BU center focusing on Africa

BU center focusing on Africa
Charles Stith does not think small. From his former ministry at Union United Methodist Church in Roxbury to his dramatic tenure as US ambassador to Tanzania to his current leadership of an international think tank at Boston University, Stith’s world has global dimensions. United Methodist Church – Boston University – Tanzania – United Methodist – Religion and Spirituality

Read more on Boston Globe

Travel to the Temple Mount

According to the Bible, King David purchased a threshing floor owned by Aravnah the Jebusite (2 Samuel, 24:18-25) overlooking Jerusalem upon the cessation of a plague, to erect an altar. He wanted to construct a permanent temple there, but as his hands were “bloodied,” he was forbidden to do so himself, so this task was left to his son Solomon, who completed the task c. 950 BC. After standing for 410 years, the First Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 586 BC.

 

Reconstruction of the Temple began after the exile to Babylonia. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Roman Emperor Titus 420 years later, in 70 CE. The Romans were, however, unable to topple the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.

 

Upon the destruction of the Temple, the Rabbis revised prayers, and introduced new ones to request the speedy rebuilding of the temple. They also instituted the saying of the portions of the Torah commanding the bringing of the sacrifices in place of the sacrifices themselves.

 

After the Muslim conquest of this region, the Temple Mount became known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary). It is revered by Muslims as the place of longstanding worship of God by the Jewish prophets as well as the site of the Prophet Muhammad’s night journey to heaven. The Temple Mount is regarded by Muslims as the third most important holy site, after Mecca and Medina.

 

In 690 CE, after the Islamic conquest of Palestine, an octagonal Muslim shrine (but not a mosque) was built around the rock, which became known as the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat as-Sakhra). In 715 CE the Umayyads rebuilt the Temple’s Chanuyos into a mosque, which they named al-Masjid al-Aqsa, “the furthest mosque.”

 

The mosque has been destroyed several times in earthquakes; the current version dates from the first half of the 11th century. Both buildings are considered holy to Muslims and make Jerusalem the third-holiest city, after Mecca and Medina.

 

The mosque and shrine are currently administered by a Waqf (an Islamic trust) that has been granted almost total autonomy by the State of Israel starting in 1967.

 

The Temple Mount was open to the general public until September 2000, when Palestinians began throwing stones at Jewish worshipers after then-candidate for prime minister Ariel Sharon visited the area.

 

Following the onset of violence, the new Sharon government closed the Mount to non-Muslims, using checkpoints to control all pedestrian traffic for fear of further clashes with the Palestinians. The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslims in August 2003.

 

The The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. According to the Bible, the Talmud, and other sources of Jewish tradition, several important events in the history of Judaism took place on the Temple Mount:

 

• Here God gathered the earth from which he formed Adam.

 

• Here Adam, Cain, Abel and Noah offered sacrifices to God.

 

• Here Abraham passed God’s test by showing his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac (the Bible says this is on Mount Moriah, which the Talmud says is another name for the Temple Mount).

 

• Here Jacob dreamt about angels ascending and descending a ladder while sleeping on a stone (the stone in the Dome of the Rock is believed to be the very stone).

 

• The Temple Mount is believed to be the site of the threshing floor overlooking Jerusalem that King David purchased from Aravnah the Jebusite (2 Samuel, 24:18-25).

 

• Here King Solomon built the Temple in 950 BC, which stood for 410 years until it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.

 

• Here the Second Temple was built after the Babylonian Exile, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

 

• During Maimonides’ residence in Jerusalem, a synagogue stood on the Temple Mount alongside other structures and Maimonides prayed there.

 

The Temple Mount is a relatively minor site for Christians, but is believed to contain the “pinnacle of the Temple” (Matthew 4:5) from which Satan tempted Jesus to jump to prove his status as the Messiah (near Al Aqsa Mosque). The courtyard by the mosques provides an excellent view of surrounding Christian sites, including the Dome of the Ascension (marking the site from which where Jesus ascended into heaven) and the church of Dominus Flevit (commemorating the spot where Jesus wept as he saw a vision of Jerusalem in ruins).

 

Currently, the Temple Mount is governed by the Waqf, the Supreme Muslim Religious Council. The site has been under Muslim control since the Muslim reconquest of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century. This state of affairs was not changed after the area containing the Temple Mount came under Jewish control after the Six-Day War, and Muslims retain almost complete autonomy over the site. However, the Temple Mount area is of great important to both Judaism and Islam, and ownership of the site continues to be a hotly contested point. Some of the major reasons behind its importance for both faiths are outlined below.

 

The Temple Mount (Haram esh-Sharif) in Islam

 

After the Muslim conquest of this region, the Temple Mount became known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary). It is regarded by Muslims as the third holiest site after Mecca and Medina.

 

The main reasons for the Temple Mount’s importance for Muslims are these:

 

• Islam respects Abraham, David and Solomon as prophets, and regards the Temple as one of the earliest and most noteworthy places of worship of God. (However, some Muslims dispute that the Temple Mount is the site of the Jewish Temple.)

