors interviewed last week welcomed news of the RFP.
Naturally, each vendor said it thinks it has the best product to offer Cox. Diva Systems
Corp. and nCUBE boasted that they have the most VOD deployments; SeaChange International
Inc. noted that it's been selling hardware to MSOs since its inception; and Unisys Corp.,
while new to the cable industry, emphasized its financial wherewithal.
Cox's priority with the RFP is to study the technology
first, and each company's business model second, Braxton said. "The key is technology
-- is it reliable, is it scalable, is it provable? And from there, the next important
thing is how the economics work, which is tied into reliability and scalability," he
The MSO plans to use Viewer's Choice (which will be renamed
In Demand in January) to supply VOD content, and it will only buy VOD hardware and
software from a vendor, Braxton said.
That should suit the VOD vendors, most of which offer to
sell only the hardware and software to MSOs that want to gather their own content, while
also offering to provide VOD content to MSOs in exchange for a cut of VOD revenue.
Diva has the most U.S. deployments to date, with launches
by Lenfest Communications Inc.'s Suburban Cable near Philadelphia; Adelphia Communications
Corp. in Lansdale, Pa.; R&A Management LP in Roswell, Ga.; and Chambers Communications
Corp. in Edmonds, Wash., among others.
The company also has launch commitments from MediaOne Group
Inc. and the United Kingdom's Telewest Communications plc.
Launched in 1997, Diva's original model didn't offer MSOs
the option to buy only the hardware or software -- the company insisted on providing VOD
content in exchange for a revenue share. Earlier this year, the company changed its
strategy to offer MSOs the option to buy just its technology, saying it was difficult to
attract larger MSOs if it insisted on revenue splits.
Paul Kagan Associates Inc. senior analyst Leslie Ellis said
she expects most MSOs to pursue VOD deployments by buying the technology from vendors and
gathering the content themselves.
"In almost every case in the past where someone has
come up with a turnkey offering, the model eventually goes away," Ellis said.
"The trend of no middleman is one that will continue to strengthen, especially in
Part of SeaChange's pitch is that the company -- which was
spun off from Digital Equipment Corp. in 1993, and which originally focused on digital
ad-insertion products -- knows the operations side of the business better than its
competition, vice president of interactive technologies Yvette Gordon said.
"We've been in the cable business from the inception
of our company. That's something we've had as a value-add -- understanding the operations
of cable and what it can do," she added.
SeaChange has installed its VOD systems for Time Warner
Cable in Austin, Texas; Rogers Cablesystems Ltd. in Canada; Guandong Cable Television in
China; and Telewest in the United Kingdom. In addition, SeaChange has "several
nonpublic deployments," Gordon said.
Two computer manufacturers -- Unisys and Concurrent
Computer Corp. -- have also been making some noise in the VOD market.
Concurrent -- which recently acquired VOD-hardware vendor
Vivid Technology for $25 million -- is on the short list of vendors Charter Communications
plans to select from for its VOD rollout, a source said. SeaChange and nCUBE are also on
the list of final candidates, the source added.
Meanwhile, Unisys -- which quietly made its entrance into
the cable industry at this past June's National Show -- plans to beat its drum louder at
the Western Show.
Strategic-program-marketing manager Phil Bench said Unisys
has agreed to conduct VOD trials for three top 10 MSOs, which will likely be identified at
the Western Show. The first trial will launch during the second quarter, followed by two
additional trials during the second and third quarters, he added.
The only U.S. deployments by nCUBE to date are with GTE
Corp. and Ameritech New Media, but the company -- which agreed to buy SkyConnect Inc.
earlier this year -- boasts installed systems supporting 17,000 VOD streams worldwide.
The vendor was included in Time Warner's
"Pegasus" tests, and it said it exceeded all requirements.


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Return to Study Guide for Hebrews – by Debbie Parnakian
Fearing God; Hebrews 4:1-13
Overview of Hebrews
Study by Debbie Parnakian
Download PDF
A few years ago a mother sent the following note to the attendance secretary of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, N.Y.:
Please excuse the absence of my daughter. She has been suffering from a severe head cold. Since she has been home, she has consumed 18 doughnuts, three quart containers of orange juice, a half-gallon of cranberry juice, four two-liter bottles of Diet Coke, about 30 Pop-Tarts and all of the family's Christmas candy canes. MTV has been blasting incessantly. I had to extend my credit with Nynex due to the volume of her telephone calls. The house is knee-deep in used Kleenex. Today, FedEx delivered seven Chia Pets and four boxes containing the Clapper she ordered from the Home Shopping Channel. With the thermostat set at 78 degrees, I need extra fuel delivery, and the wallpaper has peeled off the bathroom wall as a result of her hourly "therapeutic" sauna baths. Our cat is in a state of shock from being repeatedly bombarded with Hall's mentholated cough drops. Although she is not exactly 100 percent yet, she will attend school today. Please do not send her home unless she lapses into a coma. I need a break.
Now that is one mom that definitely could use some rest!
