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We have the privilege of beginning in this session a study of spiritual growth as it's indicated in the Word of God. And frankly I don't believe there's anything more important for the believer than them growing spiritually. Let me just share with you, to begin with, two very important scriptures that help us to see this in perspective. In 2 Peter 3:18 - this is the last verse in the Second Epistle of Peter - it says this. "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." The summation of what Peter has to say in this great epistle is that we grow in grace. Backing up to nearly the beginning of his first epistle, 2:2 he said this, "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that ye may grow by it."
Now Peter, then, in a sense, begins and ends his very practical epistles with an injunction to us to grow. Spiritual growth is basic to the life of a believer just as physical growth is basic to the life of a physical person. And God commands us to grow. There's really nothing more tragic than a stunted believer, than a Christian who has passed a long time in his spiritual experience without coming into maturity. And we've all seen children who are retarded in some way in their growth pattern. And really it's a sad tragedy when we see someone who has lived a long time but never really grown physically, or mentally, or emotionally, or socially.
And in a much more serious way, we often come across people who have named the name of Christ for many years but never grown spiritually. And so in our study together in these sessions we want to examine this theme of spiritual growth, or how you grow in grace, what it means to mature as a believer.
Now at the very beginning let me share with you some concepts that will help us as a start. First of all, spiritual growth has nothing to do with our position in Christ. Now by that I mean you don't grow into becoming a Christian. Becoming a Christian is an instant miracle. The new birth is a sudden thing that occurs in your life when you are placed by God into the body of Christ at the moment of faith in Him. It's not a process. It's a marvelous miracle that happens in a moment. Now there may be a process involved in being exposed to the gospel, but the actual point of salvation is a miraculous moment when you pass from death into life, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son, says the apostle Paul.
So spiritual growth is not a question of your position in Christ. You are placed in Christ at the moment of your faith. And at that point, says Paul to the Corinthians, "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation." You immediately become a new creation. Paul says to the Colossians in 2:10, that "you are complete in him" positionally. Peter also says that when you become a believer, you have "all things that pertain to life and godliness," 2 Peter 1:3.
So when you become a believer, you are placed into Christ, Christ comes to live in you, you receive all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, you have all things that pertain to life and godliness, and you are complete in Him. Positionally, everything is taken care of. So spiritual growth is not a matter of your position in Christ.
Secondly, spiritual growth is not a matter of God's favor or God's love. Sometimes you'll hear a parent say, "Well, if you do this I'll love you." God never would say that. God loves us no matter what we do. According to Romans chapter 5, God loved us when we were sinners, when we were enemies, and when we were alienated from Him, before we ever came to Christ. And when you become a believer, God still loves you infinitely, for there are no measurements, there are no grades, there are no gradual ascents, as it is, in the love of God. God loves all people totally and equally, even the unsaved, amazing as it may seem. So that when you become a believer God loves you totally as one of His family. It's not a question of gaining more of God's love. You don't grow into being in God's favor. That is a momentary thing that occurs at salvation.
Thirdly, spiritual growth has nothing to do with time. We said, first of all, it's not a matter of position in Christ; secondly, it's not a matter of being loved by God; and thirdly, it isn't a matter of time. There are people who have been saved a long period of time and grown very little. There are people who have been saved a brief period of time and grown very much. Now certainly, time should be a factor insofar as growth is concerned, for if we continue to grow over a long period of time, we will be more mature than one who has a shorter period of time. But it isn't the time itself, it is the commitment to the principles of growth that makes the difference. We don't measure spiritual maturity by the calendar.
Fourthly, spiritual growth is not a matter of knowledge only. I think sometimes we equate spiritual maturity with what we know, but that isn't really the key. Because, knowledge alone is not the issue. It's what you do with what you know. In fact, the Bible says knowledge has a tendency to puff up. And pride is a state. And when a believer gets into that kind of a state, spiritual growth is immediately retarded. Having a knowledge of facts cannot be equated with spiritual maturity. Only when those facts conform us to the image of Christ does our knowledge relate to our growth.
And then another thing to consider, spiritual growth has nothing to do with activity. Some people think that if they've been in the church, and been very active in the church, and very aggressive, and they've been on a committee, or a board, or sung in the choir, or whatever, that at that point they're going to be sure they've grown spiritually. After all, they've hung around the church for eons, and some of it's bound to rub off by osmosis. And if you're busy enough, you must be spiritual.
Listen, nobody was busier in religion than the Pharisees and no one was further from the truth. In Matthew 7, Jesus said, "Many shall say unto me in that day, 'Lord, we've done many wonderful works.' And I'll say to them, 'Depart from me, I never knew you.' " Listen, busyness doesn't even qualify you for salvation, let alone spiritual growth.
And then a final introductory thought. Spiritual growth has nothing to do with prosperity. It's been interesting to me to find out that many people equate their economic situation with the favor of God. If they have a lot, they think God has blessed them because they're such wonderful Christians. Well, God may have blessed you, but that is not necessarily any indication that you're spiritually mature. So don't equate your positive circumstances with the stamp of God's approval on your spiritual maturity.
Now if spiritual growth is not these things, not a matter of your position in Christ, not a matter of God's loving you, not a matter of time, not a matter of knowledge, not a matter of activity, and not a matter of prosperity, just what is spiritual growth? Let me give it to you in a very simple definition which we'll expand as we move through our study.
Spiritual growth is not a mystical, sentimental, devotional, psychological thing. It is not a result of some clever secret or some formula that can be applied easily to life and guarantee the future. Spiritual growth can be best summed up in this simple statement. It is matching my practice with my position. My position in Christ is perfect. I am complete in Him. I have all things that pertain to life and godliness. I have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. Now what I want to do is progress in my practical life to live in a way that is commensurate with my position.
I remember when I heard Bobby Richardson one time say that when he put on the Yankee baseball uniform he played about 50 percent better than he ever had in his life. There was something about being a Yankee that drew the best out of him. I can remember football coaches saying to me, "MacArthur, one thing we want you to do is play your position. Don't get out of position." And the same thing is true in a spiritual sense. You have a definition of who you are by virtue of Christ dwelling in you. And what God is saying is live up to that standard. Become in practice what you are in position.
Now very simply stated, I want you to understand this principle. There is a master key to really understanding and experiencing spiritual growth. There is one master key that unlocks the whole thing. And really in 2 Peter 3:18 it was subtly introduced to us, because it says there, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." And then it says this, "To him be glory both now and forever. Amen."
Now it's interesting to me that growing in grace is equaled with giving God glory. Now that is a very important comprehension. I want you to understand that. This whole idea of growing in grace is related to glorifying God. And frankly, folks, if you get that point, you're well on your way to understanding this process of maturity. The master key to all spiritual growth is understanding what it means to glorify God. Now that's the key.
Now let me show you this, just in a very broad sweep of history in our session this time. First of all, keep in mind that the greatest theme in all of the universe is the glory of God. Glorifying God is the locus crucis [???], it's the sine qua non [???], it's the hierpunkt [???], if you want to know in German. It is the high point. It is the apex of God's revelation. The concept of glorifying God is the reason that we exist.
The old catechism, the 17th century Puritan catechism said, "What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." That's right. In fact that's not only the chief end of man, that's the chief end of everything. Take for example the macrocosm, the universe. Psalm 19, "The heavens declare the glory of God." And so the vastness of space is set there to glorify God.
You move into Isaiah 43:20 and you hear Isaiah say, "The beast of the field shall give me - " glory, or " - honor." And so you have the macrocosm, the vastness of the universe glorifying God, and you have a simple beast of the field glorifying God. So that the created universe - now that would be mineral, if you will - and the beast, animal, and every other thing that's made is to give Him glory. In Luke chapter 2, you have the angels who appear at the birth of Christ, and what do they say? "Glory to God in the highest." So that all of the created universe is set to give God glory.
In fact, when everything is resolved in history, and you come into the book of Revelation, and the great summation of history comes together, and God redeems His people, and God is about to set up His glorious, eternal kingdom, there is a great song, and the song is, "Glory to God, glory to the Lamb," because that is the purpose for which everything that was made was made.
David had it right in Psalm 16:8 when he said, "I have set the Lord always before me. Therefore my heart is glad." In other words, in all that I do I focus on the glory of God and He makes me joyful.
Now that's the exchange that God wants to give man. You glorify Me and I'll give you joy. "I have set the Lord in his glory before me always. Therefore my heart is glad." That's the reason we exist. That's why the Bible again and again says, "Give glory to God." That's why Chronicles, in the sixteenth chapter, it says again and again, "give glory to God, give glory to God." The Psalms, "give glory to God, give glory to God." The angels when Christ was born, "give glory to God." "Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God." Ephesians 3, "That he might be glorified in the church." The book of Revelation, "glory to the Lamb, glory to God." And here again you have the benediction, "To him be glory both now and forever. Amen." That's the constant thrust of Scripture.
First Timothy 1:17, "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God - " here it comes " - be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." Again the same thrust. The ultimate reason for being is to glorify God.
Now listen, when we live to God's glory, we put ourselves in the process of spiritual maturity. As we glorify God we begin to grow. Now let me show you that by having you look at 2 Corinthians 3:18, a monumental text in the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 3:18. Now notice this. "But we all, - " speaking here, of course, of believers " - with an unveiled face - " in other words, the veil that was over believers in the old economy, the veil that the law had there, the veil that the New Testament removes by its marvelous revelation, " - with an unveiled face - " no longer are things hidden from us. No longer do we have to search as the prophets did to understand what they wrote, but the veil is off.
"We behold as in a glass." In other words, we focus into a clear glass, and what do we see? We see "the glory of the Lord." Now watch this. As we "with an unveiled face - " and the veil is taken off in the New Testament, and as we understand the New Testament and its great truths, we focus on "the glory of the Lord," what happens? "We are changed into the same image from - " one level of " - glory to - " the next level of " - glory, by the Spirit of the Lord."
Now listen, the power behind spiritual growth is the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that energizes our growth. It is the Spirit that gives life, and life is growth. So, as the Spirit infuses our lives with His power, He will cause us to grow into the image of Christ, from one level of glory to the next level of glory, to the next level of glory. But the condition is as we gaze into the glory of the Lord. Now listen, summing it up, as you and I focus on God's glory, the Spirit of God energizes the process of spiritual growth.
So the point is this. To grow spiritually, you must then focus on God's glory. Don't worry about what the Holy Spirit does, and some people get too preoccupied with the Holy Spirit. And don't focus on what you do and get introspective and analytical. Focus on the glory of the Lord. That is the thrust. That is the ultimate reason for living. And that is the key, the master key to spiritual growth.
Now just to show you how important this is, I want you to see that the ultimate condemnation of man in history is because he doesn't give God glory. Look at Romans 1:21, Romans 1:21. Now you'll remember that the apostle Paul is indicting the human race for its defection from the truth. And in Romans 1:21 he says, "Here's the basic problem with man." "Because, when they knew God - " now stop there for a minute.
What do you mean "they knew God"? You mean all of civilization and all men knew God? Yes, they did. Verse 19 says, "That which may be known of God is manifest in them." By conscience, they knew God. Verse 20, "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen." They knew God from creation. So man had an internal knowledge of God and an external knowledge. But, "when they knew God - " in that way " - they glorified him not as God." Now there's the basic indictment of the human race. They failed to give God glory. Instead, verse 23, "They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." In other words, they invented idolatrous human systems of religion.
Now man then - and I want you to watch this - man then abandoned the concept of the glory of God. He abandoned it. Now when he did that, he cut himself off from spiritual life and spiritual growth. And so the history of man is a downward history, isn't it? It is a descending history. It is a degradation. He cannot ascend, he cannot grow, because he refuses to glorify God, and glorifying God is the impetus in spiritual growth.