 

• Verse 17:1 of the Qur’an speaks of the Prophet’s night journey to the “farthest Mosque” (al-masjid al-Aqsa). This is traditionally interpreted to be the site at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on which the mosque of that name now stands.

 

• Muhammad originally established Jerusalem as the qibla (direction of prayer) before changing it to Mecca.

 

• According to Arab historians, when Muslims first entered the city of Jerusalem, the ruins of the Temple were being used as a rubbish dump by the Christian inhabitants, in order to humiliate the Jews and fulfill Jesus’ prophecy that not a stone would be left standing on another there. Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab is said to have been horrified at this, ordered it cleaned and performed prayer there at once.

 

For more details please visit :

 

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-temple-mount.htm

Red Ice Radio – John Lash – Pt 4 – Mystery Religions, Gnosticism, the Occult & the Globalist Elite


Comparative mythologist, author and teacher John Lash returns to the program to discuss “The Mysteries”, Religion, Gnosticism, Mystery Schools and the alleged connection to the Globalist Elite. Many different researchers in the alternative research community claim that the elite powers are stepped in the “Mystery religions”. They are accused of practicing paganism and occult rituals. Is this true? Is it true paganism? Can this myth be clarified further and can it be defined with more appropriate terminology? Topics Discussed: The Mysteries, The Pagan Mysteries, 415 AD, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Salvationism, The Superman, Gnostics, Deification, Devine Intelligence, Pagan People, Roman Empire, Messiah, Execution of the Gnostics, Etruscans, Human Psychosis, Pathology, The Globalist Game, Serial Killers, Sociopaths, Ted Bundy, Occult Techniques, Subconscious Suggestions, Orchestration of Social Evil, Black Magic, Sophia Myth, the Re-emergence of the Mystery Schools, Theosophist, Organic Light, Counter Magic, Immunity to Resist the Dementia, Shamanism, Psilocybin Mushrooms, Iboga Cult, Voracious, The Expose of the New World Order, Archons, Mind Parasites, Pagans and much more. We continue to talk about the insertion of the idea of the Anti Christ figure into Christianity and what function this might carry on a bigger scale. John poses the question of why the Gnostics or the disciples of the Myth of Sophia, didn’t do anything to protect themselves from the

Aamir Khan is the ambassador of ‘Live to love’

Aamir Khan is the ambassador of ‘Live to love’
Aamir Khan is now the global ambassador of ‘Live to love’. ‘Live to love UK’ is a new humanitarian campaign that aims to encourage the world to open their hearts and minds to their families, neighbours and communities at large. A campaign that is bigger than any religion, faith, nationality, culture or conditions- this initiative is set to help us all make the world a better place. With …

Read more on Glamsham.com

Christian Books: Our Ways To God

The ultimate Christian book is the Bible. Next to it are the books published specifically as supplements of Christian theology. Individual Christian books that allow both the authors and the readers to explore the realms of Christianity. To interpret philosophical questions and virtually all other things that concern the knowledge on Christian theology.

What there is to it for becoming Christians is usually the most common topic in the majority of Christian books along with all the fields of studies that Christianity and Christian doctrines cover.

Well-written Christian books, poems, articles, and selections have tremendous effects on one’s personality and may lead to great changes in a person’s points of view. These are powerful instruments for spiritual growth for the person reading them.

Christianity is primarily defined as belief on a Supreme Being, specifically Jesus Christ as humanity’s savior. Christians on the other hand, are people who have personal relationship with God. This same relationship has become the greater focus in producing Christian writings.

These books are the materialized responses of man to his Living God. As it is, the greatest and the majority of in-print materials with regards to Christianity are often encircling on the topic about his relationship with the Creator. God is the Supreme Writer of history and the little gods (or the Christians) are the writers of their personal stories with God as the central character.

One reputed source of inspirations that led authors to write their Christian readings, is the Bible. From here did the foundations of theology came from, supported by the scriptures that have been discovered over the centuries, and from here too did the geniuses of Christian readings received and based their best sellers.

This is no miracle since the Bible had been circulating the world since Christianity begun. And copies of it has reached even the remotest areas of the world and the most neglected sections of the societies.

For those who love and have some background on Christian readings, they may identify such books because they often include the following:

– citations and doctrines

– beliefs and dogmas

– Christian manifestos

– fundamentals of Christianity

– true to life stories

– inspirational anecdotes

– meditations and reflections

– aid to prayers

– building personal relationships with God

– Christian theology and prophecies

– articles and news as they relate to predictions

– personal growth and recovery

– personal health

– social issues

– prayers and meditations

– lifestyle management

– wisdom on life

– selections on ministry, discipleship, evangelism, fellowship and worship

– biographies

– fictions, children books and the likes

– guidelines for Christian living and a variety of other things.

Christian books were written out of extraordinary and not so extraordinary encounters. You may find some of them non-pleasing because many reveal philosophies that are against to your personal perspectives. However, this does not negate the fact the larger portion of these reading touches the heart. Most are known to have created deep and great changes among their readers. Not only can people relate with the author’s ideas, we are also lead to recreate in us broader sense of religion and enlightenment. These are by and large mind openers. They expose us to what should be believed in and trusted upon.