Do you ever feel like that mom? There seems to be an endless to do list. There are soccer practices, baseball, basketball, Scouts, classrooms to volunteer in. There is breakfast to make, showers to be taken, backpacks and shoes to find, groceries to buy, laundry to do, Walmart to go to for what seems like the 50th time this week because there was one more thing you forgot that your child's teacher needs today! Well, that is my week anyway. There are decisions to make, finances to take care of, serving God, at church, at bible study, or a prayer group. Busy, Busy, Busy. We all have our do to lists. We have our priorities, our own responsibilities to take care of. How can I possibly rest? Well, how can we not.
We have learned a lot about the Israelites, their time in the desert, their wanderings, their complaining, their questioning. Chapter 4 brings forth a reminder of a promise and instructions on how to obtain the different kinds of rest available to us. Let's jump into today's scriptures. Please open you bibles to Hebrews Chapter 4, verse 1.
Verse 1 says; Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful or let us fear that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. The therefore points us back to 3:19 by drawing the conclusion that since the Israelites failed to enter God's rest because of unbelief, we need to make sure that we alter our course so as not to follow theirs.
How do we do that? We do that by fearing God. We may think of fear in a different sense, being afraid of flying, afraid of spiders or snakes, fear of dying, fear of losing a child, fear of getting cancer or someone close to us getting it. These fears may grip us so tightly, that we panic or lose sense of reason. Some of us may live in shear terror of these events. These are fears of this world, of the times we live in. This is exactly where Satan wants us to be.
Worldly fears actually keep us from God. They take our focus off fear that is spiritually healthy for us and turns it towards our pride. We begin to look at our own power to correct things, eat extra healthy, exercise, keep our children under a microscope. None of these things are bad, but when we forget about trusting and believing in God, it becomes a problem.
Oswald Chambers said "The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else." We go from trusting in the promises of God to actually questioning God's sovereignty.
The Israelites sure did. They started worrying about their desires instead of their needs which God had been continually meeting. They forgot to fear the Lord.
So, what is fearing the Lord and how do we do that? The word for fear in Hebrew deals with relationships. If there is not some type of fear of losing the closeness of a relationship, boundaries can get very blurry. When used in a situation where there is disobedience it means fear as we use it in English and if we are being disobedient to God's direction, we should be in fear.
God's plan goes on whether we are on the bandwagon or not. We do not stop His plan, we just make our path more difficult than it needs to be. But if there is not guilt of disobedience, fear refers to a holy reverence and awe. God's majesty produces reverence and awe. God is a sovereign, exalted, holy and mysterious monarch. We shouldn't replace a reverence for God with respect.
We should love God so much that the only thing we fear is unbelief and faithlessness. Never become so "familiar" with God that you lose your reverence for Him.
I was talking with my oldest son, Alexander who is 8. We were talking about current events and biblical prophecy. I read him a passage out of Revelation. Chapter 1 verses 13 through 16 talk about Jesus as John sees him when John was taken up in the Spirit. The description of Jesus is that his head and hair are white as snow, his eyes are like blazing fire. His feet are like bronze glowing in a furnace and his voice was like rushing water. In his right hand he held seven stars and out his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like that of the sun shining in all its brilliance.
Alexander's eyes got big and looked a little upset. As we talked, he realized that Jesus is not just a peaceful looking man, in fields of green surrounded by children and sheep frolicking about. He is also God; full of power, righteous and holy and definitely worthy of receiving our praise, reverence, obedience and love. He went away with a little different picture than before.
Fear of God is a good thing, it can awaken our hearts, set us on the right path again, back towards faith and trust. The fear of the Lord changes our thinking, our habits and our actions. Psalm 91:1-2 says Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him.
For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; BUT the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Verse 2 starts with forwhich links the reader with the Israelites, the subject of Chapter 3 verse 19. The Word of God is itself entirely unaffected by the kind of reception is gets. It holds the same truths, the same promises, the same exhortations, the same warnings, and the same blessings for everyone. It does not change from person to person or with the times. It is eternal. We are the ones who change the value of the message based on how we receive it. It is our choice to accept it or reject it. You are either for it or against it; you can't be on the fence.
The Word doesn't change. It applies to every single individual on this planet. Philippians 2:9-11 says: Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We can not NOT choose. So, they heard the gospel but basically did nothing with it. The writer says they did not combine it with faith and that is why it had no value to them. So, in order for it to have value to us, we MUST combine it with faith. That implies doing something. Hearing isn't enough.
Have you ever had an experience where you gave specific instructions to one of your children or your husband, the words were acknowledged, you left feeling secure that things would be done as asked only to arrive home and find out that nothing had been done. The instructions not followed at all. You are puzzled, perplexed maybe even angry. When you ask well didn't you hear me, and their response is yeah, but I didn't know that you really meant now or anything. Can't it wait until later?
Hearing and even acknowledging isn't the same as doing. God does NOT want us to say yeah, we heard you, we understand the message and then do nothing about it. Are we springing into action with our faith?
Now we get into rest. Oh, beautiful rest. Does this mean we get a relaxing, kid free, phone free, duty free, luxurious day at the Spa, massages, facials, drinks and food brought on command? Absolutely not. Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."
