Luke_Wilbur

Moses father-in-law was a Medianite priest? Was he from the Magi tribe of Midian? Here is what I know. Moses father-in-law, Jethro was a Midianite priest. http://www.dcmessage...dpost__p__49834 Medan was the son of Abraham and Keturah. I am looking for a connection Medan to the Madan people of Iran and Iraq. 1 Chronicles 1 Isaiah 7 Rabbinical Judaism calculated a lifespan of Moses corresponding to 1391–1271 BC. Exodus 2 Moses knew that Midian was not where he is supposed to be. Exodus 3 The Medes (from Old Persian Māda) were an ancient Iranian people who lived in Iran in an area known as Media and spoke a northwestern Iranian language referred to as the Median language. 2 Kings 17 Daniel 8 Isaiah 13 The Medes had an Ancient Iranian Religion (a form of pre-Zoroastrian Mazdaism or Mithra worshipping) with a priesthood tribe named "Magi". Magi would be considered similar to the priestly tribe of Levi in Judaism designated for a special role of Divine service. The name Magi implies a link with the Sumerians, who called their language Emegir, over time becoming simplified to Magi. Hungarian tradition also traces pre-European Magyar (Hungarian) ancestry back to the Magi. In time, the Sumerian-influenced religion of the Magi was suppressed in favor of a more purely Iranian form of Zoroastrianism, itself evolved from its somewhat dualist beginnings into the monotheistic faith that it is today (also known as Parsi-ism). Other Median tribes were the Busae, Paretaceni, Struchates, and Arizanti, Budii. By 549 B.C.E., Cyrus the Great removed the Mede Astyages, who was his maternal grandfather, from power and conquered the Medes, establishing the Achaemenid Empire in its place. Persian Jews claim descent from the Tribe of Ephraim. Persian Jews (also called Iranian Jews) are members of Jewish communities living in Iran and throughout the former greatest extent of the Persian Empire. The Pashtuns are a predominantly Muslim people, native to Afghanistan and Pakistan, who adhere to their pre-Islamic indigenous religious code of honor and culture Pashtunwali. A thirteenth century Persian book, the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, states that in the 7th century a people called the Bani Israel settled in Ghor, southeast of Herat, Afghanistan, and then migrated south and east. These Bani Israel references are in line with the commonly held view by Pashtuns that when the twelve tribes of Israel were dispersed, the tribe of Joseph, among other Hebrew tribes, settled in the region. Hence the tribal name 'Yusef Zai' in Pashto translates to the 'sons of Joseph'. This is also described extensively in great detail by Makhzan-i-Afghani, a historical work from the 17th Century by Nehamtullah, an official in the royal court of Mughal Emperor Jehangir. A similar story is told by Iranian historian Ferishta. The Midianites were the descendants of Midian, who was a son of Abraham through his wife Keturah. Historically, the Medanites dwelt alongside the Mitanni and they formed a kingdom in the 10th and 9th centuries BC. It is for this reason that historians call the Mitanni the "early Medes". The empire of the Medanites or Medes is often referred to in textbooks as the Amadai-Mada-Medes empire (Madai, Midian, and Medan were closely associated with each other). The Amadai were descendants of Madai who were subject to the Medes, the ruling class of the Empire. Judges

Has morality been scraped away from our three branches of government? The left and right believe in our pursuit of happiness. But, when it comes to justice neither the left or right hold or understand the Declaration of our Republic, our unalienable Rights, and the sacred Law of Liberty is open for debate. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Without the Creator there is no truth to the Document that is protected in a special vault designed to stand the test of time. http://www.archives....eclaration.html James Chapter One Luke 6 All human beings have biases. I am Christian and see morality from my point of faith. But, I do hope people of other faiths consider God more just than a blind woman holding scales. We cannot depend on documents to restore morality in justice. This must come from ourselves. Our Creator is more than just a metaphor. God Bless America.

Had a great conversation with one of my neighbors who is a practicing Jew about the Pharisees. He gave me information that I never knew. When he told me that Jesus was Pharisees I was floored and now found that there were actually two competing schools of thought in the Pharisees community. School of Hillel and the School of Shammai, I found this article that Time magazine did about this very subject. The House of Shammai (or Beth Shammai, or in Modern Hebrew Beit Shammai. Beth is Hebrew for house of) was the school of thought of Judaism founded by Shammai, a Jewish scholar of the 1st century. A non literal translation that perhaps gives a better flavor of the expression would be The Academy of Shammai. After Menahem the Essene had resigned the office of Av Beit Din (or vice-president) of the Sanhedrin, Shammai was elected to it, Hillel being at the time president. After Hillel died, circa 20 CE, Shammai took his place as president but no vice-president from the minority was elected so that the school of Shammai attained complete ascendancy, during which Shammai passed "18 ordinances" in conformity with his ideas. The Talmud states that when he passed one of the ordinances, contrary to the opinion of Hillel, the day "was as grievous to Israel as the day when the [golden] calf was made" (Shabbat, 17a). The exact content of the ordinances is not known, but they seem to have been designed to strengthen Jewish identity by insisting on stringent separation between Jews and gentiles, an approach that was regarded as divisive and misanthropic by Shammai's opponents.