Now let me give you a little bit of the history of the Bible in just a nutshell. And somebody said, "If you get this in your head, you'll have it in a nutshell." But anyway, I want you to see how that throughout history God has endeavored to do one primary thing, just one. Throughout human history, God has endeavored to get man to see His glory, to reverse the fall, if you will; to change the reality of Romans 1; not that man should turn away from the glory of God, but that he should turn to it. And so all throughout biblical history, God is wanting men to see His glory.
Now let me show you this in a very simple way. Now you don't have to turn to these things because we'll move through them rather rapidly. In Genesis chapter 3, you'll remember this, verse 8 says that Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the cool of the day. The great reality of the Garden of Eden before the fall was that Adam and Eve lived in the presence of God.
Now the Hebrews had a word for this. They had a word that meant "presence," a word that meant "to dwell" or "to reside," and the word was Shekinah [???]. So that Adam and Eve lived with the Shekinah [???] of God, the Shekinah [???] glory. God is a Spirit, right? John 4:24. So God didn't have a body in the garden. How did God manifest Himself? Well, I believe God manifested Himself in a glowing, glorious, Shekinah [???] glory of light, an almost incandescent and yet gloriously brilliant kind of light. I believe that God appeared in that way because that's the way we see Him appearing in other places in Scripture.
And so there was this glow, this representation of God's infinite and eternal glory that dwelled in the garden with Adam and Eve, and they fellowshipped with God. But immediately when they sinned, 3:24 says they were thrown out of the garden. They were cut off from God's glory, cut off from the Shekinah glory of God. And an angel was put at the entrance of the garden with a sword to keep them out of there.
This is the point. Fallen man cannot experience the glory of God. Fallen man cannot dwell in His presence. Fallen man cannot give God glory, cannot identify with God in His glory. And so they were cut off, and that was the tragedy of human history.
Now watch. From then on, God endeavored to get men to see His glory. And He's still doing it today. But let's see how He did it early on. Look at Exodus, chapter 33, and I do want you to turn to this, Exodus, chapter 33. Here is the Israelites, being led by a great man, Moses. Now they have come to a crisis point in their life, having left Egypt on their way to the promised land. If there's anything God wants them to believe and God wants them to know, it is that He is a God of great glory. He wants them to see His glory. He wants to go back, as it were, before the fall, and again bring His presence to them and have them acknowledge Him for who He is.
So in Exodus 33:12, God is communing with Moses. And God is saying to Moses, in effect, "Moses, lead My people. Take My people. Be their leader from here on." He already had that commission once, but this is a reiteration. And Moses is fearful and he's afraid of his own inabilities. And so he says in verse 12, "See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me." "God, You're giving me a big job and You don't even tell me who's going to help. I mean it's a little heavy for one guy." And some estimate there may have been as many as two million people.
Now he says in verse 13, "If I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee." In other words, "God, I feel You're out there and I believe, but give me a demonstration that You're going to be with me in this very difficult task." Verse 14, God says, "My presence." "My presence." Now people, that's the word we saw in Genesis. "My presence shall go with thee." Now what do you mean by that? What is Your presence? Well, it was clear to Moses. Verse 18, he says, "I beseech thee, show me thy - " not presence, but " - glory." The presence of God was His manifest glory. And God says, "I'll make all my goodness pass before thee, I'll proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, be gracious to whom I'll be gracious, show mercy on whom I'll show mercy."
Now notice, God says, "All right, you'll see My goodness. You'll see My name, which is the embodiment of all My attributes. You'll see My grace, and you'll see My mercy." What is the glory of God? The embodiment of all of His attributes in some blazing representation of light. Now I don't understand all of that, I'm just telling you what the Bible seems to be saying.
God has reduced His attributes to a glorious light, and He says, "Moses, I'll show it to you." And so in the rest of this little section, he tucks Moses in the cleft of a rock, verse 22. "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, I'll put thee in the cleft of the rock, cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And slip away my hand, and you'll see my back parts: but not my face." Listen, nobody could ever see the full glory of God and live, right? So God says, I'm just going to let you see a little of My afterglow, that's all. But you'll see My glory.
And he did. And you know what happened? It got all over his face, it got all over him. He was lit up like a light bulb. And he came down the mountain to the people of Israel down there, and they were shocked. Here was Moses, lit, just like a glowing light bulb, with the glory of God on his face.
And you know what? God was using Moses to say, "People, people of Israel, will you see My glory?" And that self-same people, do you remember as they moved into the wilderness? They were led in the daytime by a great white cloud, and they were led at night by a pillar of fire. Do you know what that was? That was nothing but the glory of God. God put the glory on the face of Moses, God put the glory in the sky in the day and the sky in the night, and what God was saying was, "See My glory, see My glory, the fullness of what I am, the fullness of My attributes and blazing light."
The sad part of it is that even though they had seen the glory on the face of Moses, they murmured, complained, and disobeyed. Even though they saw the glory every day and every night as it led them through the wilderness, they were so unbelieving and so faithless that the whole generation died in the wilderness. And God had said, "See My glory," and man again had turned his back.
Look at Exodus chapter 40 and we see the next time God deposited His glory in the face of men. You'll notice at the end of the book of Exodus, 40:34, that the tabernacle had been built. And when the tabernacle was built it says, "A cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
Now listen, the tabernacle was a place of worship, and the tribes all had a place around the tabernacle, and all the tribes were plotted out as a sort of a circle around the tabernacle, all facing that place. And deposited in the midst of it was the glory of God, and all these people had to focus in on it. They saw it when it was completed how the glory of God descended, and the glory of God stayed in the tabernacle when they were to camp. And when the glory of God left and went into the sky it became that cloud and that pillar that they followed. And then when God wanted them to stop, the glory came and stayed here. And there it was again as their camp met, they would be focusing on the glory of God. And so God had revealed His glory on the face of a man, in the sky, and in the midst of the tabernacle. But in each case, they murmured, and disobeyed, and complained, and griped, and never really gave God the glory He was due.
Finally they entered the promised land and God said, "I want you to build a temple." Look with me at 1 Kings chapter 8 and see what happened. The temple was built, and what followed that? Verse 10, "It came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord."
Now listen, God had put His glory on the face of a man, God had put His glory in the sky, God has put His glory in a tent, and now God puts His glory in a temple, a magnificent edifice unequaled in the world, built by Solomon. And God is again saying to the people in the land, "See My glory. Focus on My glory. See who I am and give Me the proper reverence and worship."
But you know what happened? A little while later you meet the prophet Ezekiel, and look with me for a moment at Ezekiel chapter 8. Ezekiel has a vision of the temple, and what does he see? What about this place where God's glory dwells? What about this place wherein is the Ark of the Covenant, and over it standing the glory of God in the holy of holies? What about it? Verse 7, in the vision he says, I was brought "to the door of the court; I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. He said unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. He said, Go in." And now he enters into the temple in his vision, and "I went in and I saw; behold, every form of creeping things, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, painted on the walls round about."
You know what happened? They turned the temple of God into a place of idolatry. They did exactly what Romans 1 says. Instead of worshiping God and giving Him glory, they turned the glory of God into creeping things, and animals, and corruptible things, and so forth. And it talks about those who usurp the place of priests, in verse 11. It talks about worshiping the sun in this passage, verse 16. It talks about worshiping Baal or Tammuz in verse 14. In other words, Ezekiel is saying they have turned it into a place of idolatry. And again, God had said, "Here's My glory, not on the face of a man, not in the sky, not in a tent, but in a temple," and they had refused to see His glory. And if you follow through this section to chapter 10, "ichabod," which means "the glory has departed," is written on the temple. And you see the glory of God go up over the temple, out over the gate, up into the sky, out over a mountain, and finally disappear. And God says, "If you don't give Me glory, I'll remove the opportunity."
Now you know, God has been pretty patient. Showed His glory in the garden, showed His glory in the wilderness, showed His glory in the land of Canaan. Every time they refused as a nation, really, to give Him glory. But He wasn't done. There was one more time. Look with me at John 1:14. This is a tremendous text, and John is writing here about Jesus Christ, and I want you to see how John sees Christ. John 1:14 says this. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us - " listen " - (and we beheld is glory, - " and what glory was it? " - the glory as of the only begotten of the Father)."
Listen. You know who Jesus was? Jesus was the glory of God in a body. He was the embodiment of the Shekinah [???]. And if you were to read the 9th chapter of Luke, you will find that Jesus went up into a mount, called the mount of transfiguration, and He pulled back His flesh and it says, "They saw his glory." He showed them who He really was. And one final time our gracious God said to mankind, "Here is My glory. Will you give glory to Me?"
Not in the garden, not in the face of a man, not in the sky, not in the tent, not in a building, but in Jesus Christ was His glory revealed. And what did the world say? "We will not have this man to reign over us. He is of the devil, the prince of demons, Beelzebub, crucify Him." And again they turned their back on His glory, tragically.
But there's coming a day in the future when man isn't going to have that option. Because Jesus Christ is going to return, and in Matthew 24:30 it says He's coming "with power and great glory." And there won't be any options then. And finally He will be glorified, and that's when all of creation will sing "Glory to the Lamb, glory to God." Ultimately, He will have His glory.
Now what I've tried to show you is in the past, God has endeavored to get men to see His glory. In the future, He will display His glory in a way that men really won't have any option. But what about the present? What about the present? What is the significance of the glory of God right now? And that's the thing we want to talk about. In Ephesians 3 as I quoted earlier, let me remind you of verses 19 to 21. He says, "I want you to be filled with all the fullness of God. I want you to be able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think." Why? "Unto Him be glory in the church."
Now listen to this. In the Old Testament, it was in a building, it was in a tent, it was on the face of a man, it was in the sky, and it was in the garden. In the future, the glory of God will be displayed in the coming of Christ. But right now the glory of God, if it is displayed, is displayed in the church. That's why Paul said to the Colossians, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." That's why Paul says to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 4:6, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shone in our hearts, - " listen " - to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." If the glory of God in the face of Christ is to be seen, it is to shine through us.
And so the greatest calling of a believer is to glorify God. The greatest calling of a believer is what Paul said to Titus, "to adorn the doctrine of God." The greatest calling that we can have is to let the glory of Christ shine through us, 2 Corinthians 4:6. And so in this present age, God has called us to manifest His glory. And if the world is ever to see it, Christ in us is the hope of that glory made visible to them and the key to our own spiritual growth.
And I want to stress one other thing at this point and that is this. This is so important to God that's there's nothing more important than this. This is it. It is absolutely essential. In Isaiah 48:11, He says, "My glory will I not give to another." I will maintain My glory for Myself, because this is the reason everything exists, to give Me glory.
Now if a person does not give God glory, he goes cross-grain to the very intention of the universe, and he butts heads with God, very serious. Let me show you how I say that. Jeremiah, chapter 13, and we're still just introducing the concept before we get into the practical keys to spiritual growth. But in Jeremiah 13:11 we have a very interesting text. Jeremiah here is going through a little dramatization to make a point concerning the glory of God. Verse 11 at the end speaks of God's glory. And Jeremiah's very concerned about God's glory. So over in verse 15 - and we'll just look at these two verses - he says, "Hear, and give ear; - " Listen, people " - be not proud: for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God."
Now what always stands in the way of glorifying God is pride. Man seeks glory for himself, thus he cannot be free to give God the glory. And so Jeremiah says, "Look, give glory to God. Don't be proud. Give it to God." And then he says this, "before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness - " Now that's pretty serious stuff. What he's saying is, "You either give God glory, or else God will cause you to fall into darkness, to stumble, and to die."