In this scripture there is action. We have to COME to Jesus, we have to OPEN our hearts to hear his teachings and even though the burden He gives is light, he did say the burden I give you so we will also CARRY burdens for Christ. Resting in the Lord does not remove a circumstance or even keep struggles, hardships or trials from happening. Resting in the Lord takes us smack through the middle. He allows us to see the light at the end of the tunnel, His beautiful light.
There are many types of rest referred to in these Hebrew passages. We have God's Sabbath rest, Canaan rest, the Believer's rest, rest of victory and our future eternal rest. God's Sabbath rest is like our Salvation rest which follows the finished work of Christ on the cross. We no longer have to fulfill the law, give sacrifices and burnt offerings for atonement for our sins, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive rest from works.
The Canaan rest is likened unto our life of victory as we walk by faith. So, we have rest from our past sins and works, rest in Jesus' victory over death and future rest in the eternity of heaven. Verse 3 talks about salvation rest. We get to rest from trying to earn our salvation, doing good deeds to outweigh our bad. When we do works for works sake, we are focusing on how it benefits us. When we are released from doing "works" we can turn to selfless acts of love.
Thankfully, we have God, a God that took care of our redemption, paid for sin so we can be reconciled to him. When we accept the gift of the cross, the blood of Jesus, we get to rest from working our way towards redemption through the law.
But again, that doesn't mean we are to do nothing. Remember combining the gospel with faith? James 2:17 says Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Just as we are to be in action, thankfully, God is as well. He may be resting from creating but he certainly isn't idle. He is active, teaching, protecting and guiding. He is busy.
Just as Jesus was about his father's business, we should be also. Salvation rest is a state of action, not inaction. We also have the promise of victory rest. We need not fear the happenings of this world. I know that sounds scary, maybe even impossible. But we do not need to fear. Christ has already overcome; he has victory over death.
In Luke 12:4-5, the Message translation says "Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life – body and soul – in His hands." We have the benefit of history. We can learn, but we need to be teachable. The commentary goes into more detail on the types and meaning of rest in the scriptures.
We are going to move on to Verse 11. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. Now, first of all, the writer is not talking about works. This verse is not talking about salvation, but the Victorious Christian life!
Make every effort is also translated to be diligent meaning to labor; to be in a hurry; to make haste. We should be, again, in action. We need to be in a hurry to rest, looking to rest. This is the opposite of drifting. WE aren't just sailing along where ever the wind is blowing us. We need to be focused on rest; firmly anchored in God. No one ever matured in the Christian life by being careless or lazy. Through diligence, we strive to finish the race.
We don't want to take others with us either. Maybe if there had been more like Caleb and Joshua, more people would have had faith. Do we want to be the Joshuas and Calebs of our families, neighborhoods, churches?
So, how do we become so firmly and deeply anchored that even the horrendous winds of this world do not move us? Verses 12 and 13 answer that question. Isn't God just awesome?! He provides all we need to stay on the path. He gives us warnings, then a promise, an exhortation and then step by step instructions. Verse 12 and 13 say For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Whew! These 2 verses are incredible.
Number one, we need to be in the word of God. Why? It is the answer to every spiritual condition. There is no situation, no circumstance that is outside the direction and guidance of God's Word. The Word is eternal, never changing. It is black and white, no gray. And we really don't change either. Sin may take on a new face or new identity but the root of sin is the same as the root of sin was thousands of years ago. Thank God that His Word is living. It is not dead, it wasn't just for the people in days long gone, it is not just a good read. It lives because it endures forever – Psalm 119:89 says "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. It lives because it has life in itself – It is God breathed. And it is active. It doesn't just sit around, the Word does something. It produces results. Isaiah 55:11 says "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me void. But it shall accomplish what I please. And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Amazing.
Accomplish what God pleases and it will prosper. So it is living and active; and it is sharp, sharper than any double edged sword. Some of the gladiators used swords like this. The sword cut going in and cut coming out. It was a brutal and feared weapon. The word of God cuts us first so that we may die to sin and then cuts us again that we might live in Jesus. The word actually cuts us deep to the heart, exposing us for what we really are, laying us open to listen and obey. Only when we are ready to listen and obey can God begin to heal us.
There was a man named Thorpe who was a member of the Hell-Fire Club which was a group of men in the 1700s who tried to detract the work of George Whitfield. One day Thorpe jumped upon a table and started mimicking Whitfield, delivering his sermon with brilliant accuracy, perfectly imitating his tone and facial expressions, when he himself was so pierced by the word of God that he sat down and was converted on the spot!
The Word truly has immense power. The Word speaks directly to our hearts. We should take the Word very personal. God meant it to be personal. It is for each one of us. Verse 13 goes on to let us know that nothing is hidden. We are naked and open before God. We can't hide behind any fig leaves or trees. We can't try to play hide and seek with Him. Just as He knew exactly where Adam was, what he had done and what he was now trying to do, He knows exactly where we are, what we have done and what we are trying to do.
I mean did Adam really think for one minute that God really didn't know where he was or what he had done? I know in my house, I usually know what my one or all of my boys have done. I am asking them the question to allow them the opportunity to take responsibility for own their sin, confess and repent. I usually already know the answer. They just don't realize that they longer they take to own their sin or mistake, the longer it is before healing and forgiveness can take place.
