Luke_Wilbur

This is a message that I received from a practicing Zoroastrian.

I am glad to see the Vice President taking the helm of this problem. From what I am reading and hearing there is at least talk about Guns, Money, and Violent Media Culture.

Is God out of the equation of the Golden Rule and are we losing our understanding of morality? The Golden Rule is now being replaced by The Ones Who Have the Gold Rule. The ones that hold the purse strings run our country and write our laws no longer hide in the shadows of many elected figureheads of power. The once invisible hand is now gazed upon with admiration. But what will happen when the gold leaves town and the currency we have costs more to make than its actual worth. The dichotomy between selfish and selfless has been played out many times in historical and biblical history. Isaiah 1 I think about going into a dark room and lighting a candle or turning on a flashlight. Immediately the darkness retreats. This cause and effect is never the other way around. The same thing can be said about truth and false rhetoric. An average person that is righteous can confront a master in the craft of rhetoric and win a debate of truth. As long as the righteous does not deviate from the truth and the sophist argues against the truth. The righteous will win every time. Micah 6 Should we meddle with a person or entity that provides steady, long-term gain even if they break divine law, but do not break common law? In today's world one can be morally wrong and ethically right. Job 27

The expressions of Love and Hate; Good and Bad are universal to those that believe in God and those that do not. Through time the Golden Rule concept has evolved to a generic understanding of morality that is accepted by all and is a underling framework to our social contract. I would argue that the Golden Rule does not pertain to the establishment of religion and does not offend or violate the Constitution. Therefore morality can once again gain its place into government. Homosexuality is considered a grave sin in the New Testament. And many Christians consider Gay Marriage a perversion to Christ's law. But, Christian sentiment seems to be changing. 1 Corinthians 6 1 Timothy 1 For those of the Jewish faith the sentence is far worse for not following God's law. Leviticus 20 Hindus of Hare Krishna conscious movement believe the homosexual appetite of a man for another man as demoniac and is not for any sane male in the ordinary course of life. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Canto 3: The Status Quo » SB 3.20: Conversation Between Maitreya and Vidura How has homosexuality become acceptable behavior in all branches of federal, state, and local governments? The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has successfully influenced public opinion and government policy on gay and lesbian rights. President Obama's conflict with religion is now a keystone in defining morality in a non biblical way. The Golden Rule is now forever a linchpin for Human Rights in Common Law. Should Christians look down on those replacing God's Law with the Law of Man? Luke 18 Revelation 22 Everyone is in God's plan of infinite choices and final judgement. We all know it is only human to make mistakes. The difficult part is the forgiving. If you can turn the other cheek and love your neighbor, then you will be following God's plan for us all.

Is it now possible for one citizen to lie, cheat, steal, etc... and get away with it? And for the other citizen harmed to be penalized for catching the transgressor in the act and forgive them for it? If common law is presumed to derive from, natural law, and natural law presumed to derive from the divine. The answer would be no. John Locke wrote that to love God, one has to love their country and neighbor: I wonder what his opinion would be now. I believe it would be the same. Bottom line is we need to learn to love our neighbor. And refrain from doing anything hateful to another. Members of the House and Senate need to start creating laws that follow the Golden Rule. The Executive branch needs to enforce the Golden Rule. And the Judicial branch needs to not deviate from it.

The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a maxim, ethical code, or morality that essentially states either of the following: (Positive form of Golden Rule): One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. (Negative form of Golden Rule): One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated. My neighbor told me about Hillel the Elder. From what I am reading I can believe that Jesus was a student in the Hillel school of thought. Matthew 7 Citizens around the world are taught early that honesty is a virtue, that one must show respect to earn respect and that learning compassion requires standing in someone else's shoes. The Golden Rule has been endorsed in all of the major and most minor religions. I think we as a nation should strive to live up to both Jesus and Hillel’s standards. We need to follow the Golden Rule and partner with God in the ongoing work of perfecting His creation.

I asked Chaim Bergstein, author of the video "midian the paradigm of a quibbler " the following question. I then asked the following: Immediately after seizing the kingship, Darius I of Persia (son of Hystaspes) married Atossa (daughter of Cyrus the Great). They were both descendants of Achaemenes from different Achaemenid lines. Marrying a daughter of Cyrus strengthened Darius's position as king. Darius was an active emperor, busy with building programs in Persepolis, Susa, Egypt, and elsewhere. Toward the end of his reign he moved to punish Athens, but a new revolt in Egypt (probably led by the Persian satrap) had to be suppressed. Under Persian law, the Achaemenian kings were required to choose a successor before setting out on such serious expeditions. Upon his great decision to leave (487-486 BC), Darius prepared his tomb at Naqsh-e Rostam and appointed Xerxes, his eldest son by Atossa, as his successor. In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia an angel revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar) the future destruction of Persian Empire. Daniel 11 Also found a tidbit of information on Moses. These are humata (good thought), hukhta (good word), and havarshta (good deeds). Exodus 18 Here is the Islamic story of Jethro and the people of Midian. http://youtu.be/SDVQb68TKlU

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.