Jeremiah isn't real happy about that, neither is God. Verse 17 says, "And if you don't listen, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eyes shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears." It breaks God's heart, and thus the heart of His prophet, when people don't give God glory because they put themselves in the place of judgment.
I want you to notice Daniel chapter 4 again to see this same theme, Daniel 4:30. And here we find Nebuchadnezzar, who thought he had really arrived, he thought he was unequaled, not only in Babylon but anywhere else. And having accomplished some great things he says, in verse 30, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" "How wonderful I am, how majestic I am, how powerful I am, look what I've done," he says. And verse 31 says, "While the word was still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee." That's enough out of you. You've gone a little too far and you can't compete with God. You've had it kind of like Uzziah, of whom the Bible says, "And when he had accomplished many great things his heart was lifted up in him." And then God gave him leprosy and that's the way he died.
What did God do to Nebuchadnezzar to get the message across? The word came, "And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass like oxen, until you learn that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men." Until you learn who's really on the throne, you're going to turn into a beast. And it did happen. Verse 33, "The same hour was the thing fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar: he was driven from men, did eat grass like oxen, his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws." He became a raving maniac in the wilderness.
And finally, "at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him who lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation." He finally realized you either give God glory, or else God deals very strongly with you.
In the 12th chapter of Acts - a final illustration of this point - there was a man named Herod, one of the Herods who ruled in and around the time of Christ. And it says that Herod pronounced a special day. Herod lived down at Caesarea by the seacoast, west of Jerusalem. He decided he'd have a Herod day. And so he set a day, "arrayed in royal apparel, he sat on his throne, he made a great speech." He really laid it on heavy. "And the people gave a shout - " listen to this. They said, "It is the voice of a god, and not a man." Isn't he terrific? Fabulous. O Herod, there's nothing like you. "And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten by worms, and died." Now you can imagine that that was a rather dull ending to Herod day. I mean that isn't exactly what he had in mind, to be eaten by worms? And the reason is he gave not God the glory.
Now people, this is very basic. You either give God glory or pay the price. The generation that failed to see the glory of God in the face of Moses, the generation that failed to see the glory of God in the sky, the generation that failed to see the glory of God in the tabernacle was wasted in the wilderness. The generation that failed to see the glory of God in the temple was again wasted and set aside. The generation that failed to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ is cut off from the blessing of God. The generation that does not recognize the glory of God before He comes in blazing final glory will know a Christless, Godless eternity. It's a very serious thing, because when you fail to give God glory, says Romans 1, God turns you over to "a reprobate mind." And that's a doomed existence. Giving God glory is essential.
Now because of its consequences, and because it is commanded, we are to glorify God. And as we do that, as in this age we focus on glorifying God, we will be changed into the image of Christ from one level of glory to the next. That is the process of spiritual growth. Now there is one other text that I want to give you in our introduction, and then we'll move to some specific keys to spiritual growth.
First John 2:12-14, and this is a very, very essential text. Now here you have the three levels of spiritual growth, and you ought to understand these. Our Lord even similarly speaks of three. There is the seed, and then there is the corn, and then there is the full ear, three levels of maturity from an agricultural analogy. Here you have it from the analogy of human growth.
"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." And here he sums up all believers under one term, "little children, offspring." And the word for "children" here is a Greek word that simply means anybody who is born from somebody else, has nothing to do with age. This term could refer to an 85-year-old person. He is the child of somebody. It's non-infancy related.
But then he moves to different terms. He splits the totality of the sons of God into three categories. Verse 13, "I write unto you, fathers, because you've known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you've overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children - " and here he uses a completely different word that means "babies" " - because you have known the Father." Then in 14 repeats a similar statement, "I have written to you, fathers, because you've know him that is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you're strong, the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one."
Now listen, three levels of spiritual growth: little children, young men, and fathers. What is a spiritual little child? It says, verse 13, "I have written unto you, little children, because you have known the Father." What is the first thing a child recognizes? Parents, parental recognition, mama, dada. Unfortunately, it is usually mama and six months later it's dada. But nonetheless, parental recognition is where it all begins. The thing about a child, they realize that they're a child of God. That's about all, sort of spiritual googoo, dada, mama. "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." And it never goes much further than that.
There's a second level of spiritual growth. "I write unto you, a young men, because you have overcome the wicked one." Who is the wicked one? Ho Poneros [???], Satan himself. How do you overcome Satan? Verse 14, "because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you've overcome the wicked one."
Now notice this, a little child does not have the Word of God abiding in them strongly, they just know the basics. Consequently, they are the children of Ephesians 4, "Tossed to and fro, - " as little children " - carried about by every wind of doctrine." In other words, they just know God, they just know Jesus. They don't know Scripture very well. That's why we say when you lead someone to Christ, what's the first thing you want to do? Get them grounded in the Word, so they don't get tossed around with false doctrine. A spiritual young man is one who is strong in the Word and has overcome the wicked one.
In what sense does he overcome the wicked one? Satan is a liar. Satan appears as an angel of light. Satan is the master of false religion. A spiritual young man knows the Word, is no longer a victim of false religion. In fact, I know in my own life as a spiritual young man, I know the difference between that and being a babe. When I was a spiritual babe, I couldn't really tell what was true and what wasn't. I was in the euphoria and the honeymoon of loving the Lord, and never really understood much theology, and was easily victimized by somebody's whim or fancy.
But there came a time when I understood theology, when I knew the Word of God, and then false doctrine didn't deceive me; it just made me mad. And I've discipled people in that situation. When they become a spiritual young man they want to go out and fight the cults, they want to straighten out the world.
But there's even a greater level of spiritual growth than that. He says at the beginning of 13 and 14, "I have written unto you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from the beginning." Now listen. It's one thing to know you belong to the family of God. It's another thing to know the Word of God. But it's another thing to know God, intimately and deeply. It's one thing to know the Book, and it's another thing to know the God behind the Book. It's one thing to understand the page. It's another thing to know the heartbeat of the One who wrote it.
Spiritual growth, then, goes from knowing you're a Christian, to knowing the Word of God, to knowing God in fullness. And listen to me. The way to really know God is to spend your life focusing on His glory. That's the thing that pulls you to that third level of spiritual growth. So that, then, becomes the focus of the believer's life, and as the believer zeroes in on this, glorifying God, understanding the fullness of His person, understanding the fullness of His glory, and gazing at that, that becomes magnetic, and draws him up past the point of only knowing to whom he belongs, to knowing what he believes, and finally to know in whom he believes, God Himself. And that becomes the thrust of all spiritual maturity.
You know, Paul put it simply this way, "All things were made by Him and for Him." He even made us for Him, to know Him in His fullness. In Romans 11:36 it says, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever," and ever.
Now listen, I close with this our first lesson. As you focus on the glory of God; and as you, seeing His glory, begin to give Him the glory He is due; you will find imperceptibly, as you lose yourself in that focus, you are being changed into His very image from one level of glory to the next. And that is spiritual growth. In our next study, we'll see just exactly how you put the keys in the lock and turn them to focus on the glory of God in a way that means spiritual growth.
Father, thank You for our time in this lesson. Thank You for helping us to understand this great concept of Your glory and how it relates to spiritual maturity. Help us now to move ahead, to apply this general truth in a very practical and specific way as we see exactly what You want us to do in giving You glory. But Lord, we know we have to understand the basis before we can even begin, and so we thank You for these great truths, in Jesus' name. Amen.
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text:
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When Utahns hit hard times, they are better positioned than much of the nation to find a road up and out, newly released data shows.
Utah rates 16th on the 2012 Opportunity Index, a conglomerate of factors that portray how upwardly mobile residents in 2900 counties around the nation are likely to be.
"Overall, in all indicators, Utah is doing better than average but still has room for improvement," said Elizabeth Roy, deputy director of Opportunity Nation, a national campaign aimed at expanding economic opportunity and mobility throughout the 50 states.
Utah ranked 16th among the 50 states on the index, in its second year of producing data about jobs and the economy, education, and community health and civic life.
Roy, a Massachusetts native, presented her findings to a group of 165 low-income, community and business representatives gathered Tuesday at Salt Lake City's Grand America hotel to discuss poverty at a conference titled "A Common Foundation: Creating Opportunity for the Next Generation."
"The area in which Utah is the strongest is the community health and civic life indicators," Roy said, lauding the state for its high group memberships 43 percent compared to the national average of 34 percent and volunteerism 42 percent in Utah compared to 26 percent nationwide.
Opportunity Nation partnered with the nonprofit Measure of America to measure three categories, using data from the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The first was studying states' economies, including jobs, wages, poverty, inequality, assets, affordable housing and internet access. The second measured states' education systems, including the number of children enrolled in preschool, graduation rates and how many students attend college. The third category examined community health and civic life, through comparing community engagement, volunteerism, youth economic and academic inclusion, community safety, access to health care and access to healthy food.
Roy, 32, said that diminished upward mobility and increased income inequality are trends she finds disturbing and personally troubling.
"I wanted to be involved with a campaign that was optimistic, but also pragmatic," she said. According to http://www.opportunitynation.org, the campaign is a nonpartisan coalition of more than 250 organizations including United Way Worldwide, Jumpstart, Points of Light and others who aim to "restore the American dream by rebuilding the ladder of opportunity . . . one rung at a time."
The Opportunity Index research identified a key rung on that ladder that the coalition believes merits urgent action equipping youth with the skills needed to compete in the current and future economies.
Utah received mixed results for the categories the Opportunity Index studied.
According to the 2012 Index, the more affluent Summit County fared the best in Utah, getting an A minus overall median household income was above average at $79,461; 98 percent of high school students graduated on time and 58 percent of adults 25 years and over earned associate degrees or higher.
Rural San Juan County ranked the worst in Utah with a C minus. Median household income there was $38,076 significantly lower than the state and national average of $54,744 and $50,046 respectively. Only 29 percent of adults 25 and over had obtained associates degrees or higher.
Utah's most populous county Salt Lake County landed in between with a B minus. Median household income was $58,004, but on-time high school graduates dropped to 86 percent and 39 percent of adults 25 and over held higher degrees.
In Utah, 13.5 percent of youth ages 16 to 24 were "disconnected" meaning they were not in school and did not have jobs. The national average for disconnected youth was 14.7 percent.
"The great thing about Utah is that our challenges are not as acute as some other states," said Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden. "We're also small enough that we can right the ship if we choose to do that.
Reid spearheaded a bill during the state's 2012 legislative session to study intergenerational poverty and believes that collaboration is important but solutions must center on outcome expectations and accountability.
"There's been a lot of collaboration for decades but we still have growing numbers of children in intergenerational poverty," Reid said. "So it has to go beyond collaboration."
The nonprofit advocacy group Voices for Utah Children sponsored Tuesday's conference and President Karen Crompton expressed optimism about Utah's ability to lift up its youth. About one in six children in Utah live in poverty, according to the most recent KIDS COUNT Data Book published by Annie E. Casey Foundation.
"I hope today's discussion helps reframe the discussion about poverty," Crompton said. "No child ever did anything to make him or herself poor . . . they're not responsible for that."
Twitter: @catmck
Utah is 16th, but who is first, last?
Vermont came in first with an opportunity score of 64.3, ranking exceptionally high in education and community.
Nevada ranked last with a score of 35.9. Education was by far its weakest category.
Utah made it into the top third of states with a score of 54.9, faring above average in economy and community.
Source: 2012 Opportunity Index