And as it is with us; God already knows the answer. He is just waiting for us to tell the truth so He can begin the healing process. We can't heal ourselves. And He gives us free choice. He won't force our healing. He may allow trials and suffering and hardships to try and get our attention, but He won't make you confess. He isn't going to heal you against your will. But boy, He desires to heal us. He wants you, he wants me; He wants everyone. The Word will never let you down. If the Word cuts you, good. It is meant too. It has the stain of blood all over it. It is the slayer of sin.
These few verses are almost a book themselves. It never ceases to amaze me how much God packs into a few short paragraphs. He has given us warnings, a promise, and blazing billboard signs to follow. Let us not be like the foolish Galations or the Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years only to never enter into God's rest. Let us be like Joshua and Caleb, putting our faith into action, ready to fight in order to enter the finalPromised Land, Heaven and enter into our eternal rest in God.
Return to Study Guide for Hebrews – by Debbie Parnakian


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Cowtown Angels is a proud member of the Alliance of Texas Angel Networks, ATAN, a non-profit organization designed to increase the already high level of cooperation between many of the angel investors in Texas. Jorge Varela, Assistant Director of TechFW, currently serves as the Network chair.
Cowtown Angels is also a member of the Angel Capital Association, ACA, the leading professional and trade association supporting the success of angel investors in high-growth, early-stage ventures.


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Tim O'Reilly:
Owning your personal identity/data:
"There's a race to own these things, and therefore, there needs to be a race to open them."
The Open Genome Project was doing that for genetics; OpenID is racing to keep identity open.
Of course Congress needs version control.
Tim O'Reilly said that Ruby on Rails has only had 14 contributors. I think he means COMMITTERS. Rails had over 100 contributors in 2006, when I went to Canada on Rails, and it's EXTREMELY likely that the number has grown since then, rather than shrunk.
New platforms: Web 2.0, like open source, is all about leveraging network effects.
Open source business model - Stumbleupon sold to eBay for millions, a Firefox plugin, open source, sold their user base (essentially).
Openads - open source ad network builder.
memcached - open source infrastructure.
Hadoop - open source version of Google filesystem. Extremely cool. Yahoo's getting behind it. David Filo called Tim O to talk about it (no detail! arrgh!).
Open source hardware: new frontier.
Nat Torkington is right now announcing that O'Reilly is soliciting donations for charities, just as we did at RailsConf. That was my idea! W00t w00t. (Obviously it was really RailsConf's idea. But I e-mailed Nat and got him into it.)
As thrilling as that is to a dork who actually cares (e.g., me), I have to say, I don't know if they're going to be able to do it. They really pushed it at RailsConf, and the community there was one community with a very cohesive sense of identity. They're not pushing it as hard here, and the community here is much less united. There was a lot of one thing there; there's a little of everything here.
Now Simon Peyton-Jones is talking about task parallelism. SPJ is extremely smart, and quite funny in a very dry, eccentric English way. I had dinner with him and Andy Gill (another big Haskell guy). Pretty much everything went over my head but it was very interesting. He's talking about a method of handling task parallelism (optimistic concurrency) which massively simplifies its hard problems.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tim O'Reilly's Keynote: Some Livebloggy Notes
Posted by Giles Bowkett at 9:12 AM
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Name: Arcadia Lake's Fantasies
Language: English
Duration: 55 min
Country: United States
Year: 1981
The beautiful, petite showgirl Arcadia Lake has a particular passion for playing nurse. Under this pretense, Arcadia visits and teases a stranger in the hospital bed until she finally gives him a show he won't soon forget. She leaves her silk stocking on her long, sexy legs so that the patient is stunned by her beauty. Eric Edwards, as the patient, opens Arcadia's world up to intensities of pain and pleasure of Greek-style of loving. Another of Arcadia's sexual passions is the loving, sensitive touch of a lesbian encounter. This Arcadia satisfies in a legend session with a warm and friendly Latin nurse and later at home with luscious Tina Blair. Arcadia lives out a final fantasy when she and her boyfriend, Eric, are taking home movies with Tina Blair and her lover. In the heat of passion with Eric. Arcadia is overwhelmed by a craving for Eric's special way of Greek love, and he gives it to her once again.
Actress: Arcadia Lake,Tina Blair,Ramona
Categories: 80s soft porn, 1981, United States, English, Arcadia Lake, Tina Blair, Ramona, Eric Edwards, Gary Anderson, Facial, Anal, Lesbian, Latin
Actors: Eric Edwards,Gary Anderson80s soft porn : "Arcadia Lake's Fantasies"
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Keywords:80s soft porn1981United StatesEnglishArcadia LakeTina BlairRamonaEric EdwardsGary AndersonFacialAnalLesbianLatin
© 2019 TUBEPORNCLASSIC.MOBI :: The latest Classic porn movies and photos on VINTAGE Tube. Daily-updated Retro porn videos.