Thank you for the treasure of information. I remember when Iraq was on mainstream television every day here in the U.S. there was a story about the Ma'dan. This is not that one, but it is good.

Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Jewish theocracy. But, the Pharisees were not respected by Sadducee priests who considered themselves to be divinely guided and maintained and performed sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem.. The religious beliefs and social status of both Pharisees and Sadducees were mutually reinforcing, as the Priesthood often represented the highest class in Judean society. The conflicted and cooperative relationship of the Shia and Sunni in Islam would be similar to the Pharisee and Sadducee teachings of Yahweh. If one takes away the aspect of divinity, the Sadducees and Pharisees would be similar to the Democrat (Liberal) and Republican (Conservative) parties of today in the United States. Luke 11 Mark 8 Matthew 16 reveals the same story of Mark but specifically mentions Christ's warning on the biblical teaching of both the Pharisees and Sadducees. Ezra 6:19 The Festival of the Unleavened Bread" Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is a symbol of the holiday. Matzo is eaten by Jews as an obligation during the Passover Seder meal. Leavening is an agent such as yeast that causes bread dough to rise. And the leavening process takes time. The Israelites had no time to spare when they left Egypt, so they baked and ate flat bread. Leviticus 23 Exodus 12 In 1986 the Isreali Knesset created the law of 'Prohibition of Leaven' also known as the Law of Chametz, stating that during the holiday Passover "business owners will not publicly produce leavened for sale or consumption. "- under Article 1 of the Law," leavened product "is: bread, roll, pita, or any other leavened flour products. On April 3, 2008 Court Judge mimics Jerusalem Municipal, Tamar Bar - which Zaban, charges were filed against four restaurant owners in Jerusalem, which according to the state broke the law when selling chametz on Pesach. In its decision the judge relied on criminal law , which the legislature differentiated between "public place" L"fumbi "emphasizing that" no distinction was made ​​in the case. " That is, the law does not prohibit the sale of leavened or displaying in a shop, but the presentation in public, ie outside the store, only. This was the first charge filed under this Act.

I pray the spirit of Allah/Yahweh/God Almighty give everyone another chance. There are so many innocents involved that do not want bloodshed. It is the top echelon of all sides that fan the flames of war and hate and reap power and money. While innocent children are screaming in horror and dreaming only in red. The New York Daily News had a good article Almost half of the Syrian children in one Turkish refugee camp were found to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, a team of international researchers found. Three out of 4 had lost a loved one. Even in schools, the trauma of what they’ve witnessed weighs heavy on children's minds, according to a report from NPR's Deborah Amos, who visited classrooms on the border of Northern Syria. "Where you see the damage of this kind of violence is in the reaction of the children," Amos said. "One teacher told me that the kids only paint in red. And it's almost impossible for them to draw human beings without blood coming out of them. These kids have been traumatized by what has happened to them." The children also speak regularly about their dreams to kill Syrian president Bashar Assad, a school counselor told Amos. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Syria since fighting began in 2011, the United Nations said earlier this week, a much higher number than previously estimated. Read more: http://www.nydailyne...3#ixzz2H3tW4YLS If anyone is looking to help Syrian children please go to: http://www.free-syria-foundation.org/ Adnan I would appreciate your input on a subject that you may know more than I. Do you think it is possible that Abraham sons Medan and Midian stayed in Iran and Iraq and formed the Median kingdoms? http://www.dcmessageboards.com/index.php?/topic/22442-who-were-the-three-wise-men-from-the-east-magi

I hope Representative John Boehner reelection as Speaker of the House becomes a new chance to lead both parties in a direction that we will balance the budget. The compromise was good on revenues, but the expenses are not resolved. Cuts to the Federal Government and Military are going to have to happen. The Federal Reserve cannot just keep printing money and decreasing the value of the dollar to leverage China's undervalued currency. We need to force the banks to lend to small businesses again. Not just focus on Mortgages. We have to protect our National Security by manufacturing high technology goods here in the United States. We have to protect our Economic Security by rebuilding our supply chain here in the United States. We should subsidize all our energy and agricultural resources here in the United States. Our foreign competitors and enemies should not be able to purchase these commodities at the same price. History goes through the House. The Speaker is the catalyst to making a positive change in shedding self interest groups from destroying our Mighty Nation.