We are moved by what we read. Why? Because these are tales of personal experiences with the Being we call GOD.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides Christian book resources on www.your-christian-book.info.

The Olympic Games – A Brief (And Bizarre) History

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of modern-day Olympics. With so much drama, so much romance, so much pizzazz, it is hard to imagine this world-wide spectacle being anything less than perfect. But you don’t have to dig too deeply to discover a humble and oft-times peculiar origin. Truly, it has taken several decades of Hollywood magic to produce the polished sports event we take for granted today.

According to Roman legend, the original Olympic Games were founded by none other than Heracles, the super human son of Zeus, no doubt as an opportunity to demonstrate his god like strength in front of the ladies. An alternative legend tells the story of Pelops, a Greek romantic, and father of the Olympics. In a desperate attempt to win the hand of his bride, Hippodamia, Pelops challenged her father, the King of Pisa, to a chariot race. To give himself the edge, Pelops replaced the king’s linchpin with one made of wax, which melted during the race, throwing the king from his chariot and killing him. Upon winning the race, the girl, and the entire empire, Pelops declared this the first Olympic Games – forever instilling the qualities of cheating and deception upon the games.

The ancient Olympics had their own version of celebrity appearances, including Homer, Socrates, Aristotle and Hippocrates. Even Plato got in on the games, winning not one but two gold medals in the pankration event.The original “games” really only entailed one game, a 192 meter dash known as “the stade” – which was run entirely in the nude (once again giving Heracles an excuse to strut his stuff). In fact, the word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek “gymnos”, which literally means “school for naked exercise”. Later additions to the Olympics included boxing, jumping, discus and javelin, which gladly did include clothing. The surprising exception to this events list is the marathon race. This famous run, including the torch, were never part of ancient Olympics, and were not added to the venue until over 1500 years later.

The ancient games lasted nearly 1200 years, from at least 776 BC to 393 AD, when the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the games because he felt they were pagan and evil. And so the Olympic Games slept for over a thousand years until 1892, when a young Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin proposed the idea at a meeting of the Union des Sports Athletiques in Paris. His pitch failed miserably. But ever the optimist, Pierre tried again two years later, this time in front a meeting of 79 delegates representing 9 countries. The delegates voted unanimously in favor of the revitalization, and so, in 1896 in the city of Athens, the Olympics were reborn.

The 1896 games were a disaster. As the games were poorly publicized, they never received the international support needed. Contestants were not backed by their respective countries, and in fact were forced to travel to Greece at their own expense. Several of the contestants were tourists who just happened to be in Greece on holiday.

Due to poor planning, the 1896 games was held in very cold weather, though it consisted entirely of “summer” events. In her book First to the Wall, 100 Years of Olympic Swimming, Kelly Gonsalves describes the first swimming event: “Not only did they battle 12-foot waves, but the weather in Greece was unusually cold and the water was a frigid 55 degrees Fahrenheit.” The book goes on to tell the story of Garner Williams, an American Swimmer, who despite spending a fortune to train and travel to the Olympics, jumped out of the water after only a few moments into the race yelling “I’m freezing”.

Other athletes also had difficult experiences at the Olympic games. After traveling on foot from Rome to Athens, a one month journey, the Italian athlete Carlo Airoldi was banned from the games because he was a professional. As the book The Olympic’s Strangest Moments describes, Dorando Pietri was denied his marathon gold because an over-anxious official helped him cross the finish line.

The Olympics are typically thought of as an event of world unity, though history would have something else to say. The official Olympic flag, designed in 1914 by Pierre de Coubertin, contains five interconnected rings, the symbolize the “five significant continents of the world”, leaving Africa completely off the map. 1936 brought the games to pre-war Germany, an opportunity to demonstrate the superiority of the “Aryan” race, or so thought Adolf Hitler, who campaigned heavily to secure the games. Of course, many will remember Jesse Owens, the African American runner who proudly taught the Germans a thing or two. The win of Luxembourg’s Josef Barthel in 1952 was met with an embarrassed silence. As no one expected a Luxembourg athlete to win, the orchestra at the medals ceremony was without the score to Luxenbourg’s national anthem.

Over the years, several attempts have been made to improve the Olympics. Both motor-boat racing, and bicycle polo were introduced, and later removed from the games. Hollywood was literally brought in to add some pizzazz in the 1960 Winter Games. Walt Disney was elected head of the organizing committee over opening ceremonies, which included special effects, ice statues, and the releasing of 2,000 white doves.

Scams, politics, wins and heartbreaks: these words apply equally as well to the modern day Olympics as to ancient. If the Olympic games have taught us anything, it’s that society never changes, even after thousands of years. If Pelops could visit our games today, while he might be impressed with our bright fireworks and Hollywood illusions, I think he would feel quite at home with the true game on display: human nature.

Jeff Beck is an entrepreneur and founder of several notable companies, including the Book Price Comparison website CompareBook.com. As a student of the world around him, Jeff seeks understanding through history and reasoning.

Visit CompareBook.com to read reviews, find similar titles, and search for the lowest possible price for First to the Wall, 100 Years of Olympic Swimming, The Olympics’ Strangest Moments and other great books.