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Just days after the California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages, activists launched a 14 1/2 -mile march from the town of Selma to Fresno, where they rallied in front of City Hall as a peaceful campaign-styled event to win back marriage rights.
They staged the march in California's heartland to prominently demonstrate in a socially conservative region. Also, they wanted to pay "symbolic respect" to 1960s civil rights marches in places like Selma, Ala.
"This is a revitalization," said Beverly Sankowski, 51.
She said the point of the rally, marked by lively chants and rainbow flags, was to say: "We want to get to know you and we want you to get to know us . . . and alleviate some fears" about gays and lesbians.
Last week, the state's highest court upheld Proposition 8, a state ballot measure that restored the ban on same-sex marriage approved by voters in November. The court ruled that the marriages of an estimated 18,000 couples who wed before November were legal, but that subsequent unions were subject to the ban.
Labor, religious and civil rights activists planned to follow the march with a meeting today in Fresno to plot the next steps in their campaign for marriage equality. Among other things, activists could seek to put the issue back on the ballot next year. They also are planning a march this fall in Washington, D.C.
Swaying voters in places like Fresno, which backed Proposition 8 by more than 2 to 1, will be crucial to their efforts. Activists said they made a mistake by not focusing more on social conservatives during their No on Proposition 8 campaign. By trekking to this conservative city, they said, they wanted to publicly display their commitment to reach out to voters of all stripes.
"You've got to figure out what works in Fresno" in order to win a gay marriage election in California, said Robin McGeHee, a lesbian who lives in Fresno and organized the rally, paying for many of the costs herself. She said she did so after she was forced off the PTA and pulled her son, Sebastian, 6, out of his Catholic school. The priest was upset, she said, because she spoke out in favor of gay marriage.
McGeHee broke into tears as she described how her son promised to be "really good" if he could just go back to school.
"A community that would allow that to happen . . . needs to know that real people are hurt" by this issue, she said.
But even as the activists road-tripped from San Francisco and Los Angeles into the heat of the Central Valley, it became clear that their work would not go unchallenged.
On Friday afternoon, the Protect Marriage Coalition, which organized the Yes on 8 campaign, announced what amounted to a counter-protest -- a "Celebration of Marriage," to be held today in Fresno and San Diego. Featured speakers were slated to include movie actor Alan Autry, Fresno's former mayor; along with Pastor Jim Franklin, a Central Valley church leader who organized thousands of parishioners to campaign for Proposition 8.
Franklin said he welcomed the demonstrators to Fresno, but said that the event would do little to change voters' minds. "If you look at the last election, we're 70%-plus that voted for Proposition 8. Just having a rally, to think that is going to . . . change deep-rooted feelings about the definition of marriage, that's a little naive," he said.
Some on the streets of Fresno's sleepy downtown Saturday affirmed that view.
One man, a 60-year-old Fresno resident, said his neighbors -- a lesbian couple and their two children -- "would do anything for us, and we would do anything for them."
But the man said he believed that marriage was between a man and a woman. In the voting booth, he said, he thought about his neighbors and left the box blank. He would not give his name because he didn't want them to know how he voted.
Some African American gay activists were troubled by Saturday's march from Selma to Fresno. They suggested that organizers appeared to be trying to borrow symbolism of the civil rights movement -- the 1965 marches from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery were indelible events -- while ignoring the fact that gay activists do not suffer the same kind of oppression that blacks did in 1960s Alabama.
"One needs to be careful about appearing to appropriate the symbols of the civil rights movement without fully acknowledging the significant differences as well as the similarities between the movements," said Ron Buckmire, a gay activist who is black.
When gay rights organizers meet today, they hope to unite in the wake of anger and finger-pointing after Proposition 8's passage.
Many said they found the rally to be a restorative event.
The speakers included Cleve Jones, who worked with the assassinated San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and brought his famous megaphone to the rally, and Eric McCormack, who is straight but played a gay lawyer in the TV sitcom "Will & Grace."
McCormack said he came in part because his character was the first gay person that many Americans accepted into their homes. "I'm here to talk to those people who voted yes on 8. How does it hurt you to see them at the altar?" he said.
Fresno police said the rally was peaceful, with no arrests or incidents.
Times staff writer Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
Activists irked at amendment's easeThey say Prop. 8 ruling shows it is too easy to alter the state Constitution. A35


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The Australian government is cutting back on "clean energy" mandates to lower energy prices for voters.
While a court sided with nine hundred Dutch believers in global warming and imposed economic hardship on the entire Netherlands that won't, if global warming were a real threat, stop the environmental damage, Australia is going in a different direction in order to escape economic hardship for the majority of residents. They are reducing their mandates for using "clean energy."
Sky News reports, "Renewable energy target passes parliament."
The clean energy sector will finally face certainty after the parliament passed legislation to slash the renewable energy target.
A bipartisan deal – agreed to last month after a lengthy political stalemate that hamstrung the clean energy sector – will slash the target from 41,000 gigawatt hours to 33,000.
Legislation inscribing that deal passed the Senate during an extended sitting late into Tuesday night.
Its passage comes after Prime Minister Tony Abbott boasted the deal would slash the target and restrict wind energy growth as much as possible.