I will have to study more about the Medes. I bet they relate to the Assyrian Church of the East The Church of the East originally developed during the 1st century in the Aramaic speaking regions of Assyria, Babylonia, and northwestern Persia (today's Iraq, southeast Turkey, northeast Syria and western Iran), to the east of the Roman-Byzantine empire. It is an Apostolic church, established by the apostles St Thomas (Mar Toma), St Thaddeus (Mar Addai), and St Bartholomew (Mar Bar Tulmay). St Peter (Mar Shimun Keapa), the chief of the apostles added his blessing to the Church of the East at the time of his visit to the see at Babylon. 1 Peter 5 http://news.assyrianchurch.org/ I think Christians here in the United States sometimes forget about their religious brothers and sisters in Persia and the Middle East. The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour (The Syriac Infancy Gospel) The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour is one of the texts among the New Testament apocryphaal writings concerning the infancy of Jesus. It may have been compiled as early as the sixth century, and was based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. At his point my theory is that Abraham knew Ahura Mazda. His sons Medan and Midian stayed in Iran and Iraq and formed the Median kingdoms. Moses married a Midian woman and her father was a Midianite priest of the tribe of Magi and learned about Ahura Mazda. But, Moses was adopted Egyptian and later realized that he was from the priestly tribe of Levi. When Moses left Egypt with Israelites, he passed by the tribe of Magi and they thought he would be their spiritual leader, but (Yahweh/Allah/Ahura Mazda) told me that was not the plan. A violent conflict followed as a consequence between the Medians and Israelites. It was later when Isreal was conquered and moved to Babylon that they once again were settled once again with the Midians. The Magi explained Israels great heritage and there downfall was forsaking the one true God that had blessed and made a covenant with them for many. The Jewish people evolved their concept of Sheol with Heaven and Hell, God vs. Satan, a physical resurrection of the dead, and a final judgment day of the world. The Jews that accepted this belief and intermarried with the Persians where called Pharisees. The key I see is the the time together in Babylon, family links and the mention of fire from the burning bush. This fire is known as Ahura Mazda to Zoroastrians. Lastly the coming of a Messiah was given by both Magi and Jewish prophets The Zend Avesta, Part II XXVIII The Magi from the East who visited Christ as baby were from the family of Abraham. I am in no way stating this is true, but my search has given me some light that the one God Almighty has many names to people of many different languages. I wanted to complete this by Epiphany, January 6, the feast day that celebrates the biblical visitation of the Magi who had the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ I dedicate this work to my two little cherubs, Lyra and Luke. I hope they read this later in life to better understand their father. I love them very much. I pray for tolerance between the the people of Zoroastrian, Islamic, Jewish and Christian faiths. There are many branches on the Tree of Life.

As Jesus said, ""let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." How many instances has history's leaders used the cloak of religion to undertake schemes of public glory. The public at large is to blame by not paying attention to what psychological imprints are coming from the games they are playing. http://youtu.be/GmENWmgevBg Under Siege (Taht-al-hissar تحت الحصار) is a sequel to the video game Under Ash designed by Radwan Kasmiya. Like Under Ash, it is a first-person shooter, with the option of playing the game as a third-person shooter. The game focuses on the lives of a Palestinian family between 1999 and 2002 during the second Intifada. The player shoots at Israeli Defense Force soldiers throughout most of the game. Shooting at civilians or otherwise hurting them ends the game. The game has been described as a docugame, since all the game levels are based on actual events documented by United Nations records (1978–2004). Under Siege is about the modern history of Palestine and it focuses on the lives of 5 Palestinian family members, during the second Intifada 1999–2002. Ahmad, a young man who believes in using armed struggle to solve his people's problems. Khaled, an ex-freedom fighter who cooperates with Israeli intelligence because he sees no other way of helping to end the conflict. Mary, Khaled's wife and Ahmed's sister, who is meant to symbolize the plight of Palestinian women. Mann, a 13 year old boy whose school is frequently closed due to occupation orders. Abu Himam, an old veteran who reminds his fellows of the importance of the Palestinian national struggle. The game was released in three versions: UnderSiege "path to freedom" 2006 Arabic only. UnderSiege "remnant of human" 2007 Arabic only. UnderSiege Golden Edition 2008, English & Arabic. http://www.underash.net/

The Midianites were the descendants of Midian, who was a son of Abraham through his wife Keturah. Historically, the Medanites dwelt alongside the Mitanni and they formed a kingdom in the 10th and 9th centuries BC. It is for this reason that historians call the Mitanni the "early Medes". The empire of the Medanites or Medes is often referred to in textbooks as the Amadai-Mada-Medes empire (Madai, Midian, and Medan were closely associated with each other). The Amadai were descendants of Madai who were subject to the Medes, the ruling class of the Empire. Judges