subset: commoncrawl


text:
British Broadcasting CorporationHome
Business Studies
What motivates someone to start their own business? How do you come up with a new business idea? Our business experts discuss starting a new businesses.
Lord Sugar has an estimated worth of £730 million and is the star of the BBC's hit series 'The Apprentice'. Lord Sugar holds two honorary Doctorates of Science degrees, awarded by City University and Brunel University.
Deborah Meaden has enjoyed success with many businesses in the leisure and retail sector and is also the star of the BBC's 'Dragon's Den'. Deborah has made offers of investment of £1,365,000 in 21 separate businesses during her first five series of 'Dragon's Den'.
Saira Khan was a finalist on 'The Apprentice' in 2005. She now presents CBBC's 'Beat the Boss' and has founded the skincare company 'Miamoo'.
Hugh Pym is the BBC's Chief Economics Correspondent. Hugh reports on business, economic and political issues. He has previously worked for ITV, Channel 4 and Sky.
Ben Wallace works as an Associate Product Marketing Manager at Google in London. Google was set up in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and is now one of web's most visited sites. In 2008, Google topped BrandZ's list of the most powerful brands in the world.
Nicola Vane founded 'The Funky Fone Sox Company' in 2003 when she was just 14 years old. Nicola believes the company was the first in the UK to start selling phone sock covers.
Dr Paul Thomas appeared on the first series of 'Dragon's Den' in 2005 to pitch for investment in a truffle-growing company. His company, 'Mycorrhizal Systems', now has a global network of client-partner truffle plantations in Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.