Mr Abbott believes wind farms, the main beneficiary of the target that requires 20 per cent of Australia's energy to come from renewables by 2020, are ugly and noisy.
From this story and also from the video that accompanies it, it seems the "clean energy sector" is entirely dependent on government mandates. No one is making cheaper energy through wind farms and then selling it to power companies by offering them a better deal than they can get from "fossil fuels." They can only make it in the market because the government forces companies to use their products.
[See also, "Al Gore Attacks Australian Government for Not Saving Civilization."]
So the lesson here (compared to news from The Netherlands) may be that when the people get a vote, politicians are less likely to impose the costs of climate change hysteria on them. On the other hand, the courts can be used to "force" unnecessary energy costs onto the people.
Hopefully, what is going on in Australia (as well as Canada) will have repercussions that destroy the U.S. Federal Government's plans to tax us all into poverty as sacrifices to Gaia.
[hat tip: Watts Up With That]


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I know I'm not alone when I say I see the dresses on the red carpet and can barely contain my excitement. The dresses are so luxurious and beautiful, it's hard not to get into a flap over them! I thought I'd share some of the most expensive red carpet dresses with you in this post. You won't believe what some of them cost!
Jennifer Lawrence, 2013 Academy Awards
If you know JLaw, you'll know she can be quite clumsy. Hilarious, yet clumsy. While wearing her $4 million gown, she tripped as she accepted an award. In true JLaw style! This gown is the most expensive red carpet gown of all time. You can find more items like this at Justrichest.com.
Nicole Kidman, 1997 Academy Awards
Nicole Kidman made a huge style statement in this olive green gown on the red carpet, costing a cool $2 million. It had embroidery to the front, which was quite a risky move at the time. However, it paid off and the look is now an iconic one!
Lupita Nyong'o, 2015 Academy Awards
This dress was designed by Calvin Klein, and made jaws drop at the 2015 academy awards. Why? It was covered in pearls all over, which were a beautiful contrast to Lupita's dark skin. The dress cost $106,000, but made headlines for other reasons too. It was stolen after the awards show! The dress was later returned when the thief realized that the pearls weren't real.
Charlize Theron, 2013 Academy Awards
The peplum white gown that Charlize Theron wore to this event was noted for its simplicity. It cost a staggering $100,000, and had diamonds on the peplum skirt. She accessorized it just right, making a gorgeous statement on the red carpet.
Cate Blanchett, 2014 Academy Awards
This dress is one of my favourites; a beige gown covered from head to toe in Swarovski crystals. The gown cost $100,000. However, the whole look that Cate rocked that day cost $18million in total. Wowza!
Grace Kelly, 1955 Academy Awards
This dress became an iconic gown of its time, in gorgeous silk material the aquamarine color really turned heads. It only cost $4,000, but by today's standards that would be over $30,000. It's one of the most loved Oscar looks in all of history!
Keira Knightley, 2006 Academy Awards
Keira's dress for the 2006 award ceremony was a gorgeous plum, and cost around $39,000. It was a custom made Vera Wang gown, with a gorgeous unique fishtail. It added curves in all of the right places, making Keira's slight frame stand out. Not only did she wear a statement dress, she accessorized it with a beautiful blue necklace. She later auctioned the gown for charity, and it sold for over $4,000. They got a real bargain!
What do you think of these expensive red carpet dresses? Is there anything you feel should have made the list? Make sure you leave a comment below. The dresses keep on getting fancier and more expensive, and yet they never fail to amaze me!


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Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus along with Lenovo Vibe K5 first unveiled at MWC 2016. Lenovo has launched all new Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus in India on 15th March priced at Rs 8,499 will be available from 23rd March in Silver, Grey, and Gold colour options through Flipkart. Lenovo has recently Lenovo K5 Note, Lenovo 7000 Plus, Lenovo A7010, Lenovo Lemon 3, and Lenovo K4 Note.The all new Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus offers you full metallic body supports Dual-SIM(Micro SIM), 4GLTE, NFC, Finger Print scanner, 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, FM Radio and Bluetooth comes with a bigger 5-inch Full HD IPS display with resolution (1080×1920 pixels) and 401PPi offers you stunning colour consistency with wide-angel HD viewing perfect for watching movies, playing games and reading e-books.
Know More about Lenovo A7000 Plus and Lenovo K4 Note
Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is powered by a fastest quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 clocked at 1.7GHz+ Adreno 405 runs on Google's most advance Android 5.1 Lollipop OS with Vibe UI on top, 2GB RAM, 16GB Internal memory and 32GB expandable memory promising blazing multi-tasking.
Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus sporting a 13-MP auto Focus Rear camera with LED flash for shooting promising superior photography in low light and 5-MP front camera best for video calling and selfies powered by a powerful 2750mAh battery with Quick Charging.