Medan was the son of Abraham and Keturah. I am looking for a connection Medan to the Madan people of Iran and Iraq. 1 Chronicles 1 Isaiah 7 Rabbinical Judaism calculated a lifespan of Moses corresponding to 1391–1271 BC. This map gives the extent of the Egyptian (green) and Hittite (red) empires during the time of Moses. Exodus 2 Moses knew that Midian was not where he is supposed to be. Exodus 3 The Medes (from Old Persian Māda) were an ancient Iranian people who lived in Iran in an area known as Media and spoke a northwestern Iranian language referred to as the Median language. 2 Kings 17 Daniel 8 Isaiah 13 The Medes had an Ancient Iranian Religion (a form of pre-Zoroastrian Mazdaism or Mithra worshipping) with a priesthood tribe named "Magi". Magi would be considered similar to the priestly tribe of Levi in Judaism designated for a special role of Divine service. The name Magi implies a link with the Sumerians, who called their language Emegir, over time becoming simplified to Magi. Hungarian tradition also traces pre-European Magyar (Hungarian) ancestry back to the Magi. In time, the Sumerian-influenced religion of the Magi was suppressed in favor of a more purely Iranian form of Zoroastrianism, itself evolved from its somewhat dualist beginnings into the monotheistic faith that it is today (also known as Parsi-ism). Other Median tribes were the Busae, Paretaceni, Struchates, and Arizanti, Budii. By 549 B.C.E., Cyrus the Great removed the Mede Astyages, who was his maternal grandfather, from power and conquered the Medes, establishing the Achaemenid Empire in its place. Persian Jews claim descent from the Tribe of Ephraim. Persian Jews (also called Iranian Jews) are members of Jewish communities living in Iran and throughout the former greatest extent of the Persian Empire. The Pashtuns are a predominantly Muslim people, native to Afghanistan and Pakistan, who adhere to their pre-Islamic indigenous religious code of honor and culture Pashtunwali. A thirteenth century Persian book, the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, states that in the 7th century a people called the Bani Israel settled in Ghor, southeast of Herat, Afghanistan, and then migrated south and east. These Bani Israel references are in line with the commonly held view by Pashtuns that when the twelve tribes of Israel were dispersed, the tribe of Joseph, among other Hebrew tribes, settled in the region. Hence the tribal name 'Yusef Zai' in Pashto translates to the 'sons of Joseph'. This is also described extensively in great detail by Makhzan-i-Afghani, a historical work from the 17th Century by Nehamtullah, an official in the royal court of Mughal Emperor Jehangir. A similar story is told by Iranian historian Ferishta.

Zoroastrian Marco Polo (traveling in 1272) tells their story in detail, and he claims to be relating the narrative he heard at the “Castle of the Fire worshipers” in the vicinity of Kashan. The Travels of Marco Polo Aldo Ricci Translated into English from the text of L.F. Benedetto Sāveh (Persian: ساوه‎, also transliterated as Sāva) is a city in the Markazi Province of Iran. Ava means "voice, sound" in Persian. Kashan (Persian: کاشان‎, also Romanized as Kāshān and Kachan) is a city in and the capital of Kashan County, in the province of Isfahan, Iran. Odoric of Pordenone (real name Odorico Mattiussi or Mattiuzzi; c. 1286 – 14 January 1331) was an Italian late-medieval traveler. Seventy-three manuscripts of Odoric's narrative are known to exist in Latin, French and Italian: of these the chief, of about 1350, is in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris http://dsr.nii.ac.jp...ge/0325.html.en FRIAR ODORIC. 51 OUTLINES OF ISLAMIC CULTURE VOLUME I HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS BY A. M. A. SHUSHTEBY Professor of Iranian Language and Literature The University of Mysore WITH A FOREWORD BY SIK ABDUL QADIE, KT. Member, His Majesty's Council of India Ava, the former name for modern Inwa, the ancient capital of Burma formally known as Myanmar. Some Chinese and Japanese scholars have in recent years have started researching East Asian history of Zoroastrianism from antiquity to thhe present (Ito 1980; Guangda 1994, 2000; Baiqin 2004; Aoki 2006a).

