World's Worst Mass-Murderers - Religious Extremism Or Enlightened Secularism?

History - Written in Blood

The history of the world has been written in blood, until recently by dominating religions, intolerant of other faiths or beliefs: from dark-age pogroms, to early Islam's rampages, to the Crusades, to conquest of the New World, to the Inquisition, and to Stalin and Hitler and genocidal Holocaust. Throughout this gory litany, peace-seeking philosophers, war-weary, have dreamed periodically of a world without conflict. Other than the cultures and countries which worshipped the glory of mortal combat, e.g. the rulers and elite citizenry of ancient Rome, Sparta and more recently Prussia, most philosophers, and certainly at-risk commoners throughout history have dreamed of quiet lives without conflict or violence, safe from both external and internal attacks upon their freedoms and persons, hoping only to be permitted to enjoy their families and accomplishments in peace - and to die in bed at a respectable age.

Early on, wars were fought and peoples murdered to spread religion, coercive conversions forcing acceptance of the God of a dominant power. Dismayed at the carnage, rational humankind philosophized that no true divinity could tolerate, much less demand, such unwarranted cruelty - hence they must all be false - hence an anti-religion philosophy of rule-by-rationality should-be superior. Mankind began searching out a workable approach to peaceful governance - coexistence among peoples of differing faiths and philosophies - without bloodshed. By an "either-or" argument, if God and Religion seemed to be more cause than solution, perhaps durable peace could be achieved between nations - if "faith" would be discarded and replaced with "reason".

Such daring thinking was envisioned, then espoused - the concept of "enlightened" rule was developed - a peaceful society, governed by fairness in rules of conduct and justice; it was embarked upon and grew, with democratized liberation of countries from prior religious domination. Such optimistic and exciting "Enlightenment" theories took root, conceptually non-tyrannical authority being envisaged - neither rule by royal-lineage nor by divinity figures, instead leaders to be selected from the populace by majority choice, government by rational, impartial laws and justice, replacing religious dogmatism. The theory was implemented with confidence, preamble efforts beginning in (1776 in the US - excluded hereinafter, and) 1794 with the French Revolution. The ringing phrase "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" became the slogan of hope in France .

This expectation of a better approach was, however, short-lived, lasting but two years - ending with a parade of citizens, deemed unworthy of life, escorted to the guillotine - and a flood of blood. Subsequently, perhaps inevitably, the pendulum of non-religions or "enlightened" governance went into "overswing" - the world experiencing (perhaps) the ultimate in authoritarian rule based upon the moral compass of mere men - dictatorships - Communism and Nazi-ism!

Extremism of religious ideology and bigotry in living memory as well as recorded history, cannot be denied. Millions of lives have been taken by hatred as frenzied zealots of one religion held power over others - oft-times given a no-win choice, forced conversion or the sword. Even greater extremism is evident today, the virulence being obvious in the venue selection - where civilians, especially children gather - bloodied body-parts of innocents are shown in lurid photos and described in every newspaper - blown-up in buses, restaurants, marketplaces, houses of worship. Human intolerance of faiths other than their own, especially during outbreaks of mob psychology - particularly when exhorting a divine "commandment" to kill "the infidel" - are spurred on by inflammatory and instantaneous distribution of world news. Such bloodshed is even more commonplace today than in the past. So what is the carnage scorecard?

Undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of helpless human beings have been killed by the excesses of religion in recorded history, inflamed zealots, dark-age pogroms, genocides leading to the Holocaust, and present-day Islamo-terrorists. However, in contrast, when the supreme decision authority for life and death has been placed in human ethical standards of morality and justification, the pursuit of ever-greater powers and conquests are apparently irresistible. Rationalizations and cold assessments of benefits and advantages seem to easily overwhelm restraint - leading to carnage and ferocity - greatly exceeding even inflamed religious bigotry. Instead of the envisaged tolerance and fraternity, the end result of political experiments in "enlightened" human authority has been both unanticipated and uninhibited, the untethering of the worst instincts of human beings.

Over 100 Million Killed

Totaling the score can only be done in round numbers, but despotic rulers have caused over 100 million people being killed - by Communism and Nazi-ism within this past century: China, Soviet Union, North Korea, Cambodia, Africa, Afghanistan, and Nazi Europe. These human beings were killed, not in battle or by faith-based hatreds ("if your god is not my god, then you must die"), but from an ideology that denied "faith" itself ("There is no god, only man is the judge of right and wrong!"). With "political correctness" holding sway, it is religion itself that is targeted.

The history of humankind is a history of killing, not for food as in the animal kingdom, but to increase power, dominance of peoples and for land-mass acquisition. Today, of the world religions, all but one seem to have grown beyond desires to kill or compel conversions of other faiths, only the Muslim religion seems to still justify the sacrifice of not only their own lives but also those of their own children, in order to deny others a desired worship of their own gods.

Clearly, man's warlike nature is not curbed by devotion to a divinity. But the record shows that governance and morality considerations - which if not restrained by considerations superior to human authority - seems to lead to rationalizations for abuses with much more extreme end-results. Human nature, absent the moral and ethical compass of religion and with authority without limitation, seems to the inevitable justification of the ultimate in extremism, rationalizing away impediments to increasing authority and acquisition - mass murder without conscience.

Aaron Kolom qualifies as a "rocket scientist" with over 50 years aerospace engineering: Stress Analyst to Chief of Structural Sciences on numerous military aircraft, to Corp. Director Structures and Materials, Asst. Chief Engineer Space Shuttle Program through first three flights (awarded NASA Public Service Medal), Rockwell International Corp.; Program Manager Concorde SST, VP Engineering TRE Corp.; Aerospace Consultant.

Aaron L. Kolom - from Brainwashed* and Miracles**
* The Perceived Mind-Set of the Secular Elite re Darwin Evolutionism!
** To Believe in Them - Have Faith - In Science and Logic!

Visit website at http://www.brainwashedandmiracles.com to learn a bit about Science vs the Bible, from conflict to confirmation.

Why do Muslims and Islam Honor Jesus and Mary

Many do not know that Muslims honor Jesus and Mary as part of their religious beliefs. The following highlights some of the facts regarding Muslims beliefs about Jesus and Mary.

* Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet. They believe that God (Allah) sent many prophets to mankind and Jesus was one of them

* As the Muslim religions foundation is to believe in one God and not to associate anyone with God and His powers and attributes, Jesus was only a human being that was raised by God and will return him to this earth in this life. Jesus will then die as a regular human being.

* Muslims believe that Bible was revealed on Prophet Jesus. However, with time, as that book was changed, God (Allah) revealed His last book, the Quran on the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad.

* Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years

* Muslims believe in Mary as the Virgin mother of Prophet Jesus

* There is an entire chapter in the Quran that explains in detail the birth of Jesus, his family, etc. The chapter is called Chapter of Mary

* Muslims believe that Jesus although was put on the cross was never crucified. Instead, he was raised to the heavens by God (Allah) and another person instead was crucified in his place. These teachings and the fully story are narrated in the Quran.

* Muslims also believe that Jesus will come back to earth, unit the Christians and the Muslims and will kill the anti-Christ.

* The Quran teaches Muslims that Jesus though was a normal human being but had special powers from God (Allah) including raising the dead and curing diseases.

Waseem works for HilalPlaza.com, an Islamic and Middle Eastern Portal Website.

The Sacred Feminine in Western Religion

'God', or 'Divinity', however you use these terms, is endless, infinite, and timeless, and as such is inherently indefinable and unknowable.

But the Sacred Feminine aspect of the creation is the vehicle, the 'Vessel', through which the infinite Divine can be expressed in our finite world. And only the Sacred Feminine can lead the soul back to the Divine.

A defining characteristic of the Masculine is the need to think things through in a linear, step-by-step manner, to experience a reality that is limited and finite and therefore straightforward, controllable, and 'knowable'. A defining characteristic of the Feminine, on the other hand, is the ability to experience reality in a holistic, open-ended, all-at-once manner, to take in and accept limitlessness and infinity. Needless to say, we each have a share in both of these characteristic abilities, but the Sacred Feminine in the world (women) and within the individual (the heart) must introduce the Sacred Masculine to the unknowable reality of the Divine. In the sacred stories, for instance, it is the Celestial Aphrodite who must unbind perfected souls and release them into bliss. And this is why Miriam had to die first, before Aaron and Moses: the Shechinah must lead the way.

Another defining characteristic of the Masculine is that it expresses the Active force within the creation, and as such it is always involved in doing, fixing, making, and acting. The Feminine, on the other hand, is the Passive/Receptive force of creation. This quality of passivity has been given a very bad name in our frantically productive society, where it has been saddled with negative and destructive connotations of weakness and submission. But if the truth be told, passivity is the higher quality. Action is the emblem of the realm of Matter and Time: the Masculine 'does'. Passivity is the emblem of the realm of Spirit and Eternity: the Feminine 'is'. It is this ability to be passive, to 'be' without having to 'do', that allows the Sacred Feminine Vessel to receive pure, endless, unknowable Being, without having to limit it or define it through any agenda of her own, and then to bring it to birth as infinite abundance and love in the physical world.