Know More About:-Lenovo Vibe K5 Price in India, Release date, Specifications
Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus SPECIFICATIONS:-
- Network GPRS, EDGE, HSPA+, LTE
- Dual-SIM(Micro SIM) With Dual-standby
- Display 5-inch Full HD (1080×1920 pixels) display with a pixel density of 401ppi
- OS Google Android 5.1 Lollipop
- Processor 64-Bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 clocked at 1.7GHz
- GPUAdreno 405
- up to 32GB Via MicroSD card slot
- Primary Camera 13-MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
- Camera Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection
- Secondary Camera 5-MP for video calling and Selfi
- Sensor accelerometer, ambient light sensor, magnetometer, and proximity sensor
Know more about Lenovo Zuk Z1 and upcoming Lenovo ZUK Z2...
- GPS Yes, with A-GPS and FM Radio
- Battery Li-Ion 2750 mAh with Quick Charging
- Talk time N/A
- Standby N/A
- Dimension N/A
- Weight N/A
- Colours Silver, Grey, and Gold
- Rival Xiaomi Redmi 3
- Release date in India 15th March Q1 2016
- Availability 23rd March Q1 2016
- Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Price in China CNY 999
- Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Price in USA $129 (roughly Rs. 8,800)
- Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Price in India Approx. Rs 8,499
Read More About:-Lenovo K6 Note VS Lenovo K5 Note
At last few honest word, Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is the best smartphone under Rs 10,000. What you think? Please be open to give your view.


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With annual sales of more than $9.3 billion, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee is ranked among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Supermarket News, the authoritative voice of the food industry, honored Hy-Vee with a Whole Health Enterprise Award for its leadership in providing services and programs promoting a healthy lifestyle. The employee-owned company was founded in 1930 in Beaconsfield, Iowa, and now operates 240 stores in eight Midwestern states. Hy-Vee encourages its more than 82,000 employees to help guide its decisions. Hy-Vee is proud to announce that as of December 2015, 100 percent of its fresh and private label frozen seafood comes from responsible sources. For more information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
About the Blog:
Hy-Vee is committed to providing our customers the best quality and selection of seafood and we know that the best seafood comes from healthy oceans. The Seafoodies blog is a one-stop source for information about seafood, including recipes, the health benefits of a diet with seafood and Hy-Vee's commitment to Responsible Choice seafood and sustainability.


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FAQs About Matrix Addiction Treatments
Q: What is the Matrix Model?
A: The Matrix Model is a comprehensive, organized set of evidence-based therapeutic interventions delivered in an outpatient setting. The structured format includes individual and group sessions for clients and family members.
Q: What does Evidence-Based Mean?
A: Evidence-based treatments have research to support that they are effective in helping people in their recovery from dependence on alcohol and drugs.
Q: Is this a 12-Step Program?
A: The treatment at Matrix is NOT a 12-Step Program. The Matrix Model is based on learning practical tools to stay sober. We encourage 12-Step participation outside of treatment, but our program is NOT a 12-Step Model.
Q: Why Does It Work?
A: The program guides clients through real-life situations, giving them information and skills to stop using drugs and alcohol. The Matrix Model has been refined over 25 years and has helped thousands of substance users and their families.
Q: Who Can Use This Treatment?
A: The Matrix Model has been designed to treat adults and adolescents struggling with alcohol and drug dependence.
Q: How Often Do I Come in for Treatments?
A: Most patients attend Matrix at least 3 day or evenings per week for 4 months (intensive phase). Family members are encouraged to participate in the treatment program with their loved one. All patients continue in weekly support group meetings for one year, following intensive treatment at no charge.
Q: What are your success rates?
A: Success can be defined in different ways. There is NO 100% effective treatment for addiction, despite what some may claim. We track our outcomes very closely, and publish our rates here, under Success Rates.
Q: Are the treatment programs covered by insurance?
A: Yes, Matrix treatment is covered by all major insurance plans, including HMO plans. We also accept Medi-Cal. You may also check if your insurance benefits cover treatment by clicking here, or by contacting us at the information provided below.
Schedule A Free Assessment
Contact Us Today


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The Hidden Cause of Hypothyroid Symptoms
Do you have these hypothyroid symptoms?
Have you ever forgotten where you put your keys or didn't remember what you were looking for as you walked into a room?
Did you ever get an upset stomach and wondered why you were bloated, or gassy?
Have you ever become sore in one of your joints, like your knee or shoulder and wondered why?
Do you get cold hands and feet, do you experience fatigue or depression?
If you've answered yes, there's a very good chance that your hypothyroid symptoms could be caused by an underlying condition called 'leaky gut syndrome.'
In fact, if you have hypothyroidism, there's a very good chance you have the leaky gut syndrome.
So what's this leaky gut thing, and why should you care?
Leaky gut is a condition where your gut or intestinal tract starts to deteriorate from the inside. The cells in your gut start to separate during tissue breakdown. When this happens, undigested proteins, toxic chemicals, and fat particles 'leak' or 'sneak' into the bloodstream undigested.
These 'foreign' objects in the blood send off an alarm system in your body. Ultimately, these particles end up elsewhere in the body, like your joints and/or brain, through circulation. At this point, the body starts attacking them because they're not supposed to be in the bloodstream.
Unfortunately, when your body attacks these particles it also attacks your body in some way. Your immune system at this point is hyperactive, causing symptoms that you may be shrugging off as an upset stomach, feeling down, being tired or achy.