Matthew 2 Matthew 2:5-6 references Micah 5:2 The Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, revealed the birth of Jesus. Numbers 24 After the birth of Jesus, "wise men from the East" visited Herod the Great, the Roman appointed king of the Jews, to inquire the whereabouts of "the one having been born King of the Jews", because they had seen his star in the east and therefore wanted to pay him homage. In the Codex Sinaiticus uses the term 'Magi' instead of 'wise men.' The word magi is derived from Old Persian magus from the priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. According to Herodotus, the Magi were the sixth tribe of the Medians who appear to have been the priestly caste of the Mesopotamian-influenced branch of Zoroastrianism today known as Zurvanism, and who wielded considerable influence at the courts of the Median emperors. As part of their religion, these Magi paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science. Later the term Magi was considered an occult in general and led to the English term magic. The Journey of the Magi T.S. Eliot 'A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter.' And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory, Lying down in the melting snow. There were times we regretted The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet. Then the camel men cursing and grumbling and running away, and wanting their liquor and women, And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters, And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly And the villages dirty and charging high prices: A hard time we had of it. At the end we preferred to travel all night, Sleeping in snatches, With the voices singing in our ears, saying That this was all folly. Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley, Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation; With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness, And three trees on the low sky, And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow. Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel, Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver, And feet kiking the empty wine-skins. But there was no information, and so we continued And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory. All this was a long time ago, I remember, And I would do it again, but set down This set down This: were we led all that way for Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death, But had thought they were different; this Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death. We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods. I should be glad of another death. This somber poem reflects an uncomfortable understanding for the magi. The birth of Jesus was the death of old religion.

Thank you for you kind remarks Adnan. I have a theory that the world’s first monotheistic religion, Zoasterism had and still plays a major influence in Sufi, Kabalism, Christian mysticism, and gnostic beliefs. Zoasterism combined with Greek philosophy influenced emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, esoteric organizations, groups, and individuals throughout the globe. http://www.avesta.org/ http://www.fezana.org/ http://zarathushtra.org/ History gets suppressed by the victors. The destruction of Persepolis by Alexander the Great in 330 BC left little trace of the Achaemenid Empire on the surface. But, through persistent archeology historians piecing together a greater understanding the vastness and influence the Achaemenid civilization impresses on world culture even today. If we go back further back in time to 600 BC to the first monarch of the Archaemenid Empire, Cyrus the Great, we see a Persian leader who left a lasting legacy on the Jewish religion due to his Edict of Restoration policy in Babylonia. Cyrus was referred to by the people of the Jewish faith, as "the anointed of the Lord". The monarch's edict allowed Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. 2 Chronicles 36 Ezra 1 I wonder what wisdom Cyrus would have shared if he would have witnessed the hostility between the Israeli and Persian people today.

Mark 3 3:11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 3:12 But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.

The Mormons tell me that God has a glorified body. But, reading John Chapter 4 would reveal otherwise. I Timothy refers God as invisible Colossians 1 Chapter 1 Colossians 1 Chapter 2 When I questioned the Mormons about the bible stating the God is invisible. They quoted from scripture verses that stated otherwise.

Adnan, Maybe someday you will visit our Nation's capitol. With the exception of Anacostia, violent crime in Washington has dropped to it lowest level in over 20 years. You might want to read a post I wrote a few days ago. It might give you better insight to understanding the power of media that trancends all the boundaries of all cultures. The example I give is Assassin's Creed which is based on history within your region. I would love to get your input of the game. http://www.dcmessageboards.com/index.php?/topic/22428-violent-media-culture-spurs-violent-behavior/ Hollywood has to take some responsibility for the tragedies that have befallen us. Guns are tools and they are weapons. But, our youth look at them as toys. In my opinion, Congress needs to understand that people of all ages (including myself) want to put aside their worries by parking themselves on the couch, or in front of a desk, or sit in a movie theater to be entertained. I am not against the idea of the individual pursuit of happiness, but what is worrisome is how people become engrossed in virtual exploits. We spend so much money on the drug culture. But, how much is spent understanding the intermixing of international belief systems within video culture? One example comes to mind is Assassin's Creed, a popular video game with children and adults. The kids cannot get enough of it. Assassin's Creed virtual world was inspired from the novel Alamut by the Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol. The video game features this novel's famous quote, 'Nothing is true, everything is permitted'. The phrase is taken from the words of Hassan-i Sabbah, the first recorded Mentor of the Assassin (Hashashins) military order of the the Fatimid Empire. Hashashins fought against Sunni Seljuq authority within the Persian territories. All Hashashins were trained in both the art of combat as in the study of religion, believing that they were on a jihad and were religious warriors. Some consider them the Templars of Islam and, as such, also formed an order with varying degrees of initiation. The Shī‘a Imami Ismā‘īlī Tariqah also referred to as Nizari Ismailism is a branch of Shī‘a Islām. Shī‘a Imami emphasizes social justice, pluralism, and human reason within the framework of the mystical tradition of Islam. The Nizari are the second largest branch of Shia Islam. There are an estimated 15 million Nizari Ismā‘īlīs residing in more than 25 countries. Nizari teachings affirm the Islamic tenet that "there is no god but the One God, and Muhammad is the prophet of God" For Nizari reasoning is arrived at through a dialectic between revelation and human reasoning, based on a synergy of Islamic scripture and classical Greek philosophy, in particular Aristotelean reasoning and Platonic metaphysics. It seeks to extend an understanding of religion and revelation to identify the outwardly apparent (zahir), and also to penetrate to the roots, to retrieve and disclose that which is the inner underlying (batin). This process of discovery engages both the intellect (‘aql) and the spirit (ruh), operating in an integral synergy to illuminate and disclose truths (haqa’iq) culminating in gnosis (ma'rifat). Assassin's Creed takes what is known and creates a world of historical fiction that blends the need to understand the cultural aspects of the era of Hasan bin Sabbah for you Avatar to survive in the game. It would be advised that our government leaders study historic impact of the interactions of the Christian Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Hashashins. Then measure the affects of video game constructs like Assassin's Creed that reintroduce philosophies like this in a fantasy role playing format in today's society. It is my opinion, Assasin's Creed desensitizes the killing of an individual and gives a moral precept in justifying it. The psychological games like this form of entertainment are very difficult to evaluate without having a consortium historians, ethnographers, psychologist, and socialist working together. If Groups like the NRA really mean what they say. It is time for them to take the lead and start funding the research with definite timelines for the public to view.