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Forumwarz is the first "Massively Single-Player" online RPG completely built around Internet culture.
You are currently looking at Flamebate, our community forums. Players can discuss the game here, strategize, and role play as their characters.
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I'm not sure I can help, I haven't received my invitation to Flamebate yet.
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text:
With the NCAA auditioning for the role of hanging judge, it's natural to wonder if the harsher punishment guidelines fast-tracked for October adoption might splash onto Miami. Moreover, you might ask if the probable changes could affect North Carolina.
With a caveat that nothing is certain regarding the NCAA, the hunch here is that these two ACC Coastal Division schools – annual football opponents of Virginia Tech and Virginia -- will avoid the proverbial hammer.
The association's release last week on its proposed sanctions model is a touch misleading with this third-paragraph quote from Oregon State president Ed Ray, chair of the working group that crafted the recommendations.
"Our intention is to make this real in October."
Such a timeline could have meant curtains for Miami, which is awaiting punishment for the Nevin Shapiro extra-benefits fiasco unearthed last year by Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson. The Hurricanes declared themselves ineligible for football postseason in 2011, but that's unlikely to spare them further sanctions.
But Ray's remark pertains only to formal passage. The fourth paragraph of the NCAA release says that after October approval, the new structure would take effect Aug. 1, 2013.
Surely the NCAA can complete Miami's case in the next 11-plus months. If not, the school's football and men's basketball programs might want to duck.
Similar to the recent Penn State penalties that bypassed the traditional enforcement process, the new model would, for the most severe infractions, mandate multi-year postseason bans, scholarship reductions that could approach half the maximum allotment, and fines based on a program's total budget.
For example, the worst violations would draw a fine of $5,000, plus 3-5 percent of the program's budget. According to documents filed with theU.S. Department of Education, Miami's football and basketball budgets for 2010-11 totaled $32.3 million, 5 percent of which is $1.62 million.
That's petty cash compared to Penn State's $60 million fine, the equivalent of one year's football revenue, and the most damaging penalties will certainly be postseason bans and scholarship cuts, both of which hamstring recruiting.
The NCAA also will target offending head coaches with "show-cause orders" that could penalize schools that hire or continue to employ them.
In the release, Ray said: "Coaches come to me and say, 'I feel like a chump. I'm trying to do things the right way and I have peers who laugh at me because I don't play the game and bend the rules the way they do.' That's got to stop."
To date, none of this is affecting North Carolina football, ineligible for postseason in 2012 due to extra benefits and academic fraud that occurred under former coach Butch Davis. That said, the Raleigh News and Observer continues to unearth additional examples of academic malfeasance, many of which involve athletes.
Might a more intolerant NCAA, which penalized the Tar Heels in March, revisit their case?
The answer appears to be no, a puzzling stance to many of us. The university contends that since some non-athletes also took the bogus courses, the NCAA has no jurisdiction, but as the Raleigh paper reports, athletic department academic advisors steered players to the fraudulent classes.
ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil addressed the issue in her column Wednesday, and here was her most salient point:
Were these high school athletes and not Tar Heels, the NCAA and its eligibility center folks would have absolutely no problem saying these courses were clearly bogus and, therefore, not good enough to meet its standards. Whether a high school coach, athletic director or principal coerced a teacher would be irrelevant. …
So why don't the same rules apply once a kid is on campus? Why can the NCAA question the merit of a high school it may never have visited, yet tosses up its hands helplessly when it comes to its "member institutions"?
That's a question worth pondering, and a question that should unnerve folks in Chapel Hill.
I can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP
Here's a link to my Daily Press print columns.


text:
Taylor posted an article about Apple completely kicking Android's ass in the last quarter in the US and that got me thinking to the reasons why. One of the reasons I hypothesized is that manufacturers (LG *cough* Samsung) continue to pump out BAD low end Android phones to see what sticks.
I believe this is going to hurt Android in the long term. If anything, I believe, the huge Apple numbers in the last quarter can be attributed to a significant amount of users who got burned by low end Android offerings.
Now don't get me wrong I think Low End Android phones are a necessity for the growth and proliferation of Android, but the bar is set WAY too low for several of these handsets. Think of all the low end Galaxy phones, or the low end Optimus phones. I'm sure while they've satisfied a good number of users a whole lot of other one felt burned.
Of all the companies I think HTC has got it right with the One V. It certainly is the low end of the One series but it most certainly is the most well executed low end device I've seen. Android 4.0, Sense 4.0 (albeit a lighter version) and excellent build quality. That's how all low end Android phone should be.
If anything, I'd set the bar at for low end Android phones at the lowest end iPhone still being sold and as of now that's still the iPhone 3GS. If the phone isn't as responsive and usable as the 3GS don't bother putting it out IMO. The fact that 2 years after launch the 3GS is still available (and for free) is probably yet another factor in why Apple dominated the last Quarter.
I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter.
Thanks for reading.


text:
Check out our review of The Elder Scrolls Online.
The Elder Scrolls series is very much about exploring a world's past. Tamriel and its nations like Skyrim and Morrowind are steeped in history, and the hundreds of hours players spend in games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are devoted to uncovering those old ways. The newly announced MMO The Elder Scrolls Online will be adhering to the olden ways as well, and not just because the game is taking place many years before Skyrim. According to one analyst, players will likely have to pay a monthly subscription fee to play The elder Scrolls Online when it comes out.
Speaking with Edge on Tuesday, Nicholas Lovell of video game business consultancy Gamesbrief said that though The Elder Scrolls Online will eventually be a free-to-play MMO, it will start as a game with a monthly subscription fee. "It is conceivable that Bethesda will launch with subscription service to attract the early adopters, because that's the model they understand," said Lovell, "I still believe that subscription games are on the way out. They will switch to free-to-play later, in the same way that many iOS games go from paid to freemium over their lifetime. EA is struggling with The Old Republic, [but] almost everyone else is transitioning to free-to-play."
As Lovell says, Electronic Arts is learning well the lesson that MMOs can't survive on monthly subscriptions like they used to. Star Wars: The Old Republic was built on the fifteen-year-old business model used by Everquest, Ultimate Online, and most successfully by World of Warcraft where players drop cash on the game itself and then pay a monthly fee of $15 or more to keep playing. While the game started off strong, racking up 1.7 million players over its first two months, after five months the player base has declined to 1.3 million players.
Today, The Elder Scrolls Online could support a subscription model based on the series' popularity alone. Skyrim found an enormous following when it released in November, shipping 10 million copies in its first month. (To clarify, that's the number of copies Bethesda sold to retailers, not directly to players. Still, since that number doesn't include copies downloaded through services like Steam on PCs, we can assume that the game's actual sales are close to that figure.)
If The Old Republic's current woes prove anything though, it's that MMO players are fickle, and getting them to pay $15 per month over a long period of time is no easy task. By the time The Elder Scrolls Online is widely available, it's questionable whether there will be any MMOs left charging a monthly fee.