So, what causes this 'gap' in your gut?
Mostly, it's the things you eat and drink…this is why the hypothyroid diet is so important.
Causes of leaky gut include mental/emotional stress, food sensitivities, sugar, overuse of antibiotics and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, alcohol, bacteria overgrowth, yeast overgrowth, and processed/fast foods, to name a few.
Your gut is the most important part of the body to protect because it's a major part of your immune system. And if you have a breakdown in your gut, you'll have a breakdown in your immune system.
Here's how you can strengthen your immune system so your hypothyroid symptoms don't flare up.1.Identify and eliminate food sensitivities.
- Reduce sugar intake.
- Cut down alcohol consumption.
- Take a good probiotic.
- Reduce stress.
- Eliminate fast food from your diet.
- Check your vitamin D levels and supplement if needed.
- Cut back on processed foods.
- Eliminate over-the-counter medication.
- Identify and eliminate food sensitivities.
Everything you put into your mouth has consequences. Most likely you attribute your symptoms to a breakdown in the body. However, you probably don't associate this breakdown to what you eat or drink.
Unfortunately, the food in our country is getting worse and not better. Also, most doctors don't take or have the time to tell you how to eat or reduce stress.
It's up to you to start connecting the dots of how-you-feel to how-you-live.
The leaky gut syndrome is becoming more and more common because of lifestyle factors. And it's also leading to more and more health problems, including a hypothyroid condition.
Don't ignore your body when you have a slight headache, upset stomach, or short-term memory loss. This is your body's way of saying something is wrong. And popping a pill to cover up your symptoms doesn't make them go away; it just shuts them up momentarily.
If you're dealing with symptoms mentioned in this article, you might be thinking they're no big deal. However, if you don't address these symptoms, they could lead to long-term health problems like autoimmune disorders.
Start to address your symptoms by making a change in your diet. Cut out all unnecessary foods like alcohol, sugary treats, and fast food. Next, evaluate your foods sensitivities and add a couple of supplements.
Also, don't ignore stress. Stress is a killer, but a silent one.
These actions can improve how you feel if you stick to them.
So, next time you're feeling not quite yourself and your hypothyroid symptoms fare up, think about what you've been feeding your body that's making it go haywire.
Eat well and be well


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Best of 2017: Digital Downloads + Artwork
This year we celebrated so many different types of artists and makers at Design*Droits-Humains. From wooden sculptures and clay floral fossils to illustrators, painters and collage artists, we had the pleasure of sharing the work of so many talented members of this community. Take a tour below of 17 of our favorites from 2017. –Grace
Image above: Sara Wenokur's paper cuts might be my favorite artwork discovery of the entire year. I cannot get enough of her bright colors and Matisse-like cut-outs.
This year we discovered so many amazing illustrators and one of my favorites is Daiana Ruiz. These portraits have such beautiful moments of color.
It's always such an honor to have artists share their work with us in the form of weekly digital downloads for computer and phone screens. shared five beautiful florals that you can download here!
Paper artist Gunjan Aylawadi makes work from rolled paper that continues to blow my mind, year after year. Her latest work is such an amazingly detailed progression from her early work, and these new pieces (above) are fantastic.
If you love plants and flowers, Ronni Nicole's floral fossils are for you. She's elevated floral clippings to a whole new level with these stunning clay works of art.
Speaking of tiny works of art, Céleste Mogador's embroidered jewelry is so glittery and special. The eyes get me every time.
Olga Prinku's Floral Hoops were an Instagram discovery that made my day. I love the way she weaves dried flowers into hoops.
This year I've been working to better educate myself about the deep and beautiful history of indigenous artwork. In my research I've gotten to know some incredible contemporary indigenous artists and some of my favorites are profiled in this post. Stay tuned for longer features next month!
Humayrah Poppins' insect embroidery got such a huge reaction online and her online following has grown (and grown…) since these amazing little bugs crept into the world.
's inspiring digital downloads brightened so many screens this year. You can download all of her designs right here.
Artist and illustrator also brightened our screens this year with not one but seven days of amazing desktop wallpapers that you can download here!
Lawrence Agyei's portraits were the breath of fresh air I needed this year in a sea of minimalism. The vivid pinks he works with are so incredible.
These paint palettes that Emily Jeffords created this year made my day. I love the rich texture and color.
We love discovering new artists, and this year we shared 10 of our favorite young up-and-coming illustrators to follow on Instagram.
Speaking of talented makers to follow online, here are 10 Women Over 60 to follow and support, too!
Artist and designer shared five amazing digital downloads with us this year and you can download all five of them right here.
If you need some inspiring artwork to get you going for 2018, here are 10 of our favorites.
Artist shared seven days of amazing digital downloads that aren't just pretty to look at — they inspire and motivate, too. You can download all 7 right here.
I still can't get enough of these amazing wooden knots by Katie Gong. Holy moly these are on my "save up for to invest in one day" list, big time.
One of my favorite illustrators and poets from this year's art posts is Areeba Siddique. Her work makes me think and always pushes me to take a stand and speak up for what I believe in.