Hi, Can you please reason how the Pope can be equated in this verse. Daniel 7:25 He will speak words against the Most High. He will harass the holy ones of the Most High continually. His intention will be to change times established by law. They will be delivered into his hand For a time, times, and half a time. How are Milesian [ Goidelic (or Gaelic) Celts] related to Lucius Caesar, who died in Gaul of an illness on 20 August 2 AD, at the age of 19? Thales of Miletus (ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia) is the first well-known philosopher and mathematician. His advice, "Know thyself," was engraved on the front façade of the Oracle of Apollo in Delphi. According to Bertrand Russell, "Western philosophy begins with Thales." Thales proved that the length of any perpendicular line raised inside a semicircle is the geometric mean of the two line segments formed on its diameter. The english gematria calculator is an online tool for finding the value of a word or a phrase in gematria, The calculator also search the database for other names, phrases and words that equals in the same gematria value. Here are some examples below. with that match this topic. http://www.gematrix.org/?word=lucius Lucius in Jewish Gematria Equals: 522 Lucius in English Gematria Equals: 510 Lucius in Simple Gematria Equals: 85 http://www.gematrix....d=Lucius+Caesar Lucius Caesar in Jewish Gematria Equals: 702 Lucius Caesar in English Gematria Equals: 792 Lucius Caesar in Simple Gematria Equals: 132 http://www.gematrix.org/?word=jesus Jesus in Jewish Gematria Equals: 985 Jesus in English Gematria Equals: 444 Jesus in Simple Gematria Equals: 74 http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/Isopsephia.html Iēsous in Greek Gematria Equals: 880 Yeshua in Hebrew Gematria Equals: 316 http://www.gematrix....rd=jesus+christ Jesus Christ in Jewish Gematria Equals: 1275 Jesus Christ in English Gematria Equals: 906 Jesus Christ in Simple Gematria Equals: 151 http://www.gematrix....=george+clooney George Clooney in Jewish Gematria Equals: 722 George Clooney in English Gematria Equals: 876 George Clooney in Simple Gematria Equals: 146 http://www.gematrix....ord=luke+wilbur http://www.gematrix....ugustine+wilbur God Bless.