In the Old Testament, the Sacred Feminine is represented by various characters, including Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, and Miriam, who nurture and protect the patriarchs and Moses. In the New Testament, She is represented by the Marys, who nurture and protect Jesus (who represents the Sacred Masculine). But the Feminine power in the scriptures is not some sweet gentle 'goddess', representing all the 'nice' qualities that are missing in men. She is the Shechinah, the 'Presence' of God in the Creation, the force that hovers over the Ark of the Covenant, the 'Mother of All Living' who pours forth all the forms and qualities in the infinite universe. She is Life, from the primordial Chaos, to Eve, to 'Rahab, the harlot of Jericho'. She is the Beauty of Rachel and the Wisdom of Leah. She is Miriam's prophetic power. She embodies the secret of the Red Cow, for she is the mystery of blood, sex, birth, and death. She is the Sea, the boundless power of the Unconscious. She is the Mother and the Whore and the Wife and the Destroyer.

In the Christian story, She first appears to Jesus in the guise of an abundance of women led by a triad of Power, Grace, and Joy, reuniting with the Sacred Masculine so that together they will be capable of completing the journey back to Divinity.

"Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene [which means 'High Tower'], from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna [which means 'Grace'], the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna [which means 'Joy'], and many others, who provided for them out of their resources." (Luke.8.1-3)

To say that Mary Magdalene had been 'cured of seven demons' does not mean, as has often been said, that she was a particularly egregious sinner. She was no more a sinner than you or I. But Mary Magdalene had been fully initiated. In scriptural symbolism, 'Seven' signifies complete achievement, and this means that every single level of Mary Magdalene had been purified and perfected. She is the archetype of the soul that drinks in the total experience of life on earth, who has the good sense and humility to ask for God's help (like the Samaritan woman), who pours forth love and attains complete forgiveness (like the woman with the alabaster jar), who completes all of the Great Work and has been healed at every level of her soul, and who will now remain the powerful ally and protectress of the Spirit right to the very end - Mary, unlike the other apostles, will still be present at the Cross. And apart from Jesus himself, there is no indication that anyone else in the New Testament achieves her level of initiation, with the single exception of her male-counterpart, Lazarus.

Was Mary Magdalene the secret wife of Jesus? Was she the 'vessel' of his semen and his children, the mother of a lost line of kings, and thus the authentic 'Holy Grail'? All of this is beside the point. Not because it is unimportant to return the Sacred Feminine to her rightful place in western civilization. On the contrary. It is urgent. But chasing after gossip, scandal, and conspiracy theories, is not the way to do it.

Socrates taught his pupils that only those things which help to perfect one's soul can be called 'moral' or 'good'. If we found a Marriage Certificate with both of their signatures buried in a desert cave, how would this discovery contribute anything to the perfection of one's soul? The search for this kind of 'proof' is fascinating and fun, but it is of no spiritual significance. It is merely a diversion. We should put aside the scientific demand for 'proof' and the academic fascination with textual criticism, and ask ourselves more important, human, and relevant questions: What are these stories trying to tell me? How can these words help me with my life? How can my struggle to unveil their inner meaning help my soul evolve? What are they telling me to do, and how can I do it?

The reason we must restore the Sacred Feminine to her full divine stature in our lives and culture is because without her all spiritual evolution is impossible! Without her all the ancient myths and holy scriptures are useless! We cannot follow Demeter and Persephone back up to Olympus, we cannot obey the Law of Moses, we cannot walk in Christ's footsteps, if we continue to misconstrue everything that is said about the perfect equality, the required harmony, and the absolute inter-dependence of 'Male' and 'Female' at every level of Creation. All of this is in the stories. Nothing is hidden. But the meaning of the words has to be penetrated and understood. As we have seen, only the Sacred Feminine, within the soul of a human being or the soul of a civilization, can receive the pure, endless, unknowable Being of God, without trying to limit or define it, and then bring it to birth as infinite abundance and love in this world. And only the Sacred Feminine, through pure noetic intuition, can reconnect us to that infinite, timeless, Divine Being, and lead us home.

The consequences of her degradation, a crime for which men and women are equally responsible, are constantly and painfully visible in the disintegration of compassion, decency, kindness, and human meaning, that we witness all around us.

Dr. Andrew Cort, D.C., J.D., is a Teacher, Attorney, and Doctor of Chiropractic. His books, including "Return to Meaning: The American Psyche in Search of its Soul", "From Joshua to Jesus", and "The Song of Songs: A Lover's Poetic Dialogue", can be browsed and ordered at http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2XMNRI4GIYFES. Dr. Cort lives in the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts.

The Genius Project - God's Mistake Or Yours?

If you've been reading my last few articles then you know about the Genius Project which was conducted by my good friend Mr. Jay Niblick. You'll also recall that your ability to achieve 5th Level of performance (Genius Level) you must rely on your natural talents and be authentic to yourself. This post addresses the thought processes on how geniuses view themselves and their abilities.

Here's another way to look at it. To assume that you - at your very core - need to fix yourself requires the presupposition that you must be broken, and that implies that God screwed up. I mean feel free to substitute whatever spiritual belief you have, but it likely doesn't change the concept. Think about it. If you believe that at your very core that the way you were made is insufficient to achieve success, then you have to admit that you view yourself as flawed, or at best incomplete. Now I'm not talking here about developing new acquired talents, rather a belief that "I need fixing". Acquiring new knowledge and experience is great. That's a prerequisite for anyone's success and something all 5th level performers (Geniuses) constantly do by the way. But when you attempt to fix who you are instead of fixing how you are, then you must first think who you are is insufficient. And if you think that then you can't avoid the question, "Who screwed up?"

If you need to fix anything, it is the way you apply you - not you!

In reality it's not what you are at your very core that needs work, but how you apply yourself that needs fixing. God created you for a purpose and you have a completely unique and incredibly powerful set of natural talents for that purpose, so it's not what raw materials you have to work with that you should be concerned with - because the geniuses we studied aren't. What you should be focused on is how you apply those raw materials.

Geniuses understand this. They don't view their set of talents as flawed; rather any flaws they see come in how they apply those talents. Because of this radically different perspective on themselves, when they focus on correcting flaws, those flaws are in their application of themselves, not themselves. In other words, they achieve tremendous leaps in performance by adjusting their environment (what they do or how they do it) not themselves. They don't change their talents; they change how those talents are applied.

Give yourself up to your inner genius and allow that which is you - as you were created - to do what it does best. Remember, regardless of whatever higher power you believe in, if you believe that such a higher power is infinitely more powerful and knowing then you, you have to ask yourself, "did that power know what it was doing when it created me?"

If you answer yes, then you can't blame your God for making you incorrectly? If you still agree with me then any mistakes in your life are not, cannot be, in you, but in the application of you. In other words, God made you, but you decide what to do with yourself. If a problem exists it's not with the thing God created, but how you apply it.

I say all of this because there is a huge difference between thinking you are broken and realizing that you are just not well aligned. The former is a race car with a blown engine that must be completely rebuilt (broken). The latter is a perfectly good Ferrari trying to race in an off-road rally (not well aligned).

Success in not about developing talent - it's about aligning it.

Mr. Timothy A. McGinty is the published co-author of the highly regarded Wake Up... Live the Life You Love series. This series is a collaborative effort with such inspirational leaders as Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracey, Steven E, and Lee Beard.

Mr. McGinty is also the author of "Your Blissful Life", a book which takes the reader by the hand and walks them through a process for defining their "Blissful Life" and the action plan for achieving it.

Imagine Yourself... is an organization focused on enabling clients "breakthrough" in achieving their success. Mr. McGinty has helped many organizations and individuals discover their passion, define the life balance they seek, develop strategies for achieving that balance, and held them accountable for reaching their goals. His clients have been so successful that Mr. McGinty is known as "The Breakthrough Guy"

Imagine Yourself...
13477 Prospect Rd. Suite 204
Strongsville, Ohio 44149
Telephone: 440-236-6519
Web: http://www.timothymcginty.com
E-mail: tim@timothymcginty.com

Why Should We Give Thanks in Times Like These?

According to History.com, the first Thanksgiving took place in Massachusetts during the Pilgrim Settlers second winter in America in December 1621. The first winter had killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. And because an unexpected trading vessel arrived, and swapped beaver pelts with them for corn, they were able to survive. Since next summers crops brought hope, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast on December 13, 1621, which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. Although this feast is considered to be the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. The Pilgrims gave thanks to God for helping them find acres of land that had no hostile Indians and for newfound religious freedom. They also celebrated with the friendly Indians who brought wild turkeys and venison with them. As well as prayers, sermons and songs of praise. They spent three days feasting and praying. Since that time, Thanksgiving is a celebration of thanks of gratitude to God for His grace and mercy upon us. And President Lincoln officially set aside the last Thursday of November in 1863, "as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father." In 1941, Congress ruled that after 1941, the fourth Thursday of November be observed as Thanksgiving Day and be a legal holiday.