text:
Welcome to the penultimate tutorial of the series on building helpers in PHP 5. Comprised of eight articles, this series provides you with the basic pointers to start creating your own helper classes with minor hassles, and complements the corresponding theory with a great variety of hands-on examples.
And now that you've been introduced to the aim of this series of articles, it's time to review the topics that were treated in the last part. In that installment I finished building a simple helper class that could validate different types of data, including numeric and float numbers, IP and email addresses, and URLs as well.
The functionality of each method of this class was based mostly on PHP filters, since this extension not only permits you to perform a decent validation on incoming data, but it makes this a no-brainer process.
However, if you're anything like me, then you may want to see how this validation helper class can be used in concrete situations, right? Well, in this tutorial I'm going to develop some basic examples that will illustrate the real capabilities of the class for verifying all the types of data mentioned above.
So, now it's time to leave the preliminaries behind us and start evaluating this sample helper class through some concrete and easy-to-grasp examples. Let's jump in!
{mospagebreak title=Review: the previous ValidatorHelper class}
Just in case you haven't read the previous chapter of the series, where I finished building the validation helper class mentioned in the introduction, below I included the entire signature of this class, so you can see at a glance how it works.
Having said that, here's how this sample helper was defined. Take a look at it, please:
class ValidatorHelper
// constructor not implemented
public function __construct(){}
// validate integer
public function validate_int($value, $min, $max)
return filter_var($value, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT, array('options' => array('min_range' => $min, 'max_range' => $max)));
// validate float number
public function validate_float($value)
return filter_var($value, FILTER_VALIDATE_FLOAT);
// validate alphabetic value
public function validate_alpha($value)
return filter_var($value, FILTER_VALIDATE_REGEXP, array('options' => array('regexp' => "/^[a-zA-Z]+$/")));
// validate alphanumeric value
public function validate_alphanum($value)
return filter_var($value, FILTER_VALIDATE_REGEXP, array('options' => array('regexp' => "/^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$/")));
// validate URL
public function validate_url($url)
return filter_var($url, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL, FILTER_FLAG_HOST_REQUIRED);
// validate IP address
public function validate_ip($ip)
return filter_var($ip, FILTER_VALIDATE_IP, FILTER_FLAG_IPV4);
// validate email address
public function validate_email($email)
return filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL);
As illustrated above, practically all of the methods that compose the "ValidatorHelper" class (aside from the constructor, naturally) rely on the functionality provided by a particular PHP filter to validate a specific argument.
Quite possibly the weakest method of the helper is the one responsible for validating email addresses. The PHP filter that performs that task only checks the format of the address. However, it's also possible to refactor this method and use other native PHP functions to check the existence of MX records in the DNS for the domain part of the email, but for the moment I'll keep the implementation of this method relatively simple.
All in all, at this point you hopefully recalled how the "ValidatorHelper" class was defined initially. So, the next step that I'm going to take will consist of testing the functionality of the class through different examples that you'll surely grasp in a snap.
Some of the examples will be developed in the course of the section to come. Therefore, to learn more, click on the link that appears below and read the next few lines.
{mospagebreak title=Checking integers and float numbers with the ValidatorHelper}
In accordance with the concepts deployed in the section that you just read, it's necessary to create some simple examples that show how to use the validation helper class in concrete cases. With that thought in mind, below I included two approachable code samples that use the helper for validating first an integer, and then a float number.
Here are the examples in question:
$validator = new ValidatorHelper();
// example on validating an integer value
if ($validator->validate_int(10.2, 1, 100) === FALSE)
echo 'Input value is not a valid integer.';
echo 'Input value is a valid integer.';
displays the following
Input value is not a valid integer.
// example on validating a float value
if ($validator->validate_float(1234.5) === FALSE)
echo 'Input value is not a valid float number.';
echo 'Input value is a valid float number.';
displays the following
Input value is a valid float number.
Definitely, understanding the examples shown above is a pretty straightforward process. The "validate_int()" and "validate_float()" methods of the helper are called after creating an instance of it. Also, in this particular case I fed these methods with rather trivial values to make the examples easier to grasp, but logically more complex parameters can be used.
So far, so good, right? Now that you've grasped how to use the previous validation helper class for checking integer and float numbers, it's time to continue evaluating its functionality. As you'll recall, the class also has some other methods, which can be used for validating IP and email addresses, alphabetic and alphanumeric values and finally URLs.
So, in the last segment of this tutorial I'm going to demonstrate how to validate those specific types of data. So click on the link shown below and read the following lines.
{mospagebreak title=Validating alphabetic and alphanumeric values, IP and e-mail addresses, and URLs}
To finish showing you how to use the validation helper class, the last thing that I'm going to do in this tutorial will be coding some additional examples that demonstrate how to use the class's remaining methods for checking alphabetic and alphanumeric values, IP and email addresses, and URLs as well.
That being clarified, here's the set of code samples that perform the aforementioned validation tasks:
$validator = new ValidatorHelper();
// example on validating an alphabetic value
if ($validator->validate_alpha('a1234') === FALSE)
echo 'Input value is not a valid alphabetic value.';
echo 'Input value is a valid alphabetic value.';
displays the following
Input value is not a valid alphabetic value.
// example on validating an alphanumeric value
if ($validator->validate_alphanum('a1234') === FALSE)
echo 'Input value is not a valid alphanumeric value.';
echo 'Input value is a valid alphanumeric value.';
displays the following
Input value is a valid alphanumeric value.
// example on validating a URL
if ($validator->validate_url('http://devshed.com') === FALSE)
echo 'Input value is not a valid URL.';
echo 'Input value is a valid URL.';
displays the following
Input value is a valid URL.
// example on validating an IP address
if ($validator->validate_ip('127.0.0.1') === FALSE)
echo 'Input value is not a valid IP address.';
echo 'Input value is a valid IP address.';
displays the following
Input value is a valid IP address
// example on validate an email address
if ($validator->validate_email('email@example.com') === FALSE)
echo 'Input value is not a valid email address.';
echo 'Input value is a valid email address.';
displays the following
Input value is a valid email address
As you can see above, validating email and IP addresses, alphabetic values and the like by using the interface provided by the helper class is a simple process that doesn't offer major difficulties. The whole procedure is reduced to calling dynamically the appropriate method and nothing else. It's that easy.
Finally, before you move on and read the conclusion, I'd like to point out again that all of the methods that make up this helper class can be largely improved, to perform a more strict validation on a given parameter.
I cited before the case of the "validate_email()" method, which certainly can be completely refactored by using other PHP functions, but this same concept may be applied to other methods of the class as well. So, if you're bored and want to test your PHP skills, then try to create your own enhanced version of the previous validation helper.
Final thoughts
That's all for now. In this seventh episode of the series, I demonstrated with a decent number of practical examples how to use this sample validation helper to verify integer and float numbers, IP and email addresses and so forth. As you saw previously, this process was very easy to follow, even if you have an average background in object-oriented programming with PHP 5.
And speaking of OOP, a good coding habit of this paradigm is to avoid unnecessary instantiation of classes. You can apply this principle to this specific case, since there's no need to deal with a validation helper object when it's possible to call its methods statically.
Demonstrating how to accomplish this will be the subject of the last installment of the series, so now you don't have any excuses to miss it!


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Ciudad Real / Liffey School of English Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Ciudad Real / Liffey School of English Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Spain View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message FleaJoined: 10 Apr 2003Posts: 20Location: Spain Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 8:50 pm Post subject: Ciudad Real / Liffey School of English Hi everyone , I'm writing this post to gather info on Liffey School of English, Ciudad Real. Has anyone had any experience working for this school or indeed heard what living and teaching in Ciudad Real is like All info is greatly appreciated Thanks again, Fleaster Back to top grahambJoined: 30 Apr 2003Posts: 1945 Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 12:52 pm Post subject: C. Real I've worked in summer camps in Ciudad Real. It's a provincial city with plenty of nightlife, especially at weekends. I have no idea about language schools there. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Spain All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


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Get help with your Graflex questions here
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George B
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 37
Location: Northern New Jersey
Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 9:17 am
Post subject: Flashbulb Curiosity ?
I was wondering after a typical weekend party, event and freako after-hours NYC shoot if any of you folks actually take pictures with your Graflex cameras using flashbulbs ?
A nights shoot for me is a Baby Speed with a Graphic "23" back, three rolls of B&W ASA 100 film and a bag of 24 bulbs, usually 11's or 40's. If it's a big event I'll shoot four to five rolls using 5's or 25's because of space limitations in my bulb bag. I do my best to make every shot count as a one time chance. Yeah, there's lots of other photographers shooting digital blasting off exposures like there's no tomorrow. I asked a bigshot Canon pop guy how many snaps he took and he said "about 1,200". Good Lord, I would think it takes me less time to soup and scan than it takes him to edit that amount.
Hey, here's a recent snap... transvestites, transgendered or transformers ? Your guess is as good as mine.
OK, so what's the point ? Actually, nothing more than flashbulb curiosity on my part. But I gotta tell you when I pop a flashbulb people's heads turn towards the bright light and are willing to pose their best.
So... do you shoot with flashbulbs ?
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI
Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 11:25 am
Post subject:
Ahh Uncle Rose Selavy and her friends, always the life of the party.
Yes I do use flashbulbs, I went to a local radio station's Hallowe'en party and knocked off about 2 dozen bulbs and 4 grafmatics. I showed up as a news photographer.
The fun part is watching the 20 something waitresses. When cleaning up the table they carefully move the spent bulbs aside as though they are made of gold. The 40 something waitress sweep 'em in the trash without a second thought.
The problem I had was after about 18 shots, people were ducking and covering when I raised my camera, this generation grew up on wimpy electronic flashes and were complaining about the mighty power of the flashbulb. My only comment I could come up with was, "Once you've been flashed by me, you stay flashed!" No idea what it meant, but most of the people at the party won't remember the party anyway.
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison
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Joined: 22 Dec 2001
Posts: 255
Location: The Ardennes, Belgium
Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 5:26 pm
Post subject:
You lucky, Guys, you have bulbs to burn !!!
Decent bulbs are next to impossible to find here, even M3's or PF1B's are rare.
BTW, 99 out of 100 persons have never seen a big bulb like a #11 and they would probably ask ' why on earth did you put your kitchen lamp there ? '
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Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 126
Location: Washington, the State
Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 4:19 am
Post subject:
This last Thanksgiving I brought my 2x3 Crown to get some family photos. After two Press 25's I had everyone running for cover. I guess it's the thought that counts.
George, I think that your shot of those ladies, (make that guys) is great. I'm sure that it gave them quite a thrill to have their picture taken by such a classy camera and a flash bulb. Keep up the good work.
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Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 51
Location: California
Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 8:51 pm
Post subject:
I use only flashbulbs and have done so since 1951. I have cases of Press 25s in the garage with 144 bulbs a case. I just bought a case of Press 25B ,which are blue for color shots.
I completed a school yearbook and did all the group interior shots with the flashbulbs. I have a 3 cell unit with 2 Graflex slave units. I love the fact that I do not have to carry all that electronic flash gear with me. My wife packs about 60 bulbs in a neat plastic clear egg containter making them easy and light to transport.
The kids got a real kick out of watching me set up and shoot the bulbs from my Speed Graphics. I love having a unit on a light stand, high above and center of my lens. It gives off a powerful light that has a long burn and erases the wrinkles from the older women's faces. The faces on everyone seem to glow. There is nothing like a Press 25 on a Speed Graphic for power and ease of use. Having the flash high and directly centered over the lens eliminates shadows behind the subjects.
I love the smell of flashbulbs in the morning
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Joined: 29 Nov 2001
Posts: 903
Location: S.W. Wyoming
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:56 am
Post subject:
I have over 1,000 assorted bulbs. I use them judiciously because when they're gone, that's all she wrote.
Even the Speed Midget gas filled bulbs put out quite a blast of light, and they're not very potent. I think I'm down to a case of those. I wish I could stumble onto a stash of #75 bulbs. I'd go out in a blaze of glory.
"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 853
Location: Alabama
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 4:37 am
Post subject:
I've got about that many big bulbs left, Glenn, plus another 1,000 or so 25Bs. I sold 1,500 25s to a Movie Prop Company last year. Now, when I see Speeds being fired in the movies, I dream it's my old bulbs!
I kinda hated to sell to them, but it is astounding what they will pay.
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Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 36
Location: SAN DIEGO CA
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 4:04 am
Post subject: Blue vs clear
I just picked up some press 25's, and I have one box of 25B's. I know the blue guys are for color film-how will they affect B&W? I am shooting just B&W in my CG and if the effect won't be to strange, I'll go back & scoop up the 25B's I didn't grab last time.
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Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 853
Location: Alabama
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 4:17 am
Post subject:
They are terrible for B&W. Tell me where they are and I'll take care of them for you.
Seriously, get them. Just a tad difference in light output. Well worth the effort if the price is right, considering the declining supply.
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Joined: 29 Nov 2001
Posts: 903
Location: S.W. Wyoming
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:29 pm
Post subject:
Simply add one stop more exposure for blue bulbs. If that don't work, just send them to me for scientific evaluation. :)
"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"
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text:
The Manager of the Year for both leagues will be announced in about an hour. I've voted for this award several times and the criteria varies as it does this year.
Most often the award goes to a manager who leads an under achieving team into the playoffs or to a dramatic improvement. That's the case this year with my choice, Jim Tracy of the Rockies. The Rockies entered the season ranked behind the Dodgers and Giants in the NL West, and in some circles behind Arizona.
But, the Rockies got hot in the second half, much like they did in 2007, and rolled into the playoffs. They lost to the Phillies, but that didn't change the fact they had a surprising season.
Another variable is a lifetime achievement award when there's no surprise winner. That would go to Mike Scioscia of the Angels, who always has his team playing alert, aggressive and fundamental baseball. OK, except for the ALCS this year, but the voting is done prior to the start of the playoffs.