Hollywood has to take some responsibility for the tragedies that have befallen us. Guns are tools and they are weapons. But, our youth look at them as toys. In my opinion, Congress needs to understand that people of all ages (including myself) want to put aside their worries by parking themselves on the couch, or in front of a desk, or sit in a movie theater to be entertained. I am not against the idea of the individual pursuit of happiness, but what is worrisome is how people become engrossed in virtual exploits. We spend so much money on the drug culture. But, how much is spent understanding the intermixing of international belief systems within video culture? One example comes to mind is Assassin's Creed, a popular video game with children and adults. The kids cannot get enough of it. Assassin's Creed virtual world was inspired from the novel Alamut by the Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol. The video game features this novel's famous quote, 'Nothing is true, everything is permitted'. The phrase is taken from the words of Hassan-i Sabbah, the first recorded Mentor of the Assassin (Hashashins) military order of the the Fatimid Empire. Hashashins fought against Sunni Seljuq authority within the Persian territories. All Hashashins were trained in both the art of combat as in the study of religion, believing that they were on a jihad and were religious warriors. Some consider them the Templars of Islam and, as such, also formed an order with varying degrees of initiation. The Shī‘a Imami Ismā‘īlī Tariqah also referred to as Nizari Ismailism is a branch of Shī‘a Islām. Shī‘a Imami emphasizes social justice, pluralism, and human reason within the framework of the mystical tradition of Islam. The Nizari are the second largest branch of Shia Islam. There are an estimated 15 million Nizari Ismā‘īlīs residing in more than 25 countries. Nizari teachings affirm the Islamic tenet that "there is no god but the One God, and Muhammad is the prophet of God" For Nizari reasoning is arrived at through a dialectic between revelation and human reasoning, based on a synergy of Islamic scripture and classical Greek philosophy, in particular Aristotelean reasoning and Platonic metaphysics. It seeks to extend an understanding of religion and revelation to identify the outwardly apparent (zahir), and also to penetrate to the roots, to retrieve and disclose that which is the inner underlying (batin). This process of discovery engages both the intellect (‘aql) and the spirit (ruh), operating in an integral synergy to illuminate and disclose truths (haqa’iq) culminating in gnosis (ma'rifat). Assassin's Creed takes what is known and creates a world of historical fiction that blends the need to understand the cultural aspects of the era of Hasan bin Sabbah for you Avatar to survive in the game. It would be advised that our government leaders study historic impact of the interactions of the Christian Knights Templar and their Muslim counterparts, the Hashashins. Then measure the affects of video game constructs like Assassin's Creed that reintroduce philosophies like this in a fantasy role playing format in today's society. It is my opinion, Assasin's Creed desensitizes the killing of an individual and gives a moral precept in justifying it. The psychological games like this form of entertainment are very difficult to evaluate without having a consortium historians, ethnographers, psychologist, and socialist working together. If Groups like the NRA really mean what they say. It is time for them to take the lead and start funding the research with definite timelines for the public to view.

It appears the real Armageddon in North America last night was Speaker Boehner's major blunder in House yesterday. Would not be surprised if he gets a vote of no confidence for thinking Republicans would consider embracing the first tax increase in two decades without significant cuts in medicare and medicaid. Now his only option is allow the Fiscal Cliff to happen or gather enough votes from both sides of the aisle within his chamber and shape how tax increases and spending reduction happens before the Bush-Obama cuts expire and blind sequestration commences.

Rest easy. Nothing will happen tomorrow. Acts 1 1:6 So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 1:7 He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

Made the decision to attend LDS Christmas Service today. I enjoyed the music very much. I imagined a choir of angels singing before God. After service I attended Sunday School where the Connecticut tragedy was discussed. It is here that I realized the power of family, community, and more importantly the Creator is in helping innocent victims work through their emotions of being harmed. I then attended an Aaronic Priesthood class for men. Luke 8:12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The class was very inspirational to me. I listened to the importance a father's role with his child in teaching morality. I could not help from noticing how well kept the clergy men are. All were neatly shaved, and had nice suits on. The brethren shared inspirational stories on the moral lessons their fathers had taught them. I drifted off to 'Leave it to Beaver.' I always admired the wisdom of Ward Cleaver and realized the men in the room shared values that I considered lost. After service I spoke to one of the Elders about some of my thoughts about what I quoted above. In the Beginning, Jesus through the power of God created the universe. God then a presented plan to Jesus, Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel and the rest of his spirits about what he wanted to for them in this new world. This plan included getting a physical body like his. But, through this process they would forget all that was taught to them. Lucifer/Satan and other spirits did not like the plan, thus they were cast out of heaven to keep their spiritual form for eternity. The first spirit to be sent down was Michael, who was given a immortal body named Adam. The name of the next spirit sent down is not known, but the immortal body given was named Eve. Now Adam and Eve had no idea they were spirits in a formal life when they encountered Lucifer/Satan in the Garden of Eden. Lucifer/Satan who knew fully what they were before and what they had become. Lucifer/Satan was able to use the knowledge and power given to him by God to trick Adam and Eve to bite the forbidden fruit and become mortal. What Lucifer/Satan did not know that his trick was part of God's plan. For if Adam and Eve did not eat the forbidden fruit, then they would not have become mortal and be able create offspring. Adam was raised to a glorified Angel with a body and temporary ruler of Angels and Men until the coming of Christ who with the power of the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost would be born of the once spirit, then mortal Virgin Mary, who was later glorified as well. Christ death redeemed all Spirits of the curse of Adam/Michael and Eve's transgression to those that believe in him and follow his teachings. It is believed that Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost will get a glorified body at some point as well.