But why should we give thanks in times like these today? It is true that in today's society, some of us may think we don't have much to be thankful for. From loss of jobs, homes, cars and possessions, what's left? From the fall of Wall Street, the never ending war and the bad economy, why should we still be thankful to God? 1 Thessalonians says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." This means, no matter what we may go through, good or bad, God will always make a way for us. Even at our darkest time or hour, God will always turn a negative into a positive, if we only believe and trust in Him. Even in the book of Exodus, the Israelites sang a song of thanksgiving as they were delivered from Pharoah's army after they crossed the Red Sea. And the book of Psalms is full of songs of thanksgiving for God's grace to the Israelite people as well as for His individual graces to each of us.

In this life there will always be things to complain about. But God gave us a choice. Do we choose to be positive or negative? Is the glass half empty or full? No matter how grim our situations may be, there will always be something to be thankful for. Did we live to see another day? Do we have our health and strength? Are our families ok? Do we have clothes, food and shelter? If we only believe and trust in God, He will give us our needs and not necessarily our wants. For Romans 8:28-30 says, "For those who know Christ, God also works everything together for good, even events we would not necessarily consider good." May God grant that He may find us grateful everyday for all gifts- spiritual and material.

Wanda is a wife, mother, public speaker and contributing author of EzineArticles.com. She has been writing about God and spirituality for over 20 years and has researched the bible and its history. Wanda also specializes in Christian poetry and children books and believes and teaches that regardless of a person's background or their mistakes of the past, God has a place for them.

She is the publisher and bestselling author of "Kids Ask The Darndest Things About God And The Beginning- Answers From The First Five Books Of The Bible" available at http://www.amazon.com

Visit Ball Publications Christian Books at http://www.ball-publications.com and sign up for "The Knowledge" monthly Newsletter. Gain Knowledge and Power with articles, discussions, tips and special offers that will be provided from time to time. Take advantage of up and coming events, radio broadcasts and recommended products of interest for you and your family!

Christmas - The Birth of the Christ Consciousness Within

The Christ is not just one person. The Christ is an "office" or "position" we ALL attain to. The word Christ means, "the anointed one." Jesus came to show us the way to be a vessel for the Love of God to manifest.

When the Christ Spirit entered Jesus he had perfected His soul in many lifetimes to be a worthy temple for Love incarnate. Edgar Cayce said that Jesus was Adam. In the "fall" was the promise of full redemption.

The Christ Consciousness is part of the Trinity, known by different names in many religions. The Father is the Will and Power of God, the Son or Daughter, the Christ, is the Love of God, and Holy Spirit Mother is the Thought, Wisdom, Understanding, Truth, Faith and Wisdom of God Goddess.

Where did the concept of the Christ come to mean just one person? Was it a matter of control?

The Christ of our time was Jesus. In every age the Christ Spirit enters an advanced soul to bring higher learning to the people of that time. Moses, Abraham, Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed, have all come to teach their people a more advanced connection to the Great Spirit. There is always a great teacher who comes to show us the way and the great possibilities of us as Human/Divine beings.

The biggest secret is that God is within each one of us, and also in every atom of space and in every form we see.

This Christmas, let us pray to truly forgive anyone who we may be angry with, including forgiving self. Let the power of Love heal all wounds.

Enjoy Christmas and observe the 12 Holy Days December 26-January 6, as a dedication to the 12 months ahead. Let this devotion bring you ever closer to the possibility of the Christ of Love being born within.

Let this sacred season bring us joy, peace and healing of all conditions. Let the Christ Consciousness of Love be born within each one of us so that we may usher in the 1,000 years of peace!

2008 Merry C. Battles

Merry C. Battles has worked in the healing arts since 1977. She has practiced the art of massage, Jin Shin Jyutsu (an ancient form of Japanese Acupressure), CranioSacral Therapy, Reiki, and foot reflexology. Merry is the author and illustrator of Christmas Meditations on the Twelve Holy Days December 26-January 6 Merry's book is a compilation of her 26 year meditation journey with the twelve holy days. Her book can be used all year as we travel through each sign of the Zodiac.

Merry has been a student of the ancient mysteries for as many years. Her greatest joy in life, along with her grandchildren, is to learn about the spiritual. This is reflected in all of her work.

http://merrybattles.com/

http://walkingthespiritualpath.com/

Is Jesus the Only Way to Heaven? - The Good People Get to Go to Heaven Also

I found a website that was recommended to me and it had the comment, is Jesus the only way to heaven at, Gotquestions, seems like your typical Christian website that replies with biblical quotes and simple to follow information. If I was lost, they will help me find a way. There's even a button at the bottom that states, I have accepted Christ today. I guess if I was to push that button, I get to go to heaven and be with Jesus. Hard to imagine, avoiding a life of burning in hell could be as simple as pushing a button and uttering a few simple words.

I found this question and began reading their comment. The first comment is from somebody answering as a nonbeliever in Christianity. It states something like, if I'm basically a good person and live a moral life, I get to go to heaven, right, only the bad people like murderers go to hell.

Now the answer that the website gives, seems to create fear if you do not belong to Christianity and provide you with hope if you join the group.

It mentioned Satan as the ruler of the world, and he can plant these thoughts into your head if you're not a Christian. He also controls your mind and let's you believe, that it would only make sense to any rational person, they get to go to heaven if they're good.

Now this is what makes sense to me but according to this information, I am doomed to rot in hell for eternity, even if I am a pretty good person. All I have to do is accept Christ as God and I get to go to heaven. That seems pretty easy and I wonder why more people don't do it. Just push the button.

I wonder if Satan is controlling, non-Christians minds and that's why there's brutality and war throughout the world. If everyone was a Christian, would our world be better.

Here's a quote from Wikipedia The Crusades were a series of religion-driven military campaigns waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents. Crusades were fought mainly against Muslims, though campaigns were also directed against pagan Slavs, Jews, Russian and Greek Orthodox Christians, Mongols, Cathars, Hussites, Waldensians, Old Prussians, and political enemies of the popes.

These Christian Crusades killed thousands of people. To give you an idea how many people were killed, all I had to do was type the word crusades into a search engine and it took me to the Christian Crusades.

I guess that rules that out, it seems like the Christians a long time ago were pretty aggressive towards their enemies, I wonder if most Christians would refer to these people as enemies today or are they just being controlled by Satan. Do these Christians from the Crusades get to go to heaven? If people like this get to go to heaven, may be hell is a better place anyway.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, Mere Christianity

Here's something to think about, go to heaven

Enhancing Your Self-Image

Success is an inside job. Even if your body and mind are ready, willing, and able to learn and do whatever is necessary to get the job done, a negative self-image may stop you.

Although we create many outward images of ourselves-so we can interact with or impress others and sell our ideas or services-we only have one self-image. The way we view ourselves determines the level of success we attain in anything. To achieve more success, some parts of our sense of self will have to change.
Your inward impression of yourself controls much of what you create in your life. When someone says, "Good morning, how are you?" you probably answer, "Fine," regardless of any troubles you may be having. The image you project is often very different from your true sense of self.

Because your level of success and happiness is controlled by your interior self-image, you must try to ensure that your exterior image and your interior image are in sync. If you can't match your self-worth with your exterior image, your ability to achieve at the highest levels will be restricted.

Try this exercise. Put the palms of your hands together with the fingers aligned as if in prayer. These hands pressing gently together represent you. Now twist your wrists, keeping your hands together, until the back of your right hand is facing away from your face. The right hand with its back facing out is the side of you that you want and allow the world to see. In fact, you present it to the world all the time. You put your best foot forward. It is the side of you that is happy, fine, capable, reliable, strong, honest, trustworthy, caring, sensitive, and thoughtful. This is your positive side.

Your left hand is the one only you can see. It's the side of you that isn't so good. This is the side of you that's not strong, that is lonely or hurting, that has faults, is afraid, unhappy, easily angered, and not confident. This is your not-so-positive side.

Which side is the real you-the positive side or the not-so- positive side? The truth is, you are both. One side does not negate the other. Just because you have faults, failures, or insecurities doesn't negate the fact that you have strengths, wonderful attributes, and abilities to get things done. Yet most people tend to let their not-so- positive side reduce the strengths on the positive side. They focus on the not-so-good side of themselves, saying, "I know I'm a good person, but . . . ."

If the image you have of yourself consists of only undistinguished and unexceptional qualities-or all the things you are not-then your self-image is discrediting your positive attributes. You can be-and in fact are-both at the same time. For example, if you get a pimple on your nose, isn't that all you see when you look in the mirror? Even though the rest of your face is just fine, you worry about the one blemish. But your pimple does not negate the wonderfulness of all your other features.

You can choose to put the not-so-positive side into proper perspective by no longer making it your focus. Once you have the right perspective, you are free to see all the good things about yourself. You can see that you have a profusion of strengths and abilities.

When people operate from the not-sa-positive side, they give themselves negative labels, saying, "I don't really have what it takes," or 'Tm not cut out for this." Often these labels are not true, but if they are your truth, a negative self-image results and affects your confidence, performance, and happiness.

To better understand how both sides are valuable to you, try another exercise. Put your hands in front of your chest, as if praying. Press them together as hard as you can, having someone hold your wrists at the same time. Now have them quickly pull your hands apart, moving one hand toward yourself and the other toward your partner. No matter how strong you are, or how hard you try, you will not be able to keep your hands together. Just as you are weak in trying to hold your hands together, you will be weakened if you consider your inner and outer selves as two separate beings.

Try this exercise again, this time interlocking your fingers. In this position, your hands cannot be pulled apart-you are strong now. As you can see, our weaknesses can actually make us stronger. Weaknesses tend to make us more humble and teachable. If you can believe that a weakness is truly a gift from God, then you must also believe that God will show you your weakness and make it your strength.

As a child, my weakness was my cowardice. That weakness prompted me to excel at karate. My lack of self-esteem as a young boy living on the Navajo reservation was one reason I decided to become a professional speaker and help others-so I could feel better about myself. My weaknesses have made me stronger.

If you are prone to take charge of a job and do it well, you are most likely driven by a weakness. This weakness could be a feeling of inferiority that makes you go out of your way to do well. Your feelings of inadequacy may cause you to be a top performer. In order to control the outcome, you have to take charge. Perhaps you have a need to be noticed, praised, or acknowledged that causes you to excel.

I know many people who appear to be very strong-they look and act like confident, make-it-happen, take-charge people. They get the job done, reach out to others, and are there to help whenever they can. Many are known for their caring hearts. But if they stop helping others, they feel empty and much of their joy goes away. On the surface, they seem fine, but inside they just aren't happy. For these people, helping others is like getting an emotional fix. They must help others to feel okay inside.

When I ask, "Who takes care of you?" I frequently hear, "No one." Such people feel lonely and are either unaware of their need to be taken care of or try to ignore it and meet their needs by helping others. Often the reason they reach out to others is because they know how bad it feels not to be taken care of. Because of our weaknesses-or needs-we feel powerful or compassionate, but we can still be left searching for our own happiness. When we are just givers, our own emotional resources quickly become drained.

By Jack M. Zufelt
"Mentor To Millions"
Jack M. Zufelt is a bestselling author and has achieved worldwide recognition for teaching people the true cause of all achievement. His life's mission is to impart the truth about-and dispel the myths surrounding-success and achievement.

Want to achieve better results?

How about live a fuller life with more happiness, joy, and satisfaction? Discover Jack's DNA of Success and live the life you've always wanted...

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A Culmination Of Pagan Practices

Christmas Is The Most Celebrated Holiday In Christianity. Some Consider It The Most Holy Day Of The Year.

The exaltation of Christmas is in itself a travesty. Most historians, and Christian scholars know that Jesus was not born on December 25th. They realize that his birth date was probably in the fall. This is backed up by circumstances surrounding Jesus birth.

People knowingly follow a false date set aside to exalt Jesus. Not only is the date a fraud, but also so are the practices. Many manmade traditions have been mixed in with the worship of God. This is like mixing dung with balsam.

The majority of the activities associated with Christmas have no relationship to Jesus. Sure there is an adopted religious (paganish) Nativity scene about Christ. But there are many more adopted pagan customs that are totally unrelated.

Christmas originated in Rome in the 4th century. The tradition came after the Council of Nicaea met in 325 C.E. For kingdom unification, the Council adopted the idea that Jesus was God. Christmas was a Christian substitute for the pagan celebration of winter solstice.

The winter solstice usually occurred around December 25th on the ancient Julian calendar. This celebration was a part of another Roman celebration called Saturnalia. Saturnalia began each year on December 17th. At that time the Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture. Also celebrated was the lengthening of daylight following the winter solstice. Romans did this by glorifying Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light. These and other winter festivities lasted until January 1.

The Roman Catholic Church chose December 25 as the day for the Feast of the Nativity. This was in order to give Christian meaning to existing pagan rituals. The Church replaced festivities honoring the birth of the Mithra by commemorating the birth of Jesus. They called Jesus the light of the world. The Church hoped to draw pagans into its religion by overlapping their revelry.

Traditionally, the sacred Christmas season starts with Advent. Advent continues to Christmas Day. During Advent, Christians make preparations for commemorating Jesus birth on December 25th. They also look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

About 600A.D., Pope Gregory I decreed that Advent start the fourth Sunday before Christmas. He decreed that the season end on Epiphany, January 6th.

Over the next 1200 years, Christmas observances followed the expansion of Christianity. It expanded throughout Europe, into Egypt, and eventually into America. Along the way, Christian beliefs combined with other pagan feasts and winter rituals. This created many distorted long-standing Christian traditions of Christmas celebrations.

Some examples are:

1)The ancient Europeans believed that the mistletoe plant held magic powers to bestow life and fertility, to bring about peace, and to protect against disease. They associated the plant with the Norse goddess of love, Freya, and developed the custom of kissing underneath mistletoe branches.

2)The Roman Catholic Church first introduced the midnight Mass in the 5th century. The dramatization of the biblical story of Jesus birth was a practice begun by Saint Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.

3)Many cultures continue the pre-Christian custom of burning Yule logs during the midwinter season; the Yule log symbolizes the victory of light over the darkness of winter. According to ancient tradition, the ashes provide protection against bad luck during the year.

4)The German custom of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmastime has become one of the most popular images of Christmas around the world. At one time, Germany supplied the world with almost all of the decorative glass ornaments for Christmas trees. On the evening of December 5th, children wait for a visit from Saint Nicholas, who brings them gifts. Most children also receive gifts on Christmas Eve. In some parts of Germany, Santa Claus distributes gifts, but in other regions Knecht Ruprecht, a mythical figure dressed in animal skins, delivers childrens treats. On Christmas Eve, families traditionally gather around Christmas trees decorated with lights, ornaments, and Lebkuchen, which are spiced cookies cut into decorative shapes. Worshippers holding candles illuminate Church services on Christmas Eve. The Advent wreath, which consists of four candles anchored in a circle of evergreen branches, originated with German Lutherans; many churches and families have adopted the tradition. At the beginning of each of the four weeks preceding Christmas, Christians light an Advent candle as they say a prayer.

5)In Italian folklore Santa Claus is not a prominent figure. Instead, Italian children wait for La Befana, a good witch who rides her broom to their homes on Epiphany to distribute gifts. According to folk belief, La Befanawhose name refers to the word Epifania (Epiphany)was too busy to accompany the Three Wise Men on their journey to visit the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. Now, to atone for her failing, she visits all good children, leaving treats. She also visits bad children and leaves them lumps of coal or bags of ash.

6)In England religious customs of Christmas celebrations center on recounting the story of Christs birth. Most people who celebrate Christmas also participate in such secular customs as watching Christmas plays, feasting, singing, and helping the poor. Before Christmas Day, children write wish lists to Father Christmas, who is the British version of Santa Claus. They then throw these letters into the fire. Children believe that if a draft draws the letter up through the chimney, their wishes will be fulfilled. Children open their gifts on Christmas afternoon. Many people in England also make charitable contributions to churches and to the needy on the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day. They also give small gifts known as Christmas boxes to those who have performed personal services throughout the year.

7)America has become a melting pot for many world Christmas traditions, with many new customs, many of which started in the 19th century. Before then Christmas had been an ordinary workday in many communities, particularly in New England, where early Puritan objections to Christmas celebrations remained highly influential. Families almost never exchanged Christmas gifts among themselves.

These early Christmas traditions in America quickly changed. Among some groups, Christmas became an especially boisterous event, characterized by huge feasts, drunkenness, and raucous public revelry. In an English tradition that survived in some parts of North America, Christmas revelers would dress in costume and progress from door to door to receive gifts of food and drink. Most holiday gifts were limited to small amounts of money and modest presents passed from the wealthy to the poor and from masters to their servants. The rapidly expanding industrial economy of the 19th century flooded the market with new goods for sale, and also helped establish a new middle class. Christmas gained increased prominence largely because many people believed it could draw families together and honor children. Giving gifts to children and loved ones eventually replaced the raucous public celebrations of the past, and Christmas became primarily a domestic holiday.

With the new custom of Christmas gift giving, the marketplace exerted an unprecedented influence on holiday celebrations. Commercial innovations such as department stores and mass advertising further expanded the custom of exchanging Christmas gifts. Seasonal retail sales helped fuel the economy, causing merchants and advertisers to become some of the seasons most dedicated promoters. Many holiday celebrants regretted these changes and began voicing the now common grieve that Christmas has become too commercial. With the influx of immigrants, who introduced a wide variety of religious and cultural practices to North American life, celebrating Christmas became a way for people from different parts of the world to create a sense of community in the cities. The holiday forged a sense of nondenominational Christian spirit in the communities, as it promoted a sense of collective good will.

Christmas, the most Holy Day of Christianity, has many built-in errors and influences. Although it has become a Day to reflect on goodwill toward mankind, the core of Christianitys foundation (Jesus birth) has pagan roots. Just imagine how many more pagan customs are embedded into other Christian holidays and beliefs. All of the Christian traditions need to be investigated thoroughly, if one is to take them literally.

With Christmas, like other holidays, Christians give reverence to images and symbols. With Christmas there is the symbol of the Christ child. In Rome this image is called Santo Bambino Jesu.

There are also other pagan images, adopted for various reasons. Some of these images include: mistletoe, prayer cloths and beads, people, spirits, Crucifixes, etc. To include the worship of any image or object is an abomination. God wants our total dedication to Him only, in spirit only.

Biblical Scriptures read:

Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Deut. 5:8.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Deut. 6:5.

Jesus said:

Have ye ever seen dung mixed with balsam?

Now I tell you that there be in the world greater madmen, because with the service of God they mingle the service of the world. So much so that many of blameless life have been deceived of Satan, and while praying have mingled with their prayer worldly business, whereupon they have become at that time abominable in the sight of God. Tell me, when ye wash yourselves for prayer, do ye take care that no unclean thing touch you? Yea, assuredly. But what do ye when ye are making prayer? Ye wash your soul from sins through the mercy of God. Would ye be willing then, while ye are making prayer, to speak of worldly things? Take care not to do so, for every worldly word becometh dung of the devil upon the soul of him that speaketh. GB: 84.

More is revealed on this subject of: False holidays and customs, as well as on the subjects of: Gods Knowledge and Worship, and the Judgments of God, in the Guide Book: ONE GOD ONE WORD: The TRUTH About The KNOWLEDGE and WORSHIP of GOD.

Visit website: http://OneGodOneWord.com/ for additional information.

Universe Long Before the Big Bang and After - Neosecularism Vs Atheism and Religion

Materials presented below are neither illusions nor assumptions. All are matters of absolute facts to me. But since there is no scientific tools presently available to prove any of the materials presented here, and the transcendence by which I have ascertained the truth about them cannot be explained in this short essay, I have to guide the reader to the references at the end of this essay to find the answer. Therefore, instead of facts I am going to present those as assumptions leaving to the readers knowledge of astronomy, astrophysics, other related fields and properly informed individuals, and their intelligence, reasoning power, logic and rationalization in reaching a reasonable conclusion. I propose that the reader assume each segment of these facts as a hypothesis, as we scientists do in verifying of any issue in our research and study process, then attempt through logic and reasoning to verify its different components and ultimately reach a reasonable conclusion.

Let us assume that there are two universes instead of one. Actually, there are three but we leave the third one out since it is very complex and difficult to understand with the present level of knowledge held by the scientific community. However, we will give a brief explanation of the third universe presenting its form and nature to the readers without bringing it into discussion. The first universe is matterless the second material and the third non-material. The first, being matterless, is not subject to time or space since only the matter can have such dimensions. Therefore, the Matterless Universe, under the standards of measurement used and understood at the present, expands to infinity with no beginning or end. It consists of what we may call "Pure Energy" or super-energy. It is a highly condensed mass of pure energy. The term "mass" used here is not the same as the material mass known to us. There is neither a way nor a proper term for this mass in our present scientific vocabulary. Since energy is the source of life for the body of the universe all the way down to plants, animals, humans and the smallest particles, comprehensively this Pure Energy must be the highest state of being, thus, dynamically alive, with supreme intelligence and enormous creative power. Therefore, as a supreme being it seems the only source capable of creation of the material universe as presented below. It is then proper to be called the Creator. Being matterless, it has no gender, thus, it is neither "He" nor "She" but "It". No light is associated with this Universe since any light is associated with matter and space.

Because the Creator is matterless, It extends to infinity. It is ever present everywhere transcending all matter including human beings. It has extensive sensitivity to the environment at any chosen point. As a matterless being It has no need to see but to sense. Therefore, It exists conveniently in absolute darkness. Our scientific community has already discovered a trace of the Creator. It has named it Dark Energy with a condensed mass and supreme power. All efforts are being made, within the material concept of science, to find more about it. This is nothing else but the Creator. As soon as we move away from our planet, we find ourselves in the same absolute darkness yet at the presence of the Creator. If we consider all these as facts, we may come to the conclusion that the Creator is not a holy dogmatic being as assumed by different religions but totally a secular being with no association with any particular religion. It is like a super scientist, inventor and creator and as such anxious for ultra-scientific designs and experimentations of which the creation of the Material Universe may have been one, and more likely not the only one. The essence of these experimentations may not be all for the same purpose namely to create a material universe.

The second universe is the Material Universe, which, at least so far as we have discovered, is subject to time and space as any matter, and as such it has a beginning, a process of life and development, and an ending. How the material universe started? This is a question not yet fully answered. If we consider that the Creator's experimentation intended to create a material universe, it certainly did not start with the Big Bang but long time before that. We should simply ask ourselves what was that caused the Big Bang. If we think of the Creator's intention for super-scientific experimentation in creating a material universe, we can easily come to a conclusion that it necessarily required a material base which had to come from the Creator's own essence, Pure Energy. There is no other source imaginable. Furthermore, we know that in our material world, the energy, in a variety of ways, is the source of life and base of existence of all matters from the Material Universe itself to planets and all living things in them. Based on all these facts the Creator, or the Matterless Universe, consisting of Pure Energy, would appear the only source of such immense energy required for the creation of the Material Universe and its continuing life, evolution and transformation.

Consequently, it is not unreasonable to assume that the Creator decided to carry out this experimentation and designated an initial point and a space there with specific dimensions fitting the objectives of its experimentation, and capable of absorbing and accumulating of needed energy from the Pure Energy consisting of Its essence. In a matter of maybe a billion or more years, the accumulation of energy in this designated space became crystallized in the form of a condensed huge transparent but solid object we may call it as Pure Matter, the ultimate size of which was determined by the Creator to suit the objectives of Its experimentation. For the first time "space" and "time" were created long before the Big Bang. The Material Universe, therefore, was initiated and its course of creation, evolution, maturity, decay and extinction was figured out by the Creator and now was the time to see to what extent the system would follow the envisioned process by the Creator's design of experimentation.

When the Pure Matter became saturated by the energy absorbed from the Pure Energy, it reached the point of explosion causing the Big Bang, unleashing the enormous energy saturated inside it. Because of the extreme heat, the resulting matters, which were not pure anymore, were mostly in the form of gas including what later on became solid matter or liquid. The explosion created immense light associated with heat, causing an outward push of the resulting matters with a lightening speed, creating a huge black hole in the Center with incredible power of electromagnetic gravity. Some huge parts from the Pure Matter thrown outward by the Big Bang were still in solid transparent form, though likely not so pure as they originally were, but still capable of absorbing more energy, becoming saturated and exploding later on far away from the Center. Therefore, we may properly assume that there was not just one Big Bang but a succession of big bangs maybe not as magnificent as the original one, and they are still continuing to occur in the outer dimensions of the Universe, though not as enormous as the previous ones, creating new galaxies, solar systems and corresponding planets. Therefore, it may be properly assumed that supernovas could be related to the extension of these bangs.

Immediately after the Big Bang, because of extreme heat caused by the explosion, all matters were in gas form. After quite an extended period of time, as temperatures receded, some matters liquefied and then took a solid form, some others took a liquid form yet some others remained in more condensed gas from. Ultimately, the solar systems and planets were crystallized. Evolution of life in each planet depended on the material components of the planet and the environment within which it was situated. Evolution of each planet proceeded to its maturity, aging, decaying and extinction. The nature of matters composing each planet determined the extent of its capability to absorb energy from the sun and other sources.

Considering that energy is the source of life, the nature of accumulation of this energy, within a proper environment created by the solar system's accidental surge of energy from its sun, allowed in some planets for the living organisms to be created. This surge of energy which may happen very rarely during the whole life span of a sun, created an orbit like outward movement. In this outward movement this high energy orbit, known as the intelligence orbit, met certain planets enabling them to absorb extra and unique kind of energy. this higher level of adsorption reached a point known as the intelligence line materialized by the planet's encounter with the core of intelligence orbit expanding outward.

This level of intelligence was also affected, positively or negatively, depending on the nature of the material components of each planet and its environment. As a result of this high energy environment, a variety of intelligent creatures were created including human beings as the environment became favorable. This assumption is in contrast with the Darwinian theory of evolution of humans from other species. The level of intelligence of the coming class of intelligent creatures advanced by the increase in the level of the planet's intelligence level as the planet approached to the inner core of the intelligence orbit emanated from the sun and moving outward.

It is important to notice that the Creator did not create the universe , its components and living creatures in some planets including ours. They were created according to the specific conditions required for their creation as set up in the Creator's design of the experimentation and the level of available energy. For example, human beings were not created by the Creator and they were not created at one time in a specific area of the planet. Different parts of the planet being subject to different environment, some human beings were created tens of thousand years after the others, likely, more intelligent than the previous group because of rising intelligent level of the planet had placed them on a higher level of intelligence. So, the total process of the development of each planet, as that of the Material Universe, involved the creation and the evolution side by side at different levels of development and varying environments. Based on the conditions of the environment and natural climate, some species were created, some evolved into a new ones and some became extinct. The same process is still continuing.

Unavoidably, there arrives a point at which the consumption of energy by the planet reaches the level of its absorption. At this point, the evolution stops. Pursuant to this point the absorption of energy gradually decreases, either as a result of decrease in the emission of the energy from its original source or certain transformations in the components and composition of the planet or other reasons. As a consequence, the planet receives less energy than it needs for its survival and starts an accelerated process of devolution and degeneration. In planets with living creatures, this situation occurs when the planet is near moving out of the influence of the intelligence orbit. When the level of intelligence of the planet is reduced, by the intelligence orbit starting to move away from the planet, it causes decay on the level of intelligence of its intelligent creatures. When the planet is placed in the outer limits of the intelligence orbit, the level of intelligence on the planet reaches the zero point and no intelligent creature survives and the planet with an increasing acceleration loses its gravity power to the point that its components cannot be held together by its weakened gravity and the planet meets its destruction. The majority of planets, in their process of development do not encounter the intelligence orbit or even the level of environment capable of producing any kind of creatures. The span of life of these planets is comparatively quite short.

Apparently, the Material Universe, the whole subject of the experimentation, is set to follow the same course of evolution, decay, devolution and extinction. After its creation and the Big Bang, it started to expand outward with lightening speed by incredible force created through the explosion. From this point of explosion on, the motion of the Material Universe has been under the influence of two immense opposing forces: An outward pushing force created by the Big Bang, and an inward pulling force, located at the point of explosion created by the enormous gravity and electromagnetic forces caused by the Big Bang. The resultant effect has been the slowing down of the expansion speed. This is in contrast with the present concept of accelerating expansion of the universe. In addition, the later big bangs have also affected the resultant effects of expansion course since their expansions were also spherical, part of which expanded toward the Center, opposite to the expansion direction of the Universe. These repeated post-Big-Bang explosions have actually caused a chaotic movements inside the sphere of the Material Universe. Based on these assumptions, at one point in time the Universe would reach the zero point of expansion. Then, under the pulling power of the gravity from the Center, it would start to contract in an accelerating fashion which will cause increasing heat to the extend that as it moves closer to the Center and becoming condensed by bringing together billions of the existing planets with an ever-increasing speed, the level of temperature will cause all matters to be transformed into gases, ultimately being totally extinguished, by transforming into matterless state, leaving nothing behind. Every material thing will disappear by being transformed into matterless form again. It will appear that nothing had ever happened. Considering the infinite dimension of the Matterless Universe, this whole process would look like a mosquito bite in a human body which it swells outward, then swelling stops and then the skin recedes to its normal condition without any trace of the bite left behind.

In conclusion, it is quite important to note that the history of the humanity shows that there have been individuals going back to melania who were aware of the secular, pure and matterless nature of the Creator that even today after thousands of years, our scientific community has difficulty to understand let alone to accept it. There are many evidences for such claim. Zoroaster or Zarathustra, the great Persian prophet, around 1500 B.C. when he introduced his dynamic message of "unique" monotheism, the concept of only one Creator, he called It "Ahura Mazda" meaning a "Super-Intellect Being," as "the creator, sustainor and promoter of the Universe."(1) The old Persian word for the Creator is "Khod'a", meaning created by itself. This meant that there was nothing to look for beyond Pure Energy. With the present paste of scientific progress, discovery of the matterless world or the Creator as exposed here and understanding of it, is a century or more in the future. It is possible only through transcendence achievable by years of meditation aimed at expanding the mind into the non-material and ultimately to matterless world. It is definitely the science of the future though such thou hgts are considered to be nonsense by the scientific community at the present time. However, I know it is a fact since I have been there, and all this knowledge comes from there.[2]

The main purpose of this exposition has been to invite knowledgeable readers particularly those qualified in related fields such as astronomy, astrophysics, and metaphysics, to leave aside their preconceptions and outright rejections and pay serious attention to the facts and reach conclusions based on logic, reasoning and rationalization. The hope is that if this way of thinking is followed, the scientific community may ascertain the nature of the Matterless Universe and the facts of creation and evolution of the Material Universe, not in a century or more as is estimated but much sooner. An enormous and incredible wealth of knowledge is waiting to be discovered. When discovered, it will cause universal peace, prosperity and tranquility. It will bring about true democracy, eliminate excess materialism by accepting the application of the principle of equality of opportunity in every aspect of daily life. [3]

It was mentioned above that there was a third universe called Non-material Universe and we will give a brief description of it. Non-material Universe is a stage between the material and matterless universes. It is transparent, therefore, invisible to our eyes. It engulfs the material universe. For every material planet there is a non-material one several times larger in size. It is subject to time and space by a different standards for which we have no means of measurement. It may shed an idea of time if we consider that a year in that planet may equal to thousands of year in our planet. The same applies to non-material beings living in them. The span of life may extend to thousands of years. The climate and environment follows the same standards with enormous deviations. Temperature may vary from thousand degrees below zero to thousands above it. It is a super advanced civilization where, though there are some bad beings but they cannot do anything bad thus are automatically forced to correct themselves. The life is extremely painful to those who are caught in harsh environments of the planet, and incredibly enjoyable for those located in favorable environments.

Finally, in closing, it may be noteworthy to say a little about the concept of neosecularism, which materializes if one accepts the facts of the two universes as discussed above. Secularism is defined as indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations. Neosecularism is defined as the exclusion of religion or religious considerations. It is fundamentally different from secularism since it rejects the religious dogmatic concepts of God, spirituality and creation of the Material Universe, while in a completely secular, rational and scientific manner accepts the existence of a totally secular Creator and a different course for the process of creation and evolution.

From all the materials presented here, it can be easily concluded that: first, nothing is holy about the Creator as assumed by several religions. It is a totally secular super being with a supreme life, intelligence and creative power. Thus the Creator has no relation to, or interest in nor belong to any religion. Its only interest in human beings, if any, concerns their behavior and development as a component of Its total experimentation in creating the Material Universe.

Second, since the Creator consists of Pure Energy, Which is the highest and purest level of being, Its nature could be nothing but inherently good, pure and positive. More likely, as a super-scientist, It is interested to see to what extent this goodness and purity can be restored when the Pure Matter was degraded by the Big Bang to much lower grade matters including human beings.

Third, among all Its creations at this Material Universe, the Creator has been able to sustain contact with human beings through their high level of intelligence, the human mind or spirit being the locus and medium of such contact. It seems reasonable to assume that the main purpose of this experimentation may have been to examine to see to what extent and level human beings can develop themselves approaching the Creator's pure essence at the matterless level.

Fourth, To guide humans in the process of self-development towards this purity, the Creator often receives help from those who consciously have developed and purified themselves and thus have been able to get direct contact with the Creator through transcendence. These are not actually assigned by the Creator as prophets or agents. The fact is that when a human being becomes conscious of the meaning of life and creation by dedicating himself to physical and spiritual advancement, after years of hard and disciplined labor he finally reaches the level of being able to contact the Creator. At this high level of purity, he finds himself obligated to assume the burdensome and often dangerous task of guiding the others. The number of such individuals is not restricted to Jesus, Moses, Mohammad and others who have been mentioned, but it is in thousands at any given time who remain unknown. Many operate silently carrying out their self-assumed duties. They receive directions from the Creator if they are in such need and ask for. As more knowledge about the Universe and the Creator is discovered, a rational, non-coercive and non-dogmatic way of thought, labeled here as neosecularism, will come to prevail. Religions and other dogmatic thoughts and beliefs will loose their influence in daily lives of the people. Important reasons for conflict and confrontation will disappear and opportunities for peaceful coexistence will materialize.

Reference:
1. www.iranonline.com/magazine/issue25/mehregan-english/ p. 3
2. For details about this concept also the kind of meditation needed to reach the matterless world, see Passage to the Heaven: The Secrets of the Universe, Life and Happiness, by the author, Reza Rezazadeh, Professor Emeritus and Fulbright Scholar, University of Wisconsin. For more information visit www.democracywhere.com

3. For this concept of democracy see Technodemocratic Economic theory: From Capitalism and Socialism to Democracy,1991, by the author. For information about this book and other relevant articles see www.democracywhere.com

Dr. Reza Rezazadeh
1080 Eastman Street, WI 53818

Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin System,and a Fulbright scholar, a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual scholar with background in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.), Continental and Islamic Law (Licenciate), J.D. in American Jurisprudenxce, LL.M. in International Law and International Economics, Ph.D. in Political Science, Economics and Administration, and Doctor of the Science of Law (S.J.D.) the highest law degree offered in U.S. Fluent in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Persian, Azeri-Turkish. Elementary knowledge of Arabic, Urdu, Russian and Italian. Patented inventions; an artist, a poet (oil and pastel), a musician (violin), with over 35 years of academic background in teaching, research and administration, research and cultural studies in many countries in Europe including USSR, Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, Central and South America.

Author of 8 books and many scholarly articles listed in his website http://www.democracywhere.com

Religious Faith Or Religious Facts

If you're a religious follower and believe in your religion, I would like to ask you a question. Do you base religious beliefs on facts or faith? Let's start out with this and assume that you answered, that you do base your religious beliefs on faith, with little factual information to back it up.

Basing your religious beliefs on faith alone can lead you to believe, what ever someone else tells you. For example, if you go to your place of worship and the religious leader reads something from your scriptures to the followers, do you assume that this is a fact. Are you going to do a little research if something doesn't sound right. If everyone else shares a common opinion about something in your religion, but it isn't true, wouldn't you like to know about it or are you one of those people who didn't even listen and really doesn't even want to be at your place of worship.

Faith can create a lot of problems all by itself. Whenever you start digging into most religions, like I have, and mind you, I'm no expert and do not claim to be an expert in religious beliefs. I'm trying to get people to learn about their religion. This information can be obtained from your religious scriptures, books on other religions, information on the Internet and last but not least talking to other people, outside and within your religion.

Religious facts are hard to come by, when you're beliefs are unrealistic. I can't explain the creation of the world or what year it will be destroyed, but it does seem a little unrealistic and hard to believe that a superior entity created this world and possibly the universe. At the same time I cannot argue with this or disprove it.

With this in mind, I wouldn't go around telling everyone that God or a God created the universe. I just don't have any proof and it's as simple as that. Why would I want to instill this belief into my children or another person? No one on earth has this information.

Try not to base your life on religious faith alone. Just the simple fact that you are reading this article, tells me that you have an interest in furthering your education about religion, whether it's yours or someone else's. You might not be able to find all of the facts to support your religious beliefs but at least it's a start and you're heading in the right direction.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended sites, Seeking Knowledge

Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion

Guilt Feeding On Your Conscience

Weight Loss Spells For Those Interested in Witchcraft and Magick

Weight loss spells are becoming more and more popular. Both female and male witches alike often cast weight loss spells with hopes of obtaining their "dream bodies." A weight loss spell falls into the same category of "beauty spells" and "glamor spells." But do they really work?

Weight loss spells don't just magically work in the sense that they *poof!* make the witch thinner, but they can help the witch become more motivated to work out and to eat healthier. In order to lose weight, healthy eating and working out are always the most important things to do. But neither can be done if the witch has no willpower. Thankfully, a weight loss spell can help with that.

If you're interested in witchcraft and weight loss, here is a spell you can try:

Every Friday night for a month, light some white and pink candles (or red if you're a male witch or mage. I won't make you light pink ones.) Drink at least one full cup of water before, during, and after the spell. Have some jasmine incense burning as well, if you're not allergic to it. During the spell, while drinking the water, look in front of a full length mirror and visualize yourself shrinking and becoming thinner. Try imagining that you actually FEEL yourself getting thinner. Spend a few minutes doing this while saying this mantra:

"Extra weight go away, Venus be with me this day. Give me the strength, give me the power. I shall lose weight starting this hour."

Say this over and over again while visualizing yourself getting thinner.

After the weight loss spell is over, snuff the candles out and then set them in a private place until the next Friday. You may resume where you left off every Friday night until you begin noticing differences in your eating habits. Don't forget to thank Venus often.

If you are interested in a weight loss spell or any other type of spell, this is a great site to visit: http://www.AvonleeStarkeeper.com At this site you will find tips on love spells, money spells, luck spells, justice spells, REIKI, psychic readings, and more!

Studying On Faith Alone

Thriving During Tough Times

2009 is predicted to be a tough year for everyone! Thus, in response to the challenges of 2008 and the predictions for 2009, I have a theme of "Thriving during Tough Times" and I recommend that you do to.

While I sense that many other people are "Tumbling during Tough Times," now is not the time to quit pursuing thriving success! As Seth Godin discusses in his book, The Dip, quitting is an extremely poor tactic just because the dip is hard!

So, how do you get started on thriving during tough times? Start with The Power of 3.

The number three has special meaning in this world.

Three has special meaning in many religions and cultures including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and the American and Chinese cultures.

Three is often described as solid, real, substantial, and complete. It is the trinity number representing fullness or something that has come full circle. It is considered divine perfection.

Most importantly, the sum of human capacity can be summed up in three components...thought, word, and deed!

These three components of human capacity, when properly applied, help you attract, get, and keep lasting success. When improperly applied, they help you create much less desirable conditions, situations, and results.

Champions use their human capacities (thought, word, and deed) to focus on the following three key components of lasting champion success:
Activate the attraction factor
Take inspired and leveraged action
Reinforce success, goals and vision

The number three also has power in process and prioritization! The process of focusing on the three most leveraged and impactful ways to achieve any goal/objective or enhance any relationship generates special results!

This is where I started creating my thriving momentum in 2008! I have also used the power of three to help individuals focus their energy, make decisions, and generate synergy among their decisions/choices countless times. This process has led to breakthrough results significantly more often than any other process and prioritization method I have seen or used!

In fact, the consistent breakthrough results that I have achieved (and help others achieve) through this process led me to want to research the meaning of the number three in religions and cultures.

If you want to find the keys to anything around you, I suggest you look for three keys that generate 80% or more of the impact. I spent the last 90 days researching the three keys to other successes during tough times. I have assembled all these key strategies, tactics, and tools that helped others "Thrive during Tough Time" and I will be sharing them in 2009.

Until we cross paths during some of this 2009 work, I suggest you focus on finding your specific three elements and components that are appropriate for your situation and will quickly accelerate your results. Everything else is just noise and distraction!

Even one of the most popular and influential books of the late 20th century, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey, divides the habits into three categories; private victory, public victory, and renewal. Maybe those are the right three for you to focus on in 2009!

Cheers!!! Here's to "Thriving during Tough Times" in 2009!

About the Author:
Jon L. Iveson, Ph.D., The Champion's Coach, is a Gazelles Certified Coach who helps individuals and companies produce champion results and build champion relationships. Assess how ready you are (http://www.learningtobeachampion.com/assessments/thechampions.htm) or your company is (http://www.learningtobeachampion.com/assessments/winningcompanies.htm) to "Thrive during Tough Times."

Jim Jones Impact On My Life

Lighting Your Path From Within

You might have heard the expression, 2009 is your year to shine. Please, let that be true every year! Yet there is truth in that statement. The Universal energies are revved up at the moment to help bring your evolution to new heights. This is a highly charged time to help you create the life of your dreams, and more importantly, fulfill your higher purpose. As you radiate your inner light, you act as a beacon of hope and inspiration for others, and truly make the world a more beautiful place.
2009 is a Universal year of 11. (We derive this by adding the numbers 2+0+0+9=11). 11 an extremely powerful number; in numerology, it is considered a master number. As the name implies, master numbers require skill and dexterity as they present great challenges and subsequently, immense rewards.

It is evident what many of the challenges are at the moment; we are all aware of the crumbling global economy and the energy crisis that threatens our standard of living. And yet, these crises initiate an immense opportunity for us to change our collective future in ways that galvanize our innate healing and creative powers.

Every crisis, whether personal or universal, is a message from our soul to seek a new restorative path. Our current global economic collapse reveals a necessity for us to build healthier more efficient businesses based on the principles of integrity and service. Our pending energy deficit is a directive for us all, at long last, to end the cycle of depleting and polluting our earth's resources in favor of harnessing the unlimited power of nature in a clean and regenerative way. There can never truly be a shortage of energy; it is all around us. As long as the sun is shining, the winds are blowing, and the waters are flowing, we have an unlimited supply of vital life-giving energy. You too have an unlimited supply of infinite creative Source energy that you can tap into at any time to invigorate your life.

We are fortunate now to experience the powerful vibration of 11. The highly charged 11 is considered the number of intuition and illumination. In fact, the word LIGHT reduces to the number 11. The 11 vibration emphasizes the need for you to rely on your inner light, to align yourself with Spirit to find your true calling, and illuminate your path from within. Should you choose to place your faith in the external material world for your security, you might experience confusion or fear. However, if you choose to listen to that voice inside of yourself that believes in the goodness within and around you, and trust your unique calling, you will always find your way.

You might hear people refer to 11 as being a number of the number of wishes. Perhaps you have an awareness that seeing 11:11 signifies something magical. Your thoughts are indeed more potent during this mystical alignment. The shape of the 1 is like an antenna, creating a conduit between you and the Divine. In the Tree of Life, the number 1 is at the top of the tree, at our crown where we receive our inspiration, as well at the bottom of the tree, where the divine becomes manifest into being. 1 is the Alpha and the Omega. The sacred geometry of the number 1 allows you to receive inspiration from Spirit and materialize those visions into reality very quickly. It is electric!

The double 1s in the number 11 create something even more profound. Look closely at the shape of number 11; the double columns of the creative 1 energy represent the pillars of the soul - a portal into a higher realm. Should you have the courage to walk through those pillars into the unknown, amazing opportunities await you!

So how do you do this? How do you face the unknown without fear? One thing to remember is that you came into the world with an intention. Not one person on this planet can offer your unique brand of humor, wisdom, creativity, kindness, healing or love. If you chose to incarnate at this time it is because you had something you wanted to learn and contribute. Any gift inside of you was given to you by the same infinitely powerful Creative forces that will help you bring these gifts into being. If you were given a dream, you were also given the tools, power, strength, and support to fulfill your heart's desire. All of the forces in the Universe will help you manifest your purpose.

The genius of your creation resides inside you like a seed that is planted deep within the earth. A seed innately knows the correctness of its purpose while it unabashedly reaches towards the sun. It needs only careful tending to reveal its true magnificence. Your spirit is like a flower that needs proper nourishment to grow and thrive. Just like a flower, when you express yourself in all of your beauty, all who experience you will bask in the joy of your being.

You might want to reflect on what seeds you are cultivating in your life right now. Are you nourishing seeds of joy, hope, serenity, love, and compassion? Are you honoring your spirit by living passionately and expressing your truth? Or are you focusing on what is not working in your life now and what you are afraid of?

Your passions will inevitably lead you to your purpose, and joy will guide you towards your calling. You know you are on the correct course when you are passionately engaging in your journey, flowing with the natural rhythm of your life. During these moments all of your cells will wake up and say "Yes! This is it! Keep going! It is like being on a highway and seeing signs towards your desired destination. Spiritual energy is light. It actually feels light. When you feel joy within you, you radiate a positive loving energy and those around you cannot help but feel better in your presence. And truly, your ultimate calling is to be joyful and share that joy with others.

Consequently, when you feel heaviness, confusion, or fear, that's your body's way of telling you that you are not in alignment with Spirit. Material concerns, while very real, can often distract you from your soul's truth. Feelings of worry, regret, comparison, can all seem very rational and logical, yet can take you out of your awareness of the now. The energy of the future is being created by the energy that you are cultivating in the moment. So while you are engaging in worry about your future, or regrets of the past, you are merely perpetuating a continuous cycle of worry. Rather, a series of simple and beautiful present moments will create a future of joy and serenity.

Now is a potent time to ask yourself - what do I really want to do with my life? If I wasn't afraid of the consequences, or what people thought of me, or who I would be disappointing, what would I really do? Instead of asking your head for the answers, ask the wisdom of your heart. Take a moment to put your fears aside, relax with a deep breath, sink into the infinite lightness of your being, and ask your heart, what do I really want right now?

The answer could be something very simple. Perhaps you would like to have more time to yourself, garden, dance, or do yoga, or something more pronounced like starting your own business or moving to another part of the world. Anything that nourishes your spirit and feeds your soul will lead you towards your destiny. When you nurture your gifts, bringing them life, energy, and power, you are tending the growth of the great miracle of creation that is YOU.

I remind you in these tumultuous times, as the winds of change blow in your direction, that you need not be afraid of the dark. You have all that you need for your spiritual journey within you; your passions to energize you, your imagination to inspire you, and your intuition to guide you towards your destiny. You will inevitably meet other courageous dreamers along the way, who dare not dim their brilliance. Together, you will illuminate the path for many brave souls to shine brightly like stars in the sky, and the whole world will celebrate in a glorious festival of lights.

Kari Samuels is an Intuitive Counselor with an international clientele. She helps guide others towards the realm of inspiration, self-awareness, and divine living. She utilizes a variety of modalities for a holistic vision of our spiritual journey including numerology, tarot, astrology, and transpersonal psychology. It is her joy to help others manifest their greatest potential. Visit her website at http://www.karisamuels.com

Contact Us

Why do Muslims and Islam Honor Jesus and Mary

Many do not know that Muslims honor Jesus and Mary as part of their religious beliefs. The following highlights some of the facts regarding Muslims beliefs about Jesus and Mary.

* Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet. They believe that God (Allah) sent many prophets to mankind and Jesus was one of them

* As the Muslim religions foundation is to believe in one God and not to associate anyone with God and His powers and attributes, Jesus was only a human being that was raised by God and will return him to this earth in this life. Jesus will then die as a regular human being.

* Muslims believe that Bible was revealed on Prophet Jesus. However, with time, as that book was changed, God (Allah) revealed His last book, the Quran on the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad.

* Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years

* Muslims believe in Mary as the Virgin mother of Prophet Jesus

* There is an entire chapter in the Quran that explains in detail the birth of Jesus, his family, etc. The chapter is called Chapter of Mary

* Muslims believe that Jesus although was put on the cross was never crucified. Instead, he was raised to the heavens by God (Allah) and another person instead was crucified in his place. These teachings and the fully story are narrated in the Quran.

* Muslims also believe that Jesus will come back to earth, unit the Christians and the Muslims and will kill the anti-Christ.

* The Quran teaches Muslims that Jesus though was a normal human being but had special powers from God (Allah) including raising the dead and curing diseases.

Waseem works for HilalPlaza.com, an Islamic and Middle Eastern Portal Website.

Loving People With Kindness

It Just Makes Life A Little Brighter

Just eight letters can mean so much. What eight letters am I talking about U I O E V Y O L, now you say that doesnt make any sense, so lets move them around a little, I Love You. Three little words that can mean so much, and at the same time are often said without much thought. To some it can only be related to the physical act of love.

In todays culture a lot of what is called love is just the physical act. This is not love it is merely physical, but is often confused with the emotion of love. The truth is that true love is emotion pure and simple. Does that mean love cant be physical, absolutely not the physical part of it can be the completion of love. That is the way it should be, the physical act should be a fulfillment of love, not an end unto itself.

We have the other form of love such as a mothers love for her child and visa versa. This love is a bond that lasts forever. Im in my sixties and yet my mom still worries about her little boy. This feeling goes both ways, yet Im sure a mothers love is stronger than that of her siblings.

Sometimes the person saying, I love you is doing so just because they know thats what the other wants to hear. In that case a disservice has been done and it really affects both. The one who says it knows he/she isnt being honest and the one hearing it has a false hope. In the end they both lose.

Maybe if we applied a honest look at the world we would discover the main reason for all the turmoil is because we as humans have forgotten how to love. A lot of our actions bear this out, we have road rage, warfare, politics and a thousand other things that we get caught up in and its always the same. We have to win. Well when its all said and done, just what have we won. Its been said that he who dies with the most toys wins. What does he win hes still dead? Maybe someone who doesnt have many toys but lives longer with a partner that he loves, and who loves him is really the winner. It would appear to me that all the toys in the world arent going to bring much real happiness if there is no love. Now if you love what you are doing and also make a lot of money at it that would be one thing. If youre just doing it for the money then your goal is just material things. To some people material things are everything, but what happens when you either get everything or you cant get something you think you want. There is always that person who is right behind you out to get more than you have, so the race is on and never finished.

I have known many wealthy people and some enjoy life, but so many are so busy making sure that nobody is getting ahead of them or out doing them that they never take any real time out to smell the roses. They also have a tendency to only associate with people who can benefit them in business or is in the proper group. They couldnt even imagine having a friend just because they liked him. I guess in some ways you cant blame them because they have to be cautious because someone is always trying to use them also.

Now having put those on the tables so to speak, how about the real emotion of love.

The American Heritage dictionary has many explanations for it. Among them are:

1. To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward (a person).
2. To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward (a person).
3. To have an intense emotional attachment to.

All of these listed are the emotion of love. If you really love someone and tell him or her so, and if you hear the same back from them, admit it you heart skips a beat. Your outlook on life just got a little brighter. Those three little words, eight letters, can make your whole day. Without love we just exist. Some say money makes the world go round, but it wouldnt be much of a world without love.

I think I prefer a life of unconditional love, with someone who loves me the same way. To me that makes the love for material things pale by comparison. Maybe you just have to reach a point in life where you decide that material things really dont matter. As long as you have a place to sleep and food to eat, and someone to love that is the real meaning of life. As long as you can say and mean it with all your heart I Love You then you have the essence of life. This of course is just one mans opinion.

Charlie

Charlie Phillips has been in construction, and has done everything from labor, carpenter, heavy equipment operator and contractor. Owned and operated of his own truck over forty-eight states and three provinces in Canada. He never attempted much writing until he came across a little tool called spell checker. There are no titles after his name, just a lot of life experiences. Website: http://www.charliephillips.net

Beginner's Yoga

Yoga is a unique way of purifying the soul and the body through the aid of certain body postures and health care rules. Yoga is beneficial for all ages and no matter the condition of your health and age yoga would always be effective for you to provide you with a better quality of human life. With the growing awareness of yoga as the way of dismantling all maladies of physical and mental senses, a considerable number of training institutes have cropped up across the world. You may even learn the technique of mind and body purification on the internet as well. For information on beginner's yoga you would get ample information in the internet.

You may take the help of the following guidelines while you are about to take up beginner's Yoga.

Beginner's Yoga Information

You must begin your first stage of yoga session by knowing the various requirements of the Yoga. You have to know the basic accessories and clothing for performing the yoga. Even you should be aware of the rules of trying out the basic postures of yoga.

The postures that you are supposed to learn in the beginner's Yoga include the various poses performed during the opening of the yoga session, the basic standing poses, salutations, shoulder and hip exercises, the backward and the forward bending, postures of inversions, twists and the ones usually done in the finishing poses.

Learn the relaxed poses of yoga as well. You will get to know about the relaxed postures that you should be doing when you are relaxing or resting midst of the yoga session. You may try out the relaxed postures like the corpse pose.

As a beginner you would find it to be difficult to manage a certain amount of time for performing yoga as you are not in the habit of doing so. But you must learn how to manage time from your busy schedule to carry out yoga on a regular basis as it helps you to get relief from your stressful life effectively.

To learn to carry out perfect yoga postures you must be aware of the interconnection between exercise, breath and meditation. The more you know about the three basic components of yoga the more would be yoga beneficial for you.

There are five basic principles of yoga; the technique of proper relaxation, performing exercises, right ways of breathing, maintaining of proper diet, positive thinking and meditation.

Isha is an yoga enthusiast. She has taken part in various programs of yoga throughout the world. You may search for a good Indian health aid guide to learn about beginner's yoga.

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