text:
posted by Thom Holwerda on Tue 20th Mar 2007 18:38 UTC, submitted by Andareed
"The ReactOS operating system has been in development for over eight years and aims to provide users with a fully functional and Windows-compatible distribution under the GPL license. ReactOS comes with its own Windows 2003-based kernel and system utilities and applications, resulting in an environment identical to Windows, both visually and internally. This talk will introduce the ReactOS project, as well as the various software engineering challenges behind it."


text:
Re: Never Ending Boba Fett Story Game.
then Fett tears his way out of Cartman stomac useing a half eaten cheese puff.
(dont ask how)
Message Boards - Boba Fett Fan Club → Role Playing → Never Ending Boba Fett Story Game.
then Fett tears his way out of Cartman stomac useing a half eaten cheese puff.
(dont ask how)
The Akuma does his superhyperultraextreme move and tears Cartman into bloody pieces of flesh in the blink of an eye, finishing him off
boba decided's he's had enough, so he goes to Kamino for a fishing holiday
on his way to Kamino Boba wonders what the wheathers like on Kamino?
Then Bob dies
of excitment, when the other clones threw him a suprise party on Kamino!
THEN Rob dies
but is bought back by Eddie Murphy in a tooth fairy costume
And then Cob dies
fett having enough of dying decides to join a brass band.........
called the beans!!
Rob is the Tuda player! Then the tuba player dies.
of horror when he learns that he frogot his pant on Curoscant
Boba took a dump, five seconds after he left, the port-a-potty blew up.
In a firey rage because he frogot to flush
Then the galaxy emplodes ending every thing exept for Chuck Norris and Mr.T who continue their epicly eternal battle
Mr. T grabbed Chuck by the beard, and threw him into the oblivion, then pitied the nothingness until the universe came back.
but Chuck came back, coverd in a tire track
and threw Jackie Chan for a sucsessfull sneak attack
Owing to his near omnipotence Mr.T can not be caught off guard, but he still let Chuck think he had surprised him to lure him into a false sense of security
Mr. T punched a hole through Jackie, and tossed Bruce Lee at Chuck, who was beaten by Lee here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLO1YIWQuXE
but that isnt the case now, as Chuck ws just acting
he roundhouse kicked Bruce right back at him
Tired of being used as a projectile weapon, Bruce turns to Chuck midflight and says...
Mr. T hit Lee back at Norris, and this continued until it became an epic game of ping-pong.
Palpatine soon, constructed a stadium and a table around them, but the death toll for the project was high as workers kept getting hit by the ball
Four planetary systems were destroyed and seven more were created as a result of their game.
Message Boards - Boba Fett Fan Club → Role Playing → Never Ending Boba Fett Story Game.
Generated in 0.086 seconds (58% PHP - 42% DB) with 10 queries


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- E Fund
Homecoming activities include soccer, volleyball and BASA Barbeque
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 17, 2007) -With the start of the 2007-08 basketball season just around the corner, the ETSU men's and women's basketball teams will give fans an early preview of the upcoming season this Saturday, Oct. 20 inside Memorial Center.
The two teams will hold their annual Blue-Gold scrimmages as part of ETSU's Buccaneer Bash Homecoming weekend, with the game benefiting the Children's Hospital at the
Basketball scrimmages are not the only athletic activities scheduled as part of the weekend. In addition, the women's soccer team will host Mercer at Summers-Taylor Stadium beginning at on Friday, and will then meet
Tickets for the BASA Barbeque catered by Firehouse Restaurant are $15 for adults and $8 for children ages 6-12. Children under 6 are free.
Fans are reminded that ETSU basketball season tickets are still available for both teams, and can be purchased by visiting etsubucs.com or calling ticket manager Brandon Hudson at (423) 439-3878 for more information.


text:
And of course the presence of God is not the same as the sense of the presence of God. The latter may be due to imagination; the former may be attended with no "sensible consolation." The Father was not really absent from the Son when He said "Why hast thou forsaken me?" You see God Himself, as man, submitted to man's sense of being abandoned. The real parallel on the natural level is one which seems odd for a bachelor to write to a lady, but too illuminating not to be used. The act which engenders a child ought to be, and usually is attended by pleasure. But it is not the pleasure that produces the child. Where there is pleasure there may be sterility: where there is no pleasure the act may be fertile. And in the spiritual marriage of God and the soul it is the same. It is the actual presence, not the sensation of the presence, of the Holy Ghost which begets Christ in us. The sense of the presence is a super-added gift for which we give thanks when it comes, and that's all about it.
From The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III


text:
Please forgive my absence from the gallery and forum. In my part of the state we are living in the Stone Age, literally! The telephone exchange burnt down last Thursday so from Thursday onwards we have had no phone, no internet connection, no ATMS or eftpos (it's cash everything, too bad if you haven't got cash, no credit cards being used). It's affected 60,000 homes. We have mobile coverage (cell phone) and the landlines will go back on Friday from all accounts with internet a lot later. Eeeek. Mike bought a wireless dongle (the last one sold in this town) and is using it sparingly for business purposes, and it seems to be sketchy at best, working sometimes, then dropping out. So I'm just sneaking in some uploads while he's not looking
Oh and a lot of journalling in this page, but it's a story I want to remember forever, such a fun fun crazy day.
(shall link up the products when I am able)
Katie Pertiet:
Cherished Artistry No. 2
Mixed Stamped Alpha Brushes-n-Stamps
Vintage photo frames No.2 (curled and flat)
Colorful Journalers
Banner Safety Tags No. 1
Painted Edgers No.4
Watery Corners & Edges No.2
Watery Photo Masks No.2
Journal Strips No.1
Splatters Brushes & Stamps No.3
watery Spots Brushes & Stamps No. 5
Bead Scatterings No. 4
Lynn Grieveson:
Petit Jacques Kit (mesh)
Pattie Knox:
Fasten Its 2
Font: Bebete and Junction
Journalling: (on page 2)


text:
Hi, I'm doing a VC++ project, which requires me to create multiple CWnd objects and put them into one dialog box for viewing. For example, I need to create 100 buttons with 1-100 written on them, and put them into one dialog box. Of course the dialog box can't show them all at once, so there need to be a scroll bar of some sort for the user to drag and view all the buttons. However after fumbling around hours after hours and reading some reference books, I can't find the method to accomplish the above mentioned task. I figure there may be some kind of "container" object to place on the main dialog box to contain all those text buttons, and to browse them with a scroll bar, but I can't find such "container" object anywhere.
Anyone can help on this? Thanks! :confused:


text:
SOMERSET, NJ – The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition (RVRC) announced at its quarterly meeting Monday in Somerset that NJ Transit will roll out a morning off-peak, one-seat ride to New York's Penn Station starting March 2, 2014 using newly purchased dual powered locomotives. The trains will arrive in New York between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Representatives from RVRC met with NJ Transit last week to see how the newly purchased dual-mode locomotives will be deployed, and to emphasize the need for one seat service during peak times.
The new dual powered locomotives make it possible for the first time for trains on the Raritan line to go all the way into Manhattan, giving commuters the possibility of a "one seat" ride. Currently, all commuters on the line must exit their train at Newark and change platforms, a move that involves a mad dash up and down stairs and confusion over which platform has the next train into Manhattan.
The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, joined by a coalition of 30 mayors of towns along the line, seek to ultimately achieve a complete one-seat ride Manhattan service on the Raritan Valley Line, including am and pm peak hour service, off peak week day and weekend.
"Transit-Oriented Development is a major focus in New Jersey, and many towns along the line are starting or planning major developments," said Somerset County Freeholder and Rail Coalition Chairman Peter S. Palmer. "It is important for the Raritan Valley Line to have full one-seat ride service to be able to service these developments and attract even more development. The weekday off-peak service is an important first step – but it is only a first step."
He credited the mayors' coalition, headed by Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr, with being "vital to the long-standing effort of the Rail Coalition to bring the one-seat ride to fruition."
NJ Transit, which has championed Transit-Oriented Development, has agreed to meet quarterly with the RVRC to evaluate the results of the new service and discuss further expansion. The next step would be to offer evening one-seat ride service during off-peak hours after 8 p.m.
"We will be monitoring progress at our meeting in February, and we will continue to work with NJ Transit to bring about the peak hour 'one-seat' ride for the entire Raritan Valley Rail Line," concluded Palmer.


text:
Interview Hartmut Fähndrich
Hartmut Fähndrich criticizes the "over-Islamicisation" on both sides of the dialogue among Muslims and non-Muslims. Stephan Moser interviewed the Swiss, who is among the most renowned translators of Arabic literature into German.
You are a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the ETH in Zurich, but you're not particularly fond of this official job title …
Hartmut Fähndrich: That's because the term "Islamic Studies" is an expression of the one-sided and short-sighted manner in which the Middle East is perceived in the West. Our view of the Arab world takes place primarily through the window of religion; we automatically equate the Middle East with Islam, and we regard all Arabs, first and foremost, as Muslims. This, I believe, is fatally wrong.
Could you explain that in a little more detail?
Fähndrich: It's a narrowing of the perspective that fails to do justice to the diversity of the cultural, political, economic and social situation in the Arab world. For one thing, there are also Christians living in the Middle East; but the main point is that Islam is certainly no longer the sole or decisive point of identification. Many of my Arab friends and acquaintances feel themselves to be Arabs or Egyptians and describe themselves as such, rather than identifying themselves primarily as Muslims. Besides, not all norms, values and patterns of behaviour in the Arabic world are "Islamic"; many of them are the result of traditions, political circumstances and a particular social situation.
The idea, so widespread in the West, that Islam is a kind of homogeneous block...
Fähndrich: ... is wrong. And what's hidden behind this idea is a great deal of diffuse fear. The West could probably be a lot more relaxed in its dealings with Muslims if people here realised how varied – and how much at odds with itself – the Islamic world actually is. Islam includes fundamentalists as well as liberal reformers and people who keep their distance from religion.
Professed atheists, too?
Fähndrich: There are Arabs for whom religion plays no role whatsoever, and who also stress this fact in private conversation. But in the Arab world today, it's still unthinkable to make a public avowal of atheism. There's still too much social pressure to state some kind of religious affiliation – though not necessarily to Islam. Besides, anyone who confessed to being an atheist would have to reckon with a court case and a sentence, because many countries still have laws against blasphemy. In this respect, changes would be welcome. Even in an Arab country, it should be possible to admit in public that one is an unbeliever.
While "European" books on the Middle East can become bestsellers, books by Arab authors seldom achieve more than a small print-run – and the Western media rarely allow any Arab experts to state their views. Why do you think this is so?
Fähnrich: For one thing, our schooling and our culture have given us a ready-made – but false – idea of how the Orient and the Arabs are supposed to be. Even today, our image of the Middle East remains strongly marked by European Romanticism. The world of the Arabian Nights, the perfumes and colours, the harem, the dagger concealed in the Arab's robes as a symbol of his underhandedness... these clichés continue to colour and distort the way we see "Arabia" – and this in turn makes it difficult for us to engage with the Arab world in a differentiated manner.
In what way?
Fähnrich: Most people want to see their clichéd ideas fulfilled, and they aren't prepared to engage with anything that refuses to conform to this preconceived image. When I take part in readings with Arab authors in Europe, I can often feel the audience's disappointment, because contemporary Arabic literature doesn't fulfil their expectations of the enchanted Orient.
You've made it clear how strongly our "knowledge" of Islam and the Middle East is characterised by clichés and off-the-peg ideas. Does this also come to expression in the way we deal with immigrants from the Arab world?
Fähndrich: Absolutely. One feels one knows what "these people" are like, and how they function. Here, too, the problem is the "over-Islamicisation" of Muslims by Europeans. Whenever a Muslim immigrant behaves in a way that doesn't fit in with our own norms and ideas, we tend to hold "Islam" responsible. The simple explanation for everything is: "That's just the way they are - because they're Muslims."
Yet this "over-Islamicisation" also takes place on the Muslim side. Less well-educated Muslims, in particular, tend to legitimise their behaviour as "typically Muslim" – simply because this is the kind of discourse they're used to. That this anomalous behaviour can have quite different sources is something that both sides fail to recognise.
And what are the consequences of this "over-Islamicisation"?
Fähndrich: The main result of this "over-Islamicisation" on both sides is to consolidate the view that the conservative tendencies within Islam are typically or truly "Islamic". The danger is that this may provoke a rejection of Islam in general, as a backward-looking religion whose codes of conduct are simply incompatible with our way of life. The kind of behaviour that's described as specifically Islamic, during discussions and round-table meetings, is often simply typical of people from socially and economically disadvantaged regions. This harms those liberal Muslims who are more than happy not to have to live in the Islamic world – for in Europe they can live and practise their religion as they themselves see fit, free from the prescriptions of the State and the kind of social control brought to bear by neighbours.
Can you give an example of the kind of process you're describing?
Fähnrich: Well, let's take the question of clothing. Though some Muslim women do propagate the wearing of the headscarf as an Islamic duty, many female followers of Islam reject it, feeling that religion has nothing to do with the clothes they wear. In the last few years, the media – quite uncritically – have adopted the conservative interpretation of what's "Islamic"; and they now write about "the Islamic headscarf". It would be more correct to refer to "the headscarf described by some people as 'Islamic'", and it would also be doing a favour to all those Muslim women who think differently, who just don't wear a headscarf, and who nonetheless feel themselves to be Muslims.
In 1990, Hans Küng introduced his "World Ethos" project, declaring that there could be no world peace without dialogue between the religions. Since then, this dialogue has been a hot topic – and in Switzerland, it's also being treated as a means of promoting integration. What's your view of all this?
Fähndrich: First of all, I ask myself to what extent the major world religions are actually capable of forming a basis for dialogue; capable, indeed, of peace at all; for each of them claims to be in possession of the truth. Isn't there a danger that this kind of dialogue is ultimately only a way of confirming what one knew already? In other words: 'We have something better than the others – and we are in fact better than they are, too.' Moreover: how representative is such a dialogue between religions? Are atheists also allowed to take part, and to present their viewpoint as one possible way of understanding the world? In my opinion, it's only when this can be guaranteed that such dialogue can hope to have any relevance at all.
Nonetheless, such dialogue can have a positive effect by demonstrating the falsity of certain apparent parallels between Christianity and Islam, and this in turn can help to prevent misunderstandings. For example: mosques and churches may appear to be very much the same thing, but they're not. Thus, for many Muslims, there's nothing strange about the combination of religious and political activities in the mosques. Another example: the Bible and the Koran don't have the same significance in their respective religions. Beyond fundamentalist circles, there's no-one in the Christian world who still believes that the Bible is the literal Word of God. Muslims, however, do regard the Koran as just that – God's word, a divinely inspired book.
Elsewhere, you've suggested having a "dialogue between people" instead of a dialogue between religions. What do you mean by this?
Fähndrich: I think that when people are "over-religionised", it produces a distorted view of the individual. And somehow, it's also no longer adequate to our contemporary experience. Nowadays, we human beings have multifarious identities: who we are is shaped by many different factors. Religion can be one of these factors, but in my opinion, it shouldn't be used as the primary means of identification.
Thus, conducting a dialogue between people would mean promoting encounters between human beings who do indeed have differing ideas about religion, but who also have certain common experiences and problems that are capable of serving as a basis for dialogue and cohesion.
Interview: Stephan Moser
Source: KNA-Dienst "Ökumenische Information", No. 22/23, 03.06.2003
(The interview has been shortened slightly.)
In the dossier 'Deutsch-arabischer Literaturaustausch' [German-Arabic Literary Exchange], you can also read an Interview with Hartmut Fähndrich on Arabic literature and the difficulties of translation.