I spoke with two nice Latter Day Saints missionaries who visited my about what has been stated. It is true that Angel Michael is Adam. A confusion comes to mind is after Adam/Michael goes with God's plan and banishes Lucifer to Earth, Adam/Michael then goes down to Earth and is transformed into a mortal and is tricked by Lucifer into not following God's plan and is kicked out of the Garden of Eden/Adam-ondi-Ahman by God and lives out his life in exile, Adam/Michael naturally dies was then resurrected with a glorified body and became once again head of both the Angels and Man until Christ was transformed into a mortal and died on the cross and thus Atoned the sins of Adam/Michael. Christ was was then resurrected in his glorified body and became head of the Angels and Adam/Michael head of mankind. Both Adam/Michael, Christ, and other Glorified Angels still visit Earth on occasion and speak to prophets that will in turn become glorified Angels as well. In the final days Adam/Michael come back to Earth to blow the trumpet to Announce the second coming for Christ to all mankind. I have located key excerpts to get a grasp of what is being said. I recommend going to the source. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1980/10/adam-the-archangel?lang=eng Adam, the Archangel Mark E. Petersen The Church of Jesus Christ was well established in the time of Adam (see Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938, pp. 157, 169). Men like Seth and Enos grew to become the early patriarchs of the Church, and through them a long line of priesthood leaders was established. Adam held the keys of the First Presidency and stood directly after the Savior in authority (see Teachings, p. 168). He received those keys in the Creation, according to the Prophet Joseph Smith, who added, “Christ is the Great High Priest; Adam next” (Teachings, pp. 157–58). Who was Adam that he was privileged to begin the human race here on earth? Had he been some very special personage in the premortal world? Indeed, Adam was very special and very important. Before coming into mortality, he was known as Michael. The Prophet Joseph Smith clearly identifies both Adam and Michael as one and the same person, an angel, the chief angel, or archangel, of heaven, the special servant of God and Christ. When Michael came into mortality he was known as Adam, the first man, but he was still his own self. Although he was given another name, that of Adam, he did not change his identity. After his mortal death he resumed his position as an angel in the heavens, once again serving as the chief angel, or archangel, and took again his former name of Michael. In his capacity as archangel, Adam, or Michael, will yet perform a mighty mission in the coming years, both before and after the Millennium. This is startling, but the scriptures declare it. One important assignment that awaits him is to be the angel to sound the trumpet heralding the resurrection of the dead. The scripture reads, “Behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth” (D&C 29:26). Orson F. Whitney Conference Report October 1925 Adam was the first to receive and obey the Gospel, revealed to him out of Eternity at the very beginning of Time. Since his day it has been upon the earth repeatedly, in a series of dispensations, of which this the greatest and the last. Adam presides over all the gospel dispensations, including the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times - he presides over them all, just as the President of the Church presides over all the Stakes of Zion and all the outside authority. Joesph Smith is the immediate head of this dispensation, and Adam is the general head of all. Standing next to the Church in Priesthood, whenever the divine power is revealed from heaven to earth, "It is by Adam's authority." So says Joesph Smith. The world has not seen the last of Father Adam. He is coming again, as the Ancient of Days, to fulfill the prophecy of Daniel. He will come to the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, where the old he blessed his posterity, foretelling what should befall them to the latest generation. He will call a council and assemble his righteous descendants, to prepare them for the glorious advent of the King of Kings. History of the Church 3:386 - 87 Joesph Smith Jr. Daniel in his seventh chapter speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael, he will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains standing as head of the human family. Wilford Woodruff Again President Young said Joesph the Prophet told me the garden of Eden was in Jackson County Missiouri and when Adam was out of the garden of Eden He went about 40 miles to the Place which we Named Adam Ondi Ahman and there built an Alter of Stone and offered Sacrifice. That Alter remains to this day. I saw it as Adam left it as many others, and through all the revolutions of the world that Alter had not been disturbed. Today 3000 acres Adam-ondi-Ahman is owned and maintained as a historic site by the LDS Church and remains largely undeveloped farmland. According to a revelation declared by Smith, Adam met his children at the site three years before his death to bestow his blessing. LDS Church leader Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. has stated that before the Second Coming, Adam will convene another meeting there to turn the government of the human family officially to Jesus Christ.

I imagine Zarathustra's idea to use fire as a metaphor for the mysteries of God probably came from witnessing the spontaneous flames that still naturally burn in Azerbaijan's Absheron Peninsula. Today Atashgah is a sacred Zoroaster-Hindu temple and every Novruz its visited and honored by both Zoroaster and Hindu pilgrims.

I think the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has the right idea of bringing Christian and Muslim children together to celebrate the Advent Season. http://en.lpj.org/20...usand-children/ More than a thousand children gathered on Thursday, December 6, 2012, for their traditional march to the Nativity cave of Bethlehem. It is a beautiful tradition of inviting children of Palestinian villages for a peace march to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem.