Zuckerberg’s Rebrand Of Facebook’s Role In Biden Censorship Scheme Refuted In Facebook Files
Zuckerberg’s Rebrand Of Facebook’s Role In Biden Censorship Scheme Refuted In Facebook Files
By: Jordan Boyd
January 13, 2025
4 min read
Mark Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan that Facebook pushed back on the Biden regime’s censorship demands. The Facebook Files say otherwise.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is on a mission to give Facebook’s key role in the censorship industrial complex a makeover, but his attempts to save face one alleged fact-checking policy change and tampon at a time flounder in the face of the evidence.
The Silicon Valley bro’s attempt to drastically shift Facebook away from the radical policies that have defined its presence in the Big Tech world while the second Trump administration takes over the federal government is no coincidence. Zuckerberg even took a page out of President Donald Trump’s playbook by going on the number one podcast in the world, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” to explain the alleged end to the Big Tech company’s partisan “fact-checking” program he announced earlier this month.
One of the most newsworthy moments of the episode occurred when Zuckerberg admitted to host Joe Rogan that members of the Biden administration “would call up our team and like scream at them and curse” demanding censorship of content, including memes, that it claimed undermined the regime’s Covid-19 vaccine agenda.
According to the Facebook founder, the employees on Meta’s censorship team rejected and even pushed back on the Democrat regime’s pressure to remove posts and “take down humor and satire.”
“It basically just got to this point where we were like ‘No, we’re not going to take down things that are true. That’s ridiculous,’” Zuckerberg said.
“Did you record any of those phone calls?” Rogan asked. “I want to listen.”
“No I don’t think [we did] but, I mean, the emails are published. It’s all kind of out there,” Zuckerberg said, referring to the Facebook Files published by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan in 2023. The communications in question were only handed over by Facebook under the threat of holding Zuckerberg in contempt.
Zuckerberg’s version of events suggests Facebook stood its ground against the government. It’s those same Facebook Files, however, that prove his words ring false.
Contrary to Zuckerberg’s claims, the communications published by Jordan in 2023 expose several instances when Facebook caved in the face of a Biden official’s temper tantrums.
President Joe Biden’s Senior Adviser Andy Slavitt pushed Facebook to remove a Leonardo Di Caprio-themed meme about class action compensation for people who took the Covid jab. While it’s true that Facebook’s President for Global Affairs Nick Clegg warned it “would represent a significant incision into traditional boundaries of free expression in the US,” Facebook continued to give in to the Biden administration.
The Facebook Files show Slavitt’s meltdown ultimately spurred Chegg and Facebook’s team to appease the White House by quietly downranking content from conservatives like Tucker Carlson for criticizing the Biden administration’s Covid-19 shot campaign. Emails reveal that it was “continued criticism of our approach from the [Biden] administration” that propelled Facebook to “brainstorm some additional policy levers we can pull to be more aggressive against . . . misinformation.”
In another email thread published by Jordan, Biden’s then-Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty pushed Facebook to reduce and “kick” accounts that the Biden administration claimed were spreading “misinformation” and even manipulate the algorithm against them.
Zuckerberg purported in his JRE appearance that Facebook resisted Biden administration bids like these. Instead, the Big Tech company’s censors fulfilled Flaherty’s dreams that it would “play ball” by “demoting” posts casting doubts on the Covid-19 jab. Covid content that couldn’t be easily or justifiably removed under Facebook’s terms and conditions would be “contained” and sent to the company’s third-party “fact-checkers” for further false impugnment.
Zuckerberg wants the millions of people who tuned into his conversation with Rogan to believe that Facebook was a heroic middle-man who told off the government when it tried to throttle dissenters. In reality, Facebook was a willing accomplice in the Democrat-fueled war on free speech. No amount of Zuckerberg’s revisionist retelling can erase the evidence that Facebook eagerly participated in the Biden administration’s scheme to silence its political enemies, dissenters, and publications like The Federalist.
Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.
https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/13/zuckerbergs-rebrand-of-facebooks-role-in-biden-censorship-scheme-refuted-in-facebook-files/
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Zuck is copying Elon Musk
Meta's about-face on fact-checking shows how Musk has remade the world in his image.
Amanda Hoover
Jan 8, 2025, 1:01 AM PST
While Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk never did face off in that cage match, "Uncle Elon" has bested Zuck in the political arena, becoming one of the most powerful unelected figures in modern US history. Now, in hopes of forging a friendlier relationship with the Trump administration a second time around, Zuckerberg seems to be following a new mantra: If you can't beat Elon, be him.
On Tuesday, Meta announced it would end third-party fact-checking and replace it with a more hands-off content-moderation policy in which users police one another through community notes — just like Musk's X. In a video announcing the changes, Zuckerberg said that "governments and legacy media" had pushed for more censorship in recent years, and that Meta had decided its "complex systems" had "too many mistakes and too much censorship." "The recent elections," the Meta CEO added, "also feel like a cultural tipping point towards, once again, prioritizing speech." His language would have sounded natural coming out of the mouth of Musk, who shared Zuckerberg's video on X and dubbed Meta's move "cool."
Community notes is only the latest page Zuckerberg has taken from his billionaire rival's playbook. Whether conducting mass layoffs or removing the guardrails to social media or joining forces with Musk against their shared competitor OpenAI or spending time at Mar-a-Lago, Zuckerberg has been following Musk's lead more often.
This isn't the first time Zuckerberg, who has helmed Facebook since he was 19, has reinvented himself. From the brash, hoodie-wearing Harvard dropout in Facebook's early days to the suit-wearing, meat-smoking, Silicon Valley nice guy in the years after the company went public to the hardened, martial-arts-practicing "wartime"-mode Zuck who emerged in the wake of the most turbulent period in company history, Zuckerberg has fashioned several personas that approximate what his company most needs him to be at the time. In 2025, don't let his longer hair, oversize T-shirts, and statement jewelry fool you. The persona Mark Zuckerberg has taken on to ensure Meta's success as his historical adversary Donald Trump returns to the White House acts a lot like Donald Trump's right-hand man, Elon Musk.
When Musk bought Twitter in 2022, he shaved content moderation to bare bones in the name of free speech and cut more than 80% of its staff, sending shockwaves through the tech world. Many speculated that Twitter would crack under the pressure, and die. When, despite some hiccups, the platform continued to function largely as normal, Zuckerberg, like several other tech CEOs, applauded Musk for making Twitter "leaner" (doing so on the Musk superfan Lex Fridman's podcast). Meta also laid off 11,000 workers days after Musk took over Twitter, and Zuckerberg then dubbed 2023 "the year of efficiency" at Meta, cutting another 10,000 people. Zuckerberg now also plans to move trust-and-safety workers from California to Texas, following in step with Musk, who has relocated X from San Francisco to Texas, where he has also located Starlink and The Boring Company.
And as Zuckerberg stayed quieter throughout the 2024 presidential election after Meta took heat for misinformation in 2016 and 2020, Musk did the opposite. The world's richest man appeared onstage alongside Trump, backed Trump with more than $250 million, and posted to X incessantly in support of the now president-elect. Musk has again come out on top, as he now sits at the pinnacle of political influence and is poised to radically reshape government spending as he and Vivek Ramaswamy spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency. Big Tech's other power players who want a favorable relationship with Trump are left to follow in his path.
Since November, Apple's Tim Cook, Open AI's Sam Altman, and Amazon have each donated to Trump's inaugural fund. Zuckerberg has done that and more, including visiting Mar-a-Lago to have dinner with the president-elect; naming UFC CEO Dana White, a close Trump ally, to Meta's board; and promoting Joel Kaplan, a longtime Republican lobbyist, to chief global affairs officer. (On Tuesday, Kaplan gave an interview on "Fox & Friends" to promote the company's content-moderation changes.)
All of this is meant to quell a once adversarial relationship between Zuckerberg and Trump, who had threatened to imprison Zuckerberg if his social sites interfered with the 2024 election and years ago accused Facebook of being "anti-Trump" and colluding against him (Zuckerberg pushed back against such claims).
As my colleague Peter Kafka wrote of the community notes news: "There's no way to see Zuckerberg's moves as anything other than a straightforward attempt to please Trump and the incoming president's conservative allies, who have often complained that Zuckerberg's properties were biased against them." Even Trump said Tuesday that Meta was "probably" responding to his own past threats against Zuck by pivoting.
The very fact-checkers who will soon be dismissed by Meta began with a program in December 2016, after Facebook faced harsh criticism for its role in spreading misinformation in Trump's first election a month prior. Meta actively worked to downplay political content following the January 6, 2021, insurrection, and it suspended Trump from Facebook and Instagram (Meta lifted the suspension in early 2023, saying the public should be able to access what politicians are saying; the move came shortly after Musk allowed Trump back on Twitter). When Meta launched Threads, its own Twitter competitor, in 2023, the Instagram head, Adam Mosseri, said the new app would not encourage breaking news and politics posts. But Musk, who has rebuilt X in his own image to favor conservative and far-right accounts, has found that a social-media site can win when embracing the president. On Tuesday, Meta also said it would reverse course and stop downgrading political content, and start phasing politics back into users' feeds. (A Meta spokesperson referred to past public statements but did not provide new comment for this story.)
Early research on X's community notes shows the move has led to mixed results when it comes to combating misinformation. But changes at X have certainly proved a mammoth victory for Musk, whose wealth has grown by an estimated $200 billion since the election. As he's molded himself more in Uncle Elon's image, Nephew Zuck may also find himself in Trump's favor.
Amanda Hoover is a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering the tech industry. She writes about the biggest tech companies and trends.
Business Insider's Discourse stories provide perspectives on the day's most pressing issues, informed by analysis, reporting, and expertise.
https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-copying-elon-musk-content-moderation-trump-efficiency-2025-1
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Elon Musk breaks silence on Twitter, posts a picture with the pope
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Apollo 14 Played Golf on the Moon.
Astronaut Alan Shepard famously hit two golf balls on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971.
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Jimmy Carter in 1980: ‘Moon looks like a golf course’ compared to Mount St. Helens
Dec 29, 2024, 2:46 PM | Updated: 2:47 pm
BY FELIKS BANEL
Local historian
After Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared all of Washington a federal disaster area and then paid a visit to see the devastation for himself.
Carter, who served just one term in office, died after a long illness on Dec. 29, 2024. He was 100 years old.
While the 39th Commander-in-Chief first entered hospice in 2023, it seemed like a good reason to look back to when Carter visited Washington and Oregon a few days after the 1980 eruption and a great excuse to listen to vintage audio clips from the somewhat unusual presidential visit to the Pacific Northwest.
Air Force One landed at the Air National Guard Base at Portland International Airport on the evening of Wednesday, May 21, 1980. The entourage traveled by motorcade to a briefing at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest headquarters in Vancouver, Washington, and then to the Marriott Hotel in Portland, Oregon, for the night.
The next morning, Carter, Washington Gov. Dixy Lee Ray, and other officials (and the news media) took off from the air base in a fleet of seven helicopters. For the next hour or so, they viewed mud and debris from the eruption clogging the Columbia River (near the mouth of the Cowlitz, which was also clogged) and blocking freight traffic in the busy corridor; flooding near Longview; homes in the Toutle Valley and other areas damaged by mudflows coming down the Toutle River; and the unimaginable devastation in the immediate vicinity of the volcano.
After the tour, the helicopters landed at Kelso Airport and then went by motorcade a few miles to Cascade Middle School in Longview (home since 1961, as everyone knows, to the mighty Cavaliers.)
School in the Longview/Kelso area had been canceled all week because of the eruption, but the gymnasium at Cascade had been converted into a Red Cross shelter for people who lost their homes or whose homes were now threatened. Carter met many of the 40 or so people staying at the shelter, listened to their stories, and offered words of support.
Longtime Sen. Warren Magnuson of Washington was also on the tour with Carter that day, and at one point, newspaper accounts say, he and Governor Ray tussled verbally over state versus federal funding required to aid in disaster recovery – Ray wanted federal dollars, Magnuson said the feds were broke.
This was 1980, after all, and the country was deep in an economic downturn, mired in the ongoing Iran hostage crisis, and on the brink of the United States’ boycott of the Summer Olympics in Moscow (in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan).
As it turned out, three of the highest-ranking elected officials who toured the volcano that day – Carter, Gov. Ray, and Sen. Magnuson – would lose their reelection bids later that year as the “Reagan landslide” radically changed Evergreen State politics (though Ray would lose earlier in the primary to Jim McDermott.)
But, those elections were still months away when, at the Kelso Airport, Carter made one of his most memorable comments about the devastation he’d witnessed from the helicopter.
“I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this before,” Carter told the gathered members of the media. “Somebody said it looked like a moonscape. The moon looks like a golf course compared to what’s out there.
“It is a horrible-looking sight.” Carter said.
More from Feliks Banel: How Seattle observed VE Day in 1945
Leaving Kelso, the entourage then headed back to Portland and the Marriott Hotel for a news conference. The president’s remarks made it very clear that what he had seen with his own eyes had made a deep impression.
“The absolute and total devastation of a region . . . encompasses about 150 (square) miles,” Carter said. “It’s the worst thing I have ever seen. It is literally indescribable, and it’s devastating.
“There is no way to prepare oneself for the sight that we beheld this morning,” the president continued. “I don’t know that … in recorded history in our nation, there has ever been a more formidable explosion.”
And even just four days after the deadly disaster which took the lives of 57 people, Carter was already looking ahead somewhat presciently, if sheepishly, to what would eventually become the reality of Mount St. Helens once the eruptive activity subsided.
“When safe places are fixed for tourists and others and scientists to come in and observe it,” the president said, “I would say there would be, if you’ll excuse the expression, a tourist attraction that would equal the Grand Canyon or something.”
“It’s an unbelievable sight,” he said.
Air Force One departed from Portland and headed back east. The jet touched down briefly in Spokane so the president could see the ash damage in Eastern Washington and meet with officials there before getting back on the plane and returning to Washington, D.C.
Editors’ note: This piece originally was published on May 18, 2023. It has been updated and republished since then.
Feliks Banel has served as KIRO Newsradio’s Resident Historian since 2015, and was originally hired by the radio station in 1991. Read more from Feliks here; subscribe to The Resident Historian Podcast here; and subscribe to Feliks’ Unsolved Histories podcast here. Feliks frequently posts about Northwest history on his Facebook page; follow him there for previews and updates. If you have a story idea or a question about Northwest history, please email Feliks.
https://mynorthwest.com/history/president-carter-moon-golf-course-compared-mt-st-helens/3888183
Updated Nov. 22, 2023
Why Ivana Trump Was Buried at Bedminster Golf Course: 3 Theories
Portrait of Margaret Hartmann
By Margaret Hartmann, senior editor for Intelligencer who has worked at New York since 2012
Ivana Trump, former president Donald Trump’s first wife, died on July 14, 2022 at the age of 73, owing to injuries she suffered in an accidental fall on the “grand curving staircase” at her Upper East Side townhouse. Her funeral drew about 400 people and featured a gold-hued coffin, Secret Service agents, and loving remembrances from her three adult children as well as several friends. Then this icon of ’80s glamour and New York tabloid drama was laid to rest … at a New Jersey golf course?
Many found the decision to bury Ivana at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster puzzling. She is the first person to be buried at the former president’s New Jersey property, and the ground had to be consecrated so she could have a traditional Catholic burial.
A New York Post photographer scoped out the site shortly after Ivana was laid to rest and found that while her grave isn’t literally on the golf course, the whole vibe is surprisingly understated:
Photos taken by The Post Thursday show Trump’s grave alone against a bucolic scenery of trees and shrubbery. The grave looks upon a sprawling green space upon the country club’s vast estate.
The plot where Ivana was buried has a bouquet of more than two dozen white flowers and a plaque that reads in all capital letters Ivana Trump with the dates she was born and died.
The grave is in a place where golfers would not see it as they tee off for a round of golf. The small section of the club is below the backside of the first tee.
A little over a year later, the mystery persists. Photographs published by The Daily Mail on August 12, 2023 show that Ivana’s grave is marked with a small headstone, which “has become overgrown with grass and is barely visible.”
So what exactly is going on here? I have a few theories.
Theory 1: Trump really loves northern New Jersey.
If Trump National Golf Club Bedminster held a special place in Ivana’s heart, there’s no record of it. Donald bought the property in 2002, a full decade after their divorce was finalized. While Ivana maintained a friendship with her ex-husband through her final days, and her daughter, Ivanka, was married at the club, it does not appear that Ivana ever publicly praised the property.
There is, however, ample evidence that Donald Trump thinks Bedminster is a phenomenal place to be laid to rest. “Wouldn’t you want to be buried here?” he mused to The Wall Street Journal in 2015. The idea has been on his mind for at least 15 years. Back in 2007, Trump filed paperwork to build a windowless wedding chapel at Bedminster that would later be converted into a mausoleum for himself and his family.
Drawings filed with the Somerset County township called for what NJ.com described as a “19-foot-high, classical-style stone structure” with “four imposing obelisks surrounding its exterior and a small altar and six vaults inside. Locals balked at the proposal, which they deemed gaudy, and Trump withdrew the plan. Five years later, he came back with a new idea: Instead of a mausoleum, he would be buried at a large cemetery with more than 1,000 graves. “The idea, apparently, was that Trump’s golf-club members would buy the other plots, seizing the chance at eternal membership,” the Washington Post reported.
Facing continued opposition to his ghoulish ambitions, Trump revised his plans once again. In 2014, the Trump Organization filed paperwork to build two graveyards at Bedminster. One would have 284 lots for sale to the public, while the other would consist of just ten plots for Trump and his family near the first tee. The company’s filing with the state said Trump “specifically chose this property for his final resting place as it is his favorite property.”
In an October 2023 interview, Eric Trump revealed it was his father’s idea to have his mother laid to rest at the “family funeral plot.” “He was the one to say, you know, ‘I want her with us,’” Eric said. “It was pretty amazing again, you know, kind of a wife long removed — ex-wife long removed. He’s an incredible man. He’s got a heart of gold.”
Theory 2: Trump is running an elaborate tax scheme.
Some remain skeptical that Trump actually considers this the most fabulous piece of property he owns:
The Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 31. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/LIV via Getty Images
The average person might say Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s seaside Florida resort, is more spectacular, but they’re not looking at Bedminister through the eyes of a person with an alleged passion for tax avoidance. This tweet from Brooke Harrington, a professor of sociology at Dartmouth, sparked speculation that Bedminster’s real appeal as a graveyard lies in New Jersey tax law.
As a tax researcher, I was skeptical of rumors Trump buried his ex-wife in that sad little plot of dirt on his Bedminster, NJ golf course just for tax breaks.
So I checked the NJ tax code & folks...it's a trifecta of tax avoidance. Property, income & sales tax, all eliminated. pic.twitter.com/VDZBlDyuhQ
— Brooke Harrington (@EBHarrington) July 31, 2022
Indeed, as Insider reported, there are some surprising perks to being the proprietor of a New Jersey graveyard:
Under New Jersey state tax code, any land that is dedicated to cemetery purposes is exempt from all taxes, rates, and assessments. Cemetery companies are also specifically exempt from paying any real estate taxes, rates, and assessments or personal property taxes on their lands, as well as business taxes, sales taxes, income taxes, and inheritance taxes.
And the Trump family has definitely been pursuing the tax advantages of cemetery ownership. A document published by ProPublica shows that the Trump Family Trust sought to designate a property in Hackettstown, New Jersey, about 20 miles from Bedminster, as a nonprofit cemetery company back in 2016.
But there is reason to question this too-Trumpy-to-be-true allegation. First, all this cemetery business is unnecessary because he has already found a way to drastically reduce his Bedminster tax burden. When the Post’s David Farenthold looked into Trump’s cemetery obsession in 2017, he concluded it wouldn’t be very profitable as a business venture or a tax-avoidance scheme:
… the savings would hardly be worth the trouble. That’s because Trump had already found a way to lower his taxes on that wooded, largely unused parcel. He had persuaded the township to declare it a farm, because some trees on the site are turned into mulch. Because of pro-farmer tax policies, Trump’s company pays just $16.31 per year in taxes on the parcel, which he bought for $461,000.
According to a 2019 HuffPost analysis, Trump slashed his Bedminster tax bill by about $88,000 a year by keeping eight goats and farming 113 acres of hay on the property.
Is is possible that the cemetery business is some kind of backup tax- avoidance scheme? I suppose, but it doesn’t make a ton of sense to this humble TurboTax user.
Theory 3: Trump is just keeping it weird.
“It’s always been my suspicion that there’s something we don’t know” about Trump’s cemetery plan, Bedminster land-use board member Nick Strakhov told Farenthold in 2017.
It does seem we’re missing a key piece of the boneyard puzzle. But there is one thing we know about Trump now that wasn’t quite as apparent back then: He is a super-weird guy. He has managed to be weird with various kinds of paper, toilet bowls, aircraft carriers, and “dangerous fruit,” to name just a few of his proclivities. The thought of our inevitable demise brings out strange feelings and behavior in most people. Some of the rich plan to freeze themselves or shoot their remains into space; is it any surprise that Trump has some grandiose idea about how he and his family should be laid to rest?
“It’s never something you like to think about, but it makes sense,” Trump told the New York Post during his first attempt to make Bedminster a cemetery in 2007. “This is such beautiful land, and Bedminster is one of the richest places in the country.”
Trumpy commentary on the wealth of northern New Jersey aside, that sounds astonishingly well adjusted.
This piece was updated to include Eric Trump’s comments on his mother’s gravesite.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ivana-trump-buried-bedminster-3-theories.html
Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus II; Italian: Giovanni Paolo II; Polish: Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła [ˈkarɔl ˈjuzɛv vɔjˈtɨwa];[b] 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in 2005.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II
As May 18 dawned, Mount St. Helens's activity did not show any change from the pattern of the preceding month. The rates of bulge movement and sulfur dioxide emission, and ground temperature readings did not reveal any changes indicating a catastrophic eruption. USGS volcanologist David A. Johnston was on duty at an observation post around 6 mi (10 km) north of the volcano: as of 6:00 am, Johnston's measurements did not indicate any unusual activity.[9]
At 8:32 am, a magnitude-5.1 earthquake centered directly below the north slope triggered that part of the volcano to slide,[31] approximately 7–20 seconds after the shock,[9] followed a few seconds later by the main volcanic blast. The landslide, the largest subaerial landslide in recorded history, traveled at 110 to 155 mph (177 to 249 km/h) and moved across Spirit Lake's west arm. Part of it hit a 1,150 ft-high (350 m) ridge about 6 mi (10 km) north.[9] Some of the slide spilled over the ridge, but most of it moved 13 mi (21 km) down the North Fork Toutle River, filling its valley up to 600 feet (180 m) deep with avalanche debris.[31] An area of about 24 sq mi (62 km2) was covered, and the total volume of the deposit was about 0.7 cu mi (2.9 km3).[9]
Scientists were able to reconstruct the motion of the landslide from a series of rapid photographs by Gary Rosenquist, who was camping 11 mi (18 km) away from the blast 46°18′49″N 122°02′12″W.[9] Rosenquist, his party, and his photographs survived because the blast was deflected by local topography 1 mi (1.6 km) short of his location.[32]
Sound of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, as heard from 140 miles away
Duration: 44 seconds.0:44
Amateur recording of a series of booms produced by the eruption, as heard from the town of Newport, Oregon (audio filtered and amplified).
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Most of St. Helens's former north side became a rubble deposit 17 mi (27 km) long, averaging 150 ft (46 m) thick; the slide was thickest at 1 mi (1.6 km) below Spirit Lake and thinnest at its western margin.[9] The landslide temporarily displaced the waters of Spirit Lake to the ridge north of the lake, in a giant wave about 600 ft (180 m) high.[33] This, in turn, created a 295 ft (90 m) avalanche of debris consisting of the returning waters and thousands of uprooted trees and stumps. Some of these remained intact with roots, but most had been sheared off at the stump seconds earlier by the blast of superheated volcanic gas and ash that had immediately followed and overtaken the initial landslide. The debris was transported along with the water as it returned to its basin, raising the surface level of Spirit Lake by about 200 ft (61 m).[9]
Four decades after the eruption, floating log mats persist on Spirit Lake and nearby St. Helens Lake, changing position with the wind. The rest of the trees, especially those that were not completely detached from their roots, were turned upright by their own weight and became waterlogged, sinking into the muddy sediments at the bottom where they are in the process of becoming petrified in the anaerobic and mineral-rich waters. This provides insight into other sites with a similar fossil record.[34]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens
Updated May 18, 2023 Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons Both the 2022 National Defense Strategy and the House Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan Future of Defense Task Force Report have identified directed energy as a technology that could have a significant impact on U.S. national security in the years to come. As the Department of Defense (DOD) continues to invest in directed-energy (DE) weapons, Congress may consider implications for defense authorizations, appropriations, and oversight. Overview DOD defines DE weapons as those using concentrated electromagnetic energy, rather than kinetic energy, to “incapacitate, damage, disable, or destroy enemy equipment, facilities, and/or personnel.” DE weapons include high-energy lasers (HEL) and high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons; other DE weapons, such as particle beam weapons, are outside the scope of this In Focus. HELs might be used by ground forces in short-range air defense (SHORAD), counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), or counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) missions. The weapons might be used to “dazzle” (i.e., temporarily disable) or damage satellites and sensors. This could in turn interfere with intelligence-gathering operations; military cmmunications; and positioning, navigation, and timing systems used for weapons targeting. In addition, HELs could theoretically provide options for boost-phase missile intercept, given their speed-of-light travel time; however, experts disagree on the affordability, technological feasibility, and utility of this application. In general, HELs might offer lower costs per shot and— assuming access to a sufficient power supply—deeper magazines compared with traditional munitions. (Although a number of different types of HELs exist, many of the United States’ current programs are solid state lasers, which are fueled by electrical power. As a result, the cost per shot is equivalent to the cost of the electrical power required to fire the shot.) This could in turn produce a favorable costexchange ratio for the defender, whose marginal costs would be significantly lower than those of the aggressor.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11882
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It's hard to see how the fishing industry will pick itself up again. Takeshi is moving away from the coast as is his neighbor and fellow fisherman. His wife has refused to return here since the tsunami hit. At the age of 77, he is unlikely to be able to start from scratch. But he picks up any remnants of his fishing gear he can find, just in case. What is left intact barely fills one small basket. His neighbor finds his clock. It has stopped at 3:22pm -- the exact moment his life changed and countless others ended." Misplaced trust: 30-foot tsunami wall didn't save Japanese village by Paul Hancocks
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/31/japan.tsunami.village/index.html
Skull and Bones, The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut."
"There is a secret that binds the two men who would be the next leader of the free world. President George W Bush and Senator John Kerry both spent a portion of their youth laying bare their sex lives in Gothic rituals presided over by a human skull and the skeletal remains of various other animal species in a windowless building known as the Tomb. They also formed an unusual attachment to the number 322, which holds a special resonance for the club's members." Skeletons in the closet
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/may/20/usa.internationaleducationnews
"It is perhaps worth noting, in light of George W.'s controversial episode at Bob Jones University and the specter of anti-Catholicism, that at one point in the proceedings every initiate kisses the slippered toe of the "Pope." At last the initiate is formally dubbed a Knight of Eulogia. Amid more raucous ritual he is cast from the room into the waiting arms of the patriarchs."
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2000/05/george-w-knight-of-eulogia/304686/
A major landslide occurred 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Oso, Washington, United States, on March 22, 2014 (3/22/2014), at 10:37 a.m. local time. A portion of an unstable hill collapsed, sending mud and debris to the south across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, engulfing a rural neighborhood, and covering an area of approximately 1 square mile (2.6 km2). Forty-three people were killed and 49 homes and other structures destroyed."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Oso_mudslide
Operation Mockingbird is an alleged large-scale program of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that began in the early years of the Cold War and attempted to manipulate domestic American news media organizations for propaganda purposes. According to author Deborah Davis, Operation Mockingbird recruited leading American journalists into a propaganda network and influenced the operations of front groups. CIA support of front groups was exposed when an April 1967 Ramparts article reported that the National Student Association received funding from the CIA.[1] In 1975, Church Committee Congressional investigations revealed Agency connections with journalists and civic groups.
In 1973, a document referred to as the "Family Jewels"[2] was published by the CIA containing a reference to "Project Mockingbird", which was the name of an operation in 1963 which wiretapped two journalists who had published articles based on classified material.[3] The document does not contain references to "Operation Mockingbird".[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created under the National Security Act of 1947, which President Truman signed on July 26, 1947. The CIA officially came into existence on September 18th that same year, which is when we celebrate our birthday.
With the passage of the 1947 Act, Truman achieved his goals of modernizing and unifying America’s armed services, and, by creating a centralized intelligence agency, reformed our intelligence capabilities. To protect American’s civil liberties, he made sure to clearly divide intelligence roles between domestic and foreign: FBI would handle anything domestic, while CIA was limited to foreign intelligence only. Furthermore, the Act specified that CIA would have no police, subpoena, or law enforcement powers.
President Truman appointed Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter as the first CIA director, known as the Director of Central Intelligence. He had been the Director of one of our immediate “ancestors,” called the Central Intelligence Group. The CIG was a bureaucratic anomaly with no independent budget, no statutory mandate, and staffers assigned from other departments of the government. America needed a peacetime, centralized intelligence agency with its own budget and mandate. That’s why Truman replaced the CIG and created the CIA.
The 1947 Act loosely defined CIA’s mission into four broad tasks:
The 1947 Act was relatively unchanged until 2004. President Bush, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, made major updates to the 1947 act, including the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
If you’re interested, you can find out more about what is called “the National Security Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of December 2004” on the DNI’s website.
The importance of the 1947 National Security Act cannot be overstated. It created our Nation’s first peacetime intelligence agency, reflected America’s acceptance of its position as a world leader, and it remained a cornerstone of our national security policy for 75 years… and counting.
~ Molly
https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/ask-molly-the-national-security-act-of-1947/
Molly
fem. proper name, a diminutive of Moll, which is a familiar form of Mary.
molly (n.1)
a common 18c. colloquial term for "homosexual man" or "man who is deemed effeminate, a sissy," by 1707, perhaps 1690s. The fem. proper name Molly or Moll served as a type-name of a low-class girl or prostitute in old songs and ballads (perhaps in part for the sake of the easy rhymes).
But the colloquial word also resembles Latin mollis "soft," which also had been used classically in a specific pejorative sense in reference to men, "soft, effeminate, unmanly, weak," in Cicero, Livy, etc. A 1629 publication from the Catholic-Protestant theological disputes, "Truth's triumph ouer Trent," written in English with swerves into Latin, at one point describes the denizens of Hell as fideles fornicarios, adulteros, molles, and so forth, and molles is translated parenthetically in the text as "effeminate." Molly House as a term for a brothel frequented by gay men is attested in a court case from 1726.
also from 18c.
molly (n.2)
seabird, 1857, short for mollymawk, mallemuck, from Dutch mallemok, from mal "foolish" + mok "gull."
also from 1857
https://www.etymonline.com/word/molly
Happy National Bird Day - Koko B. Ware sings "Bird Bird Bird": Prime Time Wrestling, Sept. 11, 1989
WWE
98.6M subscribers
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"Fulcanelli’s main strategy, the key to unraveling the mystery, lies in an understanding of what he calls the “phonetic law” of the “spoken cabala,” or the “language of the birds.” This punning, multilingual wordplay can be used to reveal unusual and, according to Fulcanelli, meaningful associations between ideas. “What unsuspected marvels we should find, if we knew how to dissect words, to strip them of their bark and liberate the spirit, the divine light which is within,” Fulcanelli writes. He claims that in our day this is the natural language of the outsiders, the outlaws and heretics at the fringes of society. (See appendix A, “Fulcanelli on the Green Language,” for the complete text of this chapter.) 6 This spoken cabala was also the “green language” of the Freemasons (“All the Initiates expressed themselves in cant,” Fulcanelli reminds us) who built the art gothique of the cathedrals. “Gothic art is in fact the art got or art cot —χοτ—the art of light or of the spirit,” Fulcanelli informs us. Ultimately the “art got,” or the “art of light,” is derived from the language of the birds, which seems to be a sort of Ur-language taught by both Jesus and the ancients." The Mysteries of the Great Cross by Jay Weidner
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vrxcBcn4h7RRM2SA3X1SS1DsooSxfitI/view?usp=sharing
How to Speak Ignatian: Common words and phrases of the Society of Jesus
Adapted from “How to Speak Loyola,” a glossary developed by the Office of Mission &
Identity, Loyola University, Chicago.
Microsoft Word - How to Speak Ignatian.doc (jesuithighschool.org)
https://www.jesuithighschool.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/how_to_speak_ignatian_0.pdf
IF WE LOOK AGAIN TO THE BOOK OF DANIEL, this time to chapter 8, verse 25, the prophet foretold that Anti-Christ would cause "craft" to prosper: "And through his policy also he shall cause 'craft" to prosper in his hand: and he shall magnify himself..." What is "kraft"? Strong's Concordance defines the word craft (#4820) as meaning "fraud, deceit, and treachery." Thus, Anti-Christ "through" craft, deceit and treachery (viz., deception) would advance its position, influence and agenda.
But how do we know that this entity (referred to by Daniel) is indeed the dreaded Anti-Christ? We know this entity is Anti-Christ because it opposes and magnifies itself against Jesus Christ: "he shall magnify in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes" (latter part of Dan. 8: 25).
Earlier in verse 23 of Daniel 8 it says "he" shall also understand dark sentences." Strong's Concordance tells us that the word for dark is the same word for sentences (#2420). Both words mean "a puzzle," or "trick" saying. The expression "dark sentences" comes from the root word meaning "to put forth (#2330)." Thus, Antichrist would put forth, or utter dark sentences-language not readily understood by the unintiated, which language will have a double meaning designed to trick or mislead the hearer. The "puzzle, or trick" in these "dark sentence" will be the issuing of double meaning in the same statements. In other words, reader, Anti-Christ would have a double rule-"one for its private and particular use, and another to flaunt with before the world."
The agents, or spokesmen of Anti-Christ will speak with mental reservation and amphibologies. That is to say, with double sensed or ambigous words, or to use the words of Constantine Labarum "justification of the means by the end, and many other maxims,
+I say agents of Anti-Christ, because no sensible individual could really believe that Anti-Christ is a single man, for Paul says Anti-Christ (its early manifestation) was already in existence in his day and would continue till the end of time.+
subversive of honesty and morality." In short, Anti-Christ would be a system of unscrupulous duplicity, of impostors, of wolves in sheep's clothing!
Have we any example in the long anals of history of such a duplicitous system using "craft" "deceit" "fraud" and "treachery" as it crept into power over the world? William Tyndale, the great English Reformer, in his Practice of Prelates, speaks of the rise of this phenomenon by the following graphic parable:-
"To see how the holy father came up, mark the ensample of the ivy. First it springeth up out of the earth, and then awhile CREEPETH ALONG BY THE GROUND, till it finds a great tree, and creepeth up a little and a little, fair, and softly. At the begininning, while it is yet thin and small, the burden is not perceived; it seemeth glorious to garnish the tree in the winter. BUT IT HOLDETH FAST WITHAL, AND CEASETH NOT TO CLIMB UP TILL IT BE AT THE TOP, AND EVEN ABOVE ALL. And then it sendeth its branches along by the branches of the tree, and overgroweth all, and waxeth great, heavy, and thich : and sucketh the moisture so sore out of the tree and his branches that choaketh and stifleth them. And then THE FOUL, STINKING IVY waxeth MIGHTY in the stump of the tree, and becometh a seat and a nest for all unclean birds, and for blind owls, which hawk in the dark, and dare not come to the light. EVEN SO THE BISHOP OF ROME, NOW CALLED THE POPE, AT THE BEGINNING CROPE ALONG UPON THE EARTH...."
How accurate is William Tyndale's description of the rise of the pope and the popedome as predicted by prophet Daniel: "in the latter time... a king.. understanding dark sentences, shall stan up... and shall he cause craft to prosper" "and shall prosper, practice, and shall destroy..." (Dan. 8:23,24,25).
Yeah, with what clearness and boldness, and considerable amount of historical learning, does Tyndale trace the way by which the supremacy of the pope arose. It has been said of this passage by one learned author that there is "probably nowhere in the English language any passage superior in force and graphic skill o the well-known description of the rise of the Pope." And we may add here that like the stinking ivy-which plant is almost impossible to entirely kill-it is also very difficult to rid our world of popery: this requires a lot of hard work, courage and persistence, and still the dead stump may yet shoot up again.
Said historian Henry Grattan Guinness, "In the fourth century, with the the fall of paganism, began a worldly, imperial Christianity, wholly unlike primitive apostolic Christianity, a sort of Christianized heathenism: and in the fifth and sixth centuries sprang up the Papacy, in those career the apostasy culminated later on. The mighty Caesars had fallen; Augustus, Domitian, Hadrian, Diocletian were gone; even the Constantines and Julians had passed away. The seat of sovereignty had been removed from Rome to Constantinople. Goths and Vandals' had overthrown the western empire; the once mighty political structure lay delivered into broken fragments. The imperial government was slain by the Gothic sword. The Czesars were no more, and Rome was an actual desolation Then slowly on the ruins of old imperial Rome an actual desolation. Then slowly on the ruins of an old imperial Rome rose another power and another monarchy-a monarchy of loftier aspirations and more resistless might, claiming dominion, not only within the omits of the fallen empire, but throughout the entire world. Higher and higher [like the stinking ivy] rose the Papacy, till in the dark ages all Christendom was subject to its sway...."
The 'craft' of Rome, both in medieval times and today, is the art of fabrication and daring falsehoods: "Like the successive strata of the earth covering one another, SO LAYER AFTER LAYER OF FORGERIES AND FABRICATIONS HAS BEEN PILED UP IN THE CHURCH |OF ROME|," bolstered by a Jesuitical "literaryand academic flexibility and elastic versatality of pen hitherto confined to journalism." "Anti-Christ Would Use "Craft" And Deceit To Prosper" Codeword Barbelon book Two by P.D. Stuart
Billy Dunn - "Anti-Christ Would Use "Craft" And Deceit To Prosper"... | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/billy.dunn.50767/posts/pfbid02jDqwhcuosGxKf9kJx7ACfTVWy5efnMJHY3Jba2kumGupry5rb3g3WcaZQgLgTyPxl
The Arab Spring (Arabic: الربيع العربي, romanized: ar-rabīʻ al-ʻarabī) or the First Arab Spring (to distinguish from the Second Arab Spring) was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in Tunisia in response to corruption and economic stagnation.[1][2] From Tunisia, the protests then spread to five other countries: Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. Rulers were deposed (Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia in 2011, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya in 2011, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in 2011, and Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen in 2012) or major uprisings and social violence occurred including riots, civil wars, or insurgencies. Sustained street demonstrations took place in Morocco, Iraq, Algeria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Sudan. Minor protests took place in Djibouti, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.[3] A major slogan of the demonstrators in the Arab world is ash-shaʻb yurīd isqāṭ an-niẓām! (Arabic: الشعب يريد إسقاط النظام, lit. 'the people want to bring down the regime').[4]
The wave of initial revolutions and protests faded by mid-2012, as many Arab Spring demonstrations were met with violent responses from authorities,[5][6][7] pro-government militias, counterdemonstrators, and militaries. These attacks were answered with violence from protesters in some cases.[8][9][10] Multiple large-scale conflicts followed: the Syrian civil war;[11][12] the rise of ISIL,[13] insurgency in Iraq and the following civil war;[14] the Egyptian Crisis, election and removal from office of Mohamed Morsi, and subsequent unrest and insurgency;[15] the Libyan Crisis; and the Yemeni crisis and subsequent civil war.[16] Regimes that lacked major oil wealth and hereditary succession arrangements were more likely to undergo regime change.[17]
A power struggle continued after the immediate response to the Arab Spring. While leadership changed and regimes were held accountable, power vacuums opened across the Arab world. Ultimately, it resulted in a contentious battle between a consolidation of power by religious elites and the growing support for democracy in many Muslim-majority states.[18] The early hopes that these popular movements would end corruption, increase political participation, and bring about greater economic equity quickly collapsed in the wake of the counter-revolutionary moves by foreign state actors in Yemen,[19] the regional and international military interventions in Bahrain and Yemen, and the destructive civil wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen.[20]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring
DAY JESUS DIED SET AS APRIL 7, 30 A. D.; Biblical Texts Scholar Says Daniel's Prophecy Pointed Out Exact Time of Death
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By Arnaldo Cortesi
special To the New York Times.
April 12, 1952
ROME, April 11 -- Jesus Christ died on the fourteenth day of Nisan, according to the Hebrew calendar, and scholars have been disputing for centuries over the exact date on the Gregorian calendar to which the fourteenth of Nisan corresponds. The claim is now made that Daniel's well-known prophecy of the "seventy weeks" [Daniel, IX, 24] points conclusively to the seventh day of April in the year 30 A. D.
https://www.nytimes.com/1952/04/12/archives/day-jesus-died-set-as-april-7-30-a-d-biblical-texts-scholar-says.html
Fourteenth Rule. Although there is much truth in the assertion that no one can save himself without being predestined and without having faith and grace; we must be very cautious in the manner of speaking and communicating with others about all these things.
The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YC_luOfFWl0Bm0BWkbANKZGC1kkmdHQf/view?usp=sharing
14We ought to act on the principle that everyone who lives under obedience should let himself be carried and directed by Divine Providence through the agency of the superior 15as if he were a lifeless body, which allows itself to be carried to any place and treated in any way; or an old man s staff, which serves at any place and for any purpose in which the one holding it in his hand wishes to employ it. 16For in this way the obedient man ought joyfully to employ himself in any task in which the superior desires to employ him in aid of the whole body of the religious order; 17and he ought to hold it certain that by so doing he conforms himself with the divine will more than by anything else he could do while following his own will and different judgment.[3]"
page 221
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts
THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES
SAINT LOUIS, 1996
https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Other opinions
Ages exactly 2,000 years each
Many astrologers find ages too erratic based on either the vernal point moving through the randomly sized zodiacal constellations or sidereal zodiac and, instead, round all astrological ages to exactly 2000 years each. In this approach the ages are usually neatly aligned so that the Aries age is found from 2000 BC to AD 1, Pisces age AD 1 to AD 2000, the Aquarian Age AD 2000 – AD 4000, and so on.[20] This approach is inconsistent with the precession of the equinoxes. Based on precession of the equinoxes, there is a one-degree shift approximately every 72 years, so a 30-degree movement requires 2160 years to complete.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrological_age
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They were created with the aim of "peace and prosperity for people and the planet..."[1][2][3] – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The SDGs highlight the connections between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development. Sustainability is at the center of the SDGs.[4][5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals
Spring 2030 in United States
Spring Starts: Wednesday, Mar 20 6:51 am PDT
https://www.calendardate.com/spring_2030.htm
Easter in 2030
Date: April 21, 2030
Day: Sunday
Dates of Moon Phases in 2030 Year
New Moon
Apr. 2, Tue 03:04 PM
https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_phases/2030
Elon Musk: “We’re going straight to Mars. The Moon is a distraction.”
Eric Berger – Jan 3, 2025 9:28 AM | 1.1k
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/01/elon-musk-were-going-straight-to-mars-the-moon-is-a-distraction/
Harry R. Truman (October 1896 – May 18, 1980) was an American businessman, bootlegger, and prospector. He lived near Mount St. Helens, an active volcano in the state of Washington, and was the owner and caretaker of Mount St. Helens Lodge at Spirit Lake near the base of the mountain. Truman came to fame as a folk hero in the weeks leading up to the volcano's 1980 eruption after refusing to leave his home despite evacuation orders. He was killed by a pyroclastic flow that overtook his lodge and buried the site under 150 ft (46 m) of volcanic debris.
After Truman's death, his family and friends reflected on his love for the mountain. In 1981, Art Carney portrayed Truman in the docudrama film St. Helens. He was commemorated in a book by his niece, and also in various pieces of music, including songs by Headgear, Billy Jonas, and Shawn Wright and the Brothers Band.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_R._Truman
Newly added to Digital Collections: Harry S. Truman Letters
July 14, 2020
Did you know that President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was in correspondence with Melvin Maynard Johnson (1871-1957), the head of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction's Supreme Council during the 1940s and 1950s? A number of recently digitized letters, written from Truman to Johnson on White House stationery are available through the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives Digital Collections website. They reveal a friendly relationship, with President Truman beginning his letters to Johnson by addressing him "Dear Mel."
Truman became a Freemason in 1909. By 1940, he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Missouri. In 1945, Truman was created a 33rd degree Sovereign Grand Inspector General in the Scottish Rite's Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction. That same year, the Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, awarded Truman its first Gourgas Medal, the Supreme Council's highest honor.
The letters in this collection include both those from Harry Truman as well as one written by his wife, Bess Truman (1885-1982). The majority of the correspondence in this collection consists of letters written by President Harry S. Truman to his friend and fellow Freemason, Melvin Maynard Johnson (1871-1957). Johnson served as the Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction's Sovereign Grand Commander from 1933 to 1953.
For more about the friendship between Truman and Johnson, have a look at one of our earlier blog posts, A Mason Answers His Country's Call and Receives the Scottish Rite's Highest Award.
There are now over 750 items in the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives Digital Collections website. Be sure to visit and check them all out!
Caption:
Letter from President Harry S. Truman to Melvin M. Johnson, 1948 August 3. Collection of Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, Lexington, Massachusetts. SC069.
https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/harry-s-truman/
Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the U.S. and 33rd degree Freemason, in full occult regalia, in an official lodge portrait. Truman ordered the atomic incineration of two Japanese cities, killing at least 150,000 people, mostly women and children. Roosevelt's chief of staff, Admiral Leahy, admitted to Walter Trohan of the Chicago Tribune, that Japan was ready to surrender conditionally without an invasion by U.S. ground forces. It was Truman's insistence upon "unconditional surrender" that set the stage for Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Secret Societies and Psychological Warfare
by Michael A. Hoffman II
Extrusive (Volcanic) Rock Classification
Volcanic rocks are classified based on their chemical composition as determined by analytical techniques that identify the proportion of major elements found in them. Unlike for plutonic rocks, it is not possible to classify volcanic rocks based on the minerals found in them.
Some volcanic rocks contain some crystals (phenocrysts) that grew in the magma chamber prior to eruption, but others contain no crystals at all or are volcanic glass (obsidian).
In addition to the mafic (low silica) basalt, and the silicic rhyolite, several subdivisions exist between the two compositional end members.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/igneous.htm
THE CONCLAVE OR CELESTIAL CITY
Containing an epitome of the twelve degrees of the Philosophic Chamber of the Ancient and Accepted Rite.
The twelve degrees preceding the Rose Croix are as we have shown, associated with the twelve signs of the Zodiac.
From these fixed signs, the Rite passes to the Sun, Moon and the Planets.
From these the Rite looks to the four elements or four components of man, etc., and from these it considers the spirit and matter, or infinite and finite of the Universe and of man.
In the Rose Croix Degree, we have seen the son of masonry and heard the promise of universal peace and joy. Now let us proceed to seek the methods of realization, and learn how to restore the lost Eden and reedify the Celestial City."
Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated
THE COMPLETE RITUAL OF THE
Ancient AND Accepted Scottish Rite,
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED.
Volume 2
https://dn790006.ca.archive.org/0/items/scotchritemasonr02blan/scotchritemasonr02blan.pdf
"Very soon now, it will no longer be a mystery of 'when' these events will take place; they will have become a terrible reality. Where then, will each of us stand on these issues, when the onslaught actually begins? Quickly it will be seen that the New Ager's counterfeit messiah, Lord #Maitreya, is also the same person as the #Pontifex Maximus pope of Rome, who then will take the reins of the New World Order. The deceptions will mesh wonderfully together, as the "World Harmonic Convergence" accomplishes new values for mankind in the cooperation, collaboration and unification on behalf of the "Spirit of the Earth." For those of you who read this book, be patient, it won't be long and you will know that it revealed to you the truth.
Also, it is only a matter of time when Pope John Paul II, old and tired, will succumb to his great age, and his mantle will then go to a more younger and aggressive pope. By him, a work will now be accomplished, known as the "Era of Reseeding" when major population areas will be 'thinned out' and the human population will be resettled. Finally, will come the "Era of the New Harmony" and the "Crystal Kingdom" of the earth will be set up. This is the glorious version of Rome's final victory and total conquest of humanity. But there is one last crowning act that is needed to make this masterpiece of deception complete.
FALSE MESSIAH OCCUPIES JERUSALEM
The counterfeit surpassing all other counterfeits, Rome has now fulfilled its grandest dreams. The entire world lays in shambles at its feet. "Order out of Chaos" ,was its beloved motto.
Now the 'great pretender' , the Pontifex Maximus pope declares himself to be God over all the earth! Not content with just being ruler of all the earth - but "is worshiped; so that he as God sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
Only a Luciferic mind could think like that.
After usurping the very exalted position of grandeur, magnificence, majesty and sovereignty of God Himself - what other place would he choose to locate his Crystal Kingdom headquarters - other than where the God of creation has placed His own Holy name Jerusalem; where else? Rome has always had its covetous eye set on Jerusalem. The Crusaders were sent there to conquer it, after which, the Knights Templar were named after its temple. And now the Pontifex Maximus pope, dripping in blood of the world's innocents, claims this city as his too; to be the headquarters for ruling his New World Order.
Does all of this sound like some grotesque farcy tale or the terror of some fearsome nightmare? Oh my friend, how I wish that could really be the case; that we could actually wake up and none of this would really be true, and I could be called a liar. What I wouldn't give, if I could make that be so. But for all the sadness and horror it brings, it must be acknowledged that it is the truth. Not because man says so, but because God's Word has declared it. There is only one way to face the onslaught that is just ahead. We must fully trust our life into the hands of God, and then resolve in our minds that we are going to be killed; forgetting entirely the thought that we might be fortunate enough to escape. That is how thoroughly God's people are going to be rooted out. Know for sure in your own mind - they can kill your body ever so dead, but they can never take your life - if it is in Christ Jesus. That belongs to God alone.
Very soon, God's people are going to be confronted with the exact same experience as our Lord and Saviour. To know and look straight into the face of death - and yes, by the very same executioner - Rome. But our Lord loved you, dear reader, and me, and all, that He gave up His own life for ours. We must now respond to that love and be resolved to die also for Him, standing firm for His truth, as He died for us. And Rome can not kill us so dead, that our mighty God can not raise us back up to life. Not the miserable life we know now but incorruptible life for eternity. A quick calculation will tell you, that if one third of the earth's population, or nearly two billion people, are going to be slaughtered, only a minuscule fraction of that amount are fundamentalist Christians . That means a huge amount of people are going to die that are not Christians. Sadly, beyond any comprehension, they will have died for a very lost cause.
From all the horror, misery, and bloodshed, people universally, will become utterly paralyzed from sheer shock.
And to the overwhelming majority of them, sadly, this life is their only world, as they watch it being ripped apart; everywhere, nothing but chaos and devastation. They are terrified. They just do not understand! But there are a people that do understand; as they watch now with solemn awe, events occurring that they had known about and anticipated for many many years. This is what gives to God's people "hope". They know that God does not lie. God has given to His people promises, predictions, and prophecies that have never ever failed. That, dear friend, is wonderful, unselfish, and abiding love! - that builds unswerving trust. And no other promise is so deeply embedded into their hearts, than the one given that
Christ will soon return and redeem His people out of this wretched world. It buoys their spirits, as it assures them precious
'hope'.
Five hundred years before Jesus Christ walked the earth, God revealed to His people that Rome's false messiah, in the very end times, would "plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain." In other words, Jerusalem. (Daniel 11:45) What an incredible God we have! But notice how God describes it. He calls Rome setting up its New World Order headquarters in Jerusalem the "abomination that maketh desolate." In fact, Christ Himself prophesied that Rome would invade Jerusalem soon after His departure from earth, which it did in A.D.70. And this first invasion was to become a "type" for when it would occur again, with vengeance, in the very end time."
CHAPTER 17 "TWO OCCULT POWERS UNITED FOR FINAL WORLD
CONTROL"
The Grand Design Exposed
by John Daniel
http://www.granddesignexposed.com/contents.html
On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time, the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred at the Central Coast of California. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of the San Andreas Fault System and was named for the nearby Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. With an Mw magnitude of 6.9[10] and a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), the shock was responsible for 63 deaths and 3,757 injuries. The Loma Prieta segment of the San Andreas Fault System had been relatively inactive since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (to the degree that it was designated a seismic gap) until two moderate foreshocks occurred in June 1988 and again in August 1989.
Damage was heavy in Santa Cruz County and less so to the south in Monterey County, but effects extended well to the north into the San Francisco Bay Area, both on the San Francisco Peninsula and across the bay in Oakland. No surface faulting occurred, though many other ground failures and landslides were present, especially in the Summit area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Liquefaction was also a significant issue, especially in the heavily damaged Marina District of San Francisco, but its effects were also seen in the East Bay, and near the shore of Monterey Bay, where a non-destructive tsunami was also observed.[11]
Because it happened during a national live broadcast of the 1989 World Series, the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, taking place between Bay Area teams San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, it is sometimes referred to as the "World Series earthquake", with the championship games of the year being referred to as the "Earthquake Series". Rush-hour traffic on the Bay Area freeways was much lighter than normal because the game, being played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, was about to begin, and this may have prevented a larger loss of life, as several of the Bay Area's major transportation structures suffered catastrophic failures. The collapse of a section of the double-deck Nimitz Freeway in Oakland was the site of the largest number of casualties for the event, but the collapse of human-made structures and other related accidents contributed to casualties occurring in San Francisco, Los Gatos, and Santa Cruz.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Loma_Prieta_earthquake
Donald Trump: 'Two Corinthians 3:17. That's the whole ballgame, right?'
By Jim Galloway
Jan 19, 2016
https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/donald-trump-two-corinthians-that-the-whole-ballgame-right/qr5x0JMa30Tn8eL8HrP4jL/
Published: 10 October 1996
Russian documents Set out 'tectonic weapon' research
Carl Levitin
Moscow. The first official details have emerged in Moscow of ambitious research into 'tectonic warfare' carried out by the former Soviet Union and subsequently by the government of Russia, and involving atte mpts to stimulate 'artificial' earthquakes as weapons of destruction. According to documents obtained by the newspaper Moscow News, two research programmes, the first known as ' Mercury ' and the second as ' Volcano', were aimed at creating new earthquake epicentres by using underground nuclear explosions . Geophysicists are aware that impending earthquakes may be triggered by underground nuclear explosions . But Western geophysicists remain sceptical about tectonic warfare and have all but abandoned research after two unsuccessful phases of activity in the 1960s and 1980s, says Roger Clark, a lecturer in geophysics at the University of Leeds. Clark is not at all surprised that th e Russians tried to create earthquakes and control their location electromagnetically, however. "This sort of science is very much part of their heritage. We don't think it is impossible, or wrong , but past experience suggests it is very, very unlikely. "
The programme , which was secretly launched by the Communist rulers of the former Soviet Union in 1987, and has been unofficially known to Western geophysicists for several years, is now believed to have been abandoned. It would certainly contravene the terms of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which Russia signe d at the United Nations in Geneva last month . The Mercury project was launched in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, but came to a halt when the republic became independent. It was superseded by the Volcano project. Three underground nuclear tests are believed to have taken place at sites in Kyrgyzstan.
According to the documents, the Mercury project was launched by a secret decree of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union. The objective was to "develop a methodology for remote operation on an earthquake epicentre by using weak seismic fields and research possibilities of transferring the seismic energy of an explosion ".
The documents say that the Mercury project involved 22 scientific and industrial organizations, including the Geological Institute of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in Baku. The remit extended to developing the electronic equipment to be installed aboard space satellites that would control the tectonic weapon. The scientists were given three years to complete research, with testing planned for 1990.
During the research phase, Azerbaijani scientists grew increasingly confident and, according to the documents, were sure that " after [a] nuclear explosion, subterranean energy may accumulate at huge distances from the epicentre and reach massive capacity, after which the next directed explosion can release it all ".
Underground testing began at the town of Batken in Kyrgyzstan, and was directed by lkram Ke rimov , of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences. The documents say that scientists detonated an underground nuclear charge and tried to control the direction of seismic energy release d using British-built equipment known as 'system 9690 ' .
A report prepared by the Mozhaisky Military Engineering Institute concluded that the test had been a success. But progress slowed considerably following Azerbaijan's independence from the Soviet Union. At about this time , Russia embarked on a more comprehensive tectonic warfare programme known as the Volcano project. The Earth Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) became the project headquarters .
Research was scheduled to be completed in 1992, with underground testing beginning the following year. The final test was carried out at a place code-named S36NZ-0Kh; Moscow News believes the letters 'NZ' refer to Novaya Zemlya, where Soviet nuclear testing began in the 1950s."
https://www.nature.com/articles/383471a0
9. Interprovincial Works and Houses in Rome
304 §1. In the spirit of our fourth vow, the Society confirms its commitment to the interprovincial Roman works entrusted to it by the Holy See: the Pontifical Gregorian University and its associated institutes, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as the Pontifical Russicum College, the Vatican Radio, and the Vatican Observatory, all of which are common works of the whole Society, placed directly under the superior general. Recognizing the very valuable service that these institutions have offered and continue to offer today, it calls upon major superiors who share Father General s responsibility for them to continue their help through subsidies and especially by training and offering professors and other personnel to them.
§2. Also recommended to the care of all the provinces are those other works or houses in Rome that render a service to the entire Society, such as the Historical Institute of the Society of Jesus and the international colleges of the Society in Rome.[142]
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts
THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES
SAINT LOUIS, 1996
https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
Jeremiah 17:9-10
6. The delegates commit to working with the schools to enhance the way parents and families are invited into our education and formation."
The Rio Papers International Congress for Jesuit Education Delegates Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 2017
The Rio Papers (googleusercontent.com)
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ce18dDJhSfoJ:https://jesuitinstitute.org/Resources/Rio%2520Papers.pdf&cd=51&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
FAMILY TRAGEDY Dad drops dead after watching son, 15, accidentally kill own brother, 17, as he desperately tried to save him
The father was mourned as a beloved artist and generous member of the community
josh.cain@the-sun.com
Published: 21:29 ET, Jan 13 2025Updated: 21:29 ET, Jan 13 2025
A FATHER is dead after trying desperately to save his teenage son’s life after he was accidentally shot by his younger brother at their home.
Jay Gonzales, 41, was found dead along with Joshua Gonzales, 17, when police arrived at the family's house.
Joshua died from a gunshot fired by his 15-year-old brother while Jay died from an undisclosed medical episode, police said.
The tragedy occurred in Texas City, Texas, on Galveston Bay outside Houston, and the victims were identified by the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s office.
Jay, who had witnessed the shooting, died while giving Joshua lifesaving measures, local NBC affiliate KPRC-TV reported.
Cops rushed to the scene just after 1:20 am on Monday after learning of the shooting, the Texas City Police Department said.
The 15-year-old brother, whose name has not been released, was taken in for questioning before being released back to his mother.
Investigators handed the case over to the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office to decide whether charges should be filed.
A COMMUNITY MOURNS
The Texas City Independent School District confirmed in a statement that Joshua Gonzales was a student.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, and our thoughts are with the family and all those who cared for them during this difficult time,” the district said.
“The well-being of our students and staff is our top priority, and we have made counselors available to provide support to anyone who needs help processing their grief.
“Together, we will work together to support our school community as we navigate this loss.”
He did everything for the community — fundraisers, school drives.... Man, he went the extra mile if he could.
Melo SalazarJay Gonzales' business partner
The father, Jay Gonzales, was a traveling tattoo artist who worked at Artistic Image tattoo studio in Texas City, according to his Facebook profile.
Gonzales often posted his tattoo work on his Facebook and Instagram pages, which have since become the site of several tributes.
Gonzales’ co-workers at Artistic Image said that he was “loved by many because he always stepped up to help the community,” according to Houston CBS affiliate KHOU.
"Most of all, besides just a tattoo artist and a business partner, he was a human being and he was a damn good one," his business partner Melo Salazar said.
"He did everything for the community — fundraisers, school drives. I'm sorry, I mean, it's pretty hard. Man, he went the extra mile if he could, man."
"Anybody that knew him, I don't have to say that if they knew him, they loved him — he'll give the shirt off his back," Salazar said of Gonzales to KHOU.
An autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of the victims’ cause of death.
The Texas City Police Department released a statement confirming the status of the investigation.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered one individual deceased inside the home. Additionally, one person is currently being questioned in connection with the incident,” the department said.
“The investigation is ongoing, and authorities confirm that there is no immediate threat to public safety.”
The Texas City Police Department could not be reached for comment.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/13288536/texas-city-shooting-joshua-gonzales-jay/?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=web_push_notification&utm_campaign=web_push_2025-01-14
Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Tanvi Srivastava; Ekaterina Chirikova; Sapriya Birk; Fanxiu Xiong; Tarek Benzouak; Jane Y. Liu; Paul J. Villeneuve; Lydia B. Zablotska
Radiat Res (2023) 199 (5): 490–505.
https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-22-00153.1
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The number of people living with dementia is rising globally as life expectancy increases. Dementia is a multifactorial disease. Due to the ubiquity of radiation exposure in medical and occupational settings, the potential association between radiation and dementia, and its subtypes (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease), is of particular importance. There has also been an increased interest in studying radiation induced dementia risks in connection with the long-term manned space travel proposed by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Our aim was to systematically review the literature on this topic, and use meta-analysis to generate a summary measure of association, assess publication bias and explore sources of heterogeneity across studies. We identified five types of exposed populations for this review: 1. survivors of atomic bombings in Japan; 2. patients treated with radiation therapy for cancer or other diseases; 3. occupationally exposed workers; 4. those exposed to environmental radiation; and 5. patients exposed to radiation from diagnostic radiation imaging procedures. We included studies that considered incident or mortality outcomes for dementia and its subtypes. Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched the published literature indexed in PubMed between 2001 and 2022. We then abstracted the relevant articles, conducted a risk-of-bias assessment, and fit random effects models using the published risk estimates. After we applied our eligibility criteria, 18 studies were identified for review and retained for meta-analysis. For dementia (all subtypes), the summary relative risk was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.18; P = 0.001) comparing individuals receiving 100 mSv of radiation to those with no exposure. The corresponding summary relative risk for Parkinson's disease incidence and mortality was 1.12 (95% CI 1.07, 1.17; P <0.001). Our results provide evidence that exposure to ionizing radiation increases the risk of dementia. However, our findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of included studies. Longitudinal studies with improved exposure characterization, incident outcomes, larger sample size, and the ability to adjust for effects of potential confounders are needed to better assess the possible causal link between ionizing radiation and dementia.
INTRODUCTION
An estimated ten million new dementia cases occur worldwide every year (1 ). In 2020, there were 55 million patients living with dementia globally, and this number is expected to more than triple by 2050 (2 ). Dementia is an incurable and debilitating condition (3 ) that can bring distress and isolation to patients (4 ), as well as high healthcare costs that burden patients' families and caregivers (5 ). The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease (AD), which accounts for approximately two-thirds of all cases (6 ), followed by Parkinson's Disease (PD) (7 , 8 ). Dementia (unspecified), AD and PD share similarities in underlying biological mechanisms (9 , 10 ) and are frequently grouped together.
Age is the most important risk factor for dementia, followed by other determinants such as poor nutrition; low physical activity; and genetic, socioeconomic and environmental factors (11 ). Ionizing radiation can modify cognitive functions (12 –14 ) and affect neurological integrity (15 , 16 ), and has been linked with an increased risk of dementia (17 ). While radiation is one of the most studied carcinogens (18 ), more recent studies have suggested that exposure increases the risk of adverse non-cancer outcomes, particularly with cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease (19 , 20 ) and stroke (21 , 22 ).
Few epidemiological studies have examined the effects of radiation on dementia, primarily because the majority of studies has focused on cancer or cardiovascular outcomes using incidence or mortality data (18 ). Death certificates often do not include dementia as the underlying cause of death and the accompanying under-ascertainment of mortality can introduce bias, and reduce study power when investigating the effects of radiation on dementia (23 ). Despite these challenges, there have been more recent investigations on this topic including a recent meta-analysis by Lopes et al. (24 ). The Lopes et al. meta-analysis examined radiation risks for a broad grouping of nonmalignant diseases of the central nervous system that also included PD (24 ). There is a growing need for understanding the health effects from exposure to low dose radiation, including dementia, in view of NASA's long-term space travel plans (25 ). While space radiation is primarily composed of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle radiation (26 , 27 ), which differ from radiation exposures on Earth, epidemiologic research on any form of radiation can inform NASA's risk mitigation strategy (25 , 28 , 29 ). A 2012 literature review suggested that there were few studies of radiation exposure and increased risk of dementia and related outcomes, and their findings were equivocal (17 ). Hence, we undertook this review to provide a current synthesis of published findings on this topic, and to explore drivers of differences in the strength of association reported across studies. Our study complements the recently published review by Lopes et al. (24 ) by assessing issues related to publication bias and heterogeneity, as well as presenting summary measures of association specific to dementia.
METHODS
Protocol and Registration
We conducted this systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines (30 ). We registered the protocol for the review on PROSPERO [CRD42021260596], on September 17, 2021.
Exposure Definition
Radiation can be in the form of electromagnetic waves that include gamma rays and X rays, or particles such as alpha or beta particles (31 ). In this review, we examined the effects of both low (10 to 100 millisievert (mSv) and high (over 100 mSv) doses of external and internal radiation exposures to all forms of radiation at all dose-rates on dementia outcomes. We included both full-body and brain doses of radiation in the study but made no distinction when combining them in the meta-analysis.
Outcome Definition
The grouping “dementia” includes Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntington's Disease (HD), Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (32 )
https://meridian.allenpress.com/radiation-research/article/199/5/490/491672/Exposure-to-Ionizing-Radiation-and-Risk-of
The CORONA [1] program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force. The CORONA satellites were used for photographic surveillance of the Soviet Union (USSR), China, and other areas beginning in June 1959 and ending in May 1972."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CORONA_(satellite)
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.[7] Most scientists believe the SARS-CoV-2 virus entered into human populations through natural zoonosis, similar to the SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV outbreaks, and consistent with other pandemics in human history.[8][9] Social and environmental factors including climate change, natural ecosystem destruction and wildlife trade increased the likelihood of such zoonotic spillover.[10][11][12][13] The disease quickly spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 are variable but often include fever,[14] fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and loss of taste.[15][16][17] Symptoms may begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. At least a third of people who are infected do not develop noticeable symptoms.[18][19] Of those who develop symptoms noticeable enough to be classified as patients, most (81%) develop mild to moderate symptoms (up to mild pneumonia), while 14% develop severe symptoms (dyspnea, hypoxia, or more than 50% lung involvement on imaging), and 5% develop critical symptoms (respiratory failure, shock, or multiorgan dysfunction).[20] Older people are at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms. Some complications result in death. Some people continue to experience a range of effects (long COVID) for months or years after infection, and damage to organs has been observed.[21] Multi-year studies are underway to further investigate the long-term effects of the disease.[22]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19
Havana syndrome ’ and the mystery of the microwaves by Gordon Carera
"Doctors, scientists, intelligence agents and government officials have all been trying to find out what causes "Havana syndrome" - a mysterious illness that has struck American diplomats and spies. Some call it an act of war, others wonder if it is some new and secret form of surveillance - and some people believe it could even be all in the mind. So who or what is responsible? It often started with a sound, one that people struggled to describe. "Buzzing", "grinding metal", "piercing squeals", was the best they could manage. One woman described a low hum and intense pressure in her skull; another felt a pulse of pain. Those who did not hear a sound, felt heat or pressure. But for those who heard the sound, covering their ears made no difference. Some of the people who experienced the syndrome were left with dizziness and fatigue for months. Havana syndrome first emerged in Cuba in 2016. The first cases were CIA officers, which meant they were kept secret. But, eventually, word got out and anxiety spread. Twenty-six personnel and family members would report a wide variety of symptoms. There were whispers that some colleagues thought sufferers were crazy and it was "all in the mind". Five years on, reports now number in the hundreds and, the BBC has been told, span every continent, leaving a real impact on the US's ability to operate overseas. Uncovering the truth has now become a top US national security priority - one that an official has described as the most difficult intelligence challenge they have ever faced. Hard evidence has been elusive, making the syndrome a battleground for competing theories. Some see it as a psychological illness, others a secret weapon. But a growing trail of evidence has focused on microwaves as the most likely culprit. In 2015, diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba were restored after decades of hostility. But within two years, Havana syndrome almost shut the embassy down, as staff were withdrawn because of concerns for their welfare. Initially, there was speculation that the Cuban government - or a hard-line faction opposed to improving relations - might be responsible, having deployed some kind of sonic weapon. Cuba's security services, after all, had been nervous about an influx of US personnel and kept a tight grip on the capital. That theory would fade as cases spread around the world. But recently, another possibility has come into the frame - one whose roots lay in the darker recesses of the Cold War, and a place where science, medicine, espionage and geopolitics collide. When James Lin, a professor at the University of Illinois, read the first reports about the mysterious sounds in Havana, he immediately suspected that microwaves were responsible. His belief was based not just on theoretical research, but first-hand experience. Decades earlier, he had heard the sounds himself. Since its emergence around World War Two, there had been reports of people being able to hear something when a nearby radar was switched on and began sending microwaves into the sky. This was even though there was no external noise. In 1961, a paper by Dr Allen Frey argued the sounds were caused by microwaves interacting with the nervous system, leading to the term the "Frey Effect". But the exact causes - and implications - remained unclear. In the 1970s, Prof Lin set to work conducting his experiments at the University of Washington. He sat on a wooden chair in a small room lined with absorbent materials, an antenna aimed at the back of his head. In his hand he held a light switch. Outside, a colleague sent pulses of microwaves through the antenna at random intervals. If Prof Lin heard a sound, he pressed the switch. A single pulse sounded like a zip or a clicking finger. A series of pulses like a bird chirping. They were produced in his head rather than as sound waves coming from outside. Prof Lin believed the energy was absorbed by the soft brain tissue and converted to a pressure wave moving inside the head, which was interpreted by the brain as sound. This occurred when high-power microwaves were delivered as pulses rather than in the low-power continuous form you get from a modern microwave oven or other devices. Prof Lin recalls that he was careful not to dial it up too high. "I did not want to have my brain damaged," he told the BBC. In 1978, he found he was not alone in his interest, and received an unusual invitation to discuss his latest paper from a group of scientists who had been carrying out their own experiments. During the Cold War, science was the focus of intense super-power rivalry. Even areas like mind control were explored, amid fears of the other side getting an edge - and this included microwaves. Prof Lin was shown the Soviet approach at a centre of scientific research in the town of Pushchino, near Moscow. "They had a very elaborate, very well-equipped laboratory," Prof Lin recalls. But their experiment was cruder than his. The subject would sit in a drum of salty seawater with their head sticking out. Then microwaves would be fired at their brain. The scientists thought the microwaves interacted with the nervous system and wanted to question Prof Lin on his alternative view. Curiosity cut both ways, and US spies kept close track on Soviet research. A 1976 report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency, unearthed by the BBC, says it could find no proof of Communist-bloc microwave weapons, but says it had learnt of experiments where microwaves were pulsed at the throat of frogs until their hearts stopped. The report also reveals that the US was concerned Soviet microwaves could be used to impair brain function or induce sounds for psychological effect. "Their internal sound perception research has great potential for development into a system for disorienting or disrupting the behaviour patterns of military or diplomatic personnel." American interest was more than just defensive. James Lin would occasionally glimpse references to secret US work on weapons in the same field. And while Prof Lin was in Pushchino, another group of Americans not far away were worried that they were being zapped by microwaves - and that their own government had covered it up. For nearly a quarter of a century, the 10-storey US embassy in Moscow was bathed by a wide, invisible beam of low-level microwaves. It became known as "the Moscow signal". But for many years, most of those working inside knew nothing. The beam came from an antenna on the balcony of a nearby Soviet apartment and hit the upper floors of the embassy where the ambassador's office and more sensitive work was carried out. It had been first spotted in the 1950s and was later monitored from a room on the 10th floor. But its existence was a secret tightly held from all but a few working inside. "We were trying to figure out just what might be its purpose," explains Jack Matlock, number two at the embassy in the mid-70s. But a new ambassador, Walter Stoessel, arrived in 1974 and threatened to resign unless everyone was told. "That caused something like panic," recalls Mr Matlock. Embassy staff whose children were in a basement nursery were especially worried. But the State Department played down any risk. Then Ambassador Stoessel, himself, fell ill - with bleeding of the eyes as one of his symptoms. In a now declassified 1975 phone call to the Soviet ambassador to Washington, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger linked Stoessel's illness to microwaves, admitting "we are trying to keep the thing quiet". Stoessel died of leukaemia at the age of 66. "He decided to play the good soldier", and not make a fuss, his daughter told the BBC. From 1976 screens were installed to protect people. But many diplomats were angry, believing the State Department had first kept quiet, and then resisted acknowledging any possible health impact. This was a claim echoed decades later with Havana syndrome. What was the Moscow signal for? "I'm pretty sure that the Soviets had intentions other than damaging us," says Matlock. They were ahead of the US in surveillance technology and one theory was that they bounced microwaves off windows to pick up conversations, another that they were activating their own listening devices hidden inside the building or capturing information through microwaves hitting US electronic devices (known as "peek and poke"). The Soviets at one point told Matlock that the purpose was actually to jam American equipment on the embassy roof used to intercept Soviet communications in Moscow. This is the world of surveillance and counter-surveillance, one so secret that even within embassies and governments only a few people know the full picture. One theory is that Havana involved a much more targeted method to carry out some kind of surveillance with higher-power, directed microwaves. One former UK intelligence official told the BBC that microwaves could be used to "illuminate" electronic devices to extract signals or identify and track them. Others speculate that a device (even perhaps an American one) might have been poorly engineered or malfunctioned and caused a physical reaction in some people. However, US officials tell the BBC no device has been identified or recovered. After a lull, cases began to spread beyond Cuba. In December 2017, Marc Polymeropolous woke suddenly in a Moscow hotel room. A senior CIA officer, he was in town to meet Russian counterparts. "My ears were ringing, my head was spinning. I felt like I was going to vomit. I couldn't stand up," he told the BBC. "It was terrifying." It was a year after the first Havana cases, but the CIA medical office told him his symptoms didn't match the Cuban cases. A long battle for medical treatment began. The severe headaches never went away and in the summer of 2019 he was forced to retire. Mr Polymreopolous originally thought he had been hit by some kind of technical surveillance tool that had been "turned up too much". But when more cases emerged at the CIA which were all, he says, linked to people working on Russia, he came to believe he had been targeted with a weapon. But then came China, including at the consulate in Guangzhou in early 2018. Some of those affected in China contacted Beatrice Golomb, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, who has long researched the health effects of microwaves, as well as other unexplained illnesses. She told the BBC that she wrote to the State Department's medical team in January 2018 with a detailed account of why she thought microwaves were responsible. "This makes for interesting reading," was the non-committal response. Prof Golomb says high levels of radiation were recorded by family members of personnel in Guangzhou using commercially available equipment. "The needle went off the top of the available readings." But she says the State Department told its own employees that the measurements they had taken off their own back were classified. A host of problems plagued early investigations. There was a failure to collect consistent data. The State Department and CIA failed to communicate with each other, and the scepticism of their internal medical teams caused tension. Only one out of the nine cases from China was initially determined by the State Department to match the criteria for the syndrome based on Havana cases. That left others who experienced symptoms angry, and feeling as if they were being accused of making it up. They began a battle for equal treatment, which is still going on today. As frustration grew, some of those affected turned to Mark Zaid, a lawyer who specialises in national security cases. He now acts for around two dozen government personnel, half from the intelligence community. "This is not Havana syndrome. It's a misnomer," argues Mr Zaid, whose clients were affected in many locations. "What's been going on has been known by the United States government probably, based on evidence that I have seen, since the late 1960s." Since 2013, Mr Zaid has represented one employee of the US National Security Agency who believed they were damaged in 1996 in a location which remains classified. Mr Zaid questions why the US government has been so unwilling to acknowledge a longer history. One possibility, he says, is because it might open a Pandora's Box of incidents that have been ignored over the years. Another is because the US, too, has developed and perhaps even deployed microwaves itself and wants to keep it secret. The country's interest in weaponising microwaves extended beyond the end of the Cold War. Reports say from the 1990s, the US Air Force had a project codenamed "Hello" to see if microwaves could create disturbing sounds in people's heads, one called "Goodbye" to test their use for crowd control, and one codenamed "Goodnight" to see if they could be used to kill people. Reports from a decade ago suggested these had not proved successful. But the study of the mind and what can be done to it has been receiving increased focus within the military and security world. "The brain is being seen as the 21st Century battle-scape," argues James Giordano, an adviser to the Pentagon and Professor in Neurology and Biochemistry at Georgetown University, who was asked to look at the initial Havana cases. "Brain sciences are global. It is not just the province of what used to be known as the West." Ways to both augment and damage brain function are being worked on, he told the BBC. But it is a field with little transparency or rules. He says China and Russia have been engaged in microwave research and raises the possibility that tools developed for industrial and commercial uses - for instance to test the impact of microwaves on materials - could have been repurposed. But he also wonders if disruption and spreading fear were also the aim. This kind of technology may have been around for a while - and even have been used selectively. But that would still mean something changed in Cuba to get it noticed. Bill Evanina was a senior intelligence official when the Havana cases emerged, and stepped down as the head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center this year. He has little doubt about what happened in Havana. "Was it an offensive weapon? I believe it was," he told the BBC. He believes microwaves may have been deployed in recent military conflicts, but points to specific circumstances to explain a shift. Cuba, 90 miles off the Florida coast, has long been an ideal site to collect "signals intelligence" by intercepting communications. During the Cold War, it was home to a major Soviet listening station. When Vladimir Putin visited in 2014, reports suggested it was being re-opened. China also opened two sites in recent years, according to one source, while the Russians sent in 30 additional intelligence officers. But from 2015, the US was back in town. With its newly opened embassy and a beefed-up presence, the US was just beginning to establish its footing, collecting intelligence and pushing back against Russian and Chinese spies. "We were in a ground fight," one person recalls. Then the sounds began. "Who had the most to benefit from the closing of the embassy in Havana?" asks Mr Evanina. "If the Russian government was increasing and promulgating their intelligence collection in Cuba, it was probably not good for them to have the US in Cuba." Russia has repeatedly dismissed accusations it is involved, or has "directed microwave weapons". "Such provocative, baseless speculation and fanciful hypotheses can't really be considered a serious matter for comment," its foreign ministry has said. And there have been sceptics about the very existence of Havana syndrome. They argue that the unique situation in Cuba supports their case.
Contagious Stress
Robert W Baloh, a Professor of Neurology at UCLA, has long studied unexplained health symptoms. When he saw the Havana syndrome reports, he concluded they were a mass psychogenic condition. He compares this to the way people feel sick when they are told they have eaten tainted food even if there was nothing wrong with it - the reverse of the placebo effect. "When you see mass psychogenic illness, there's usually some stressful underlying situation," he says. "In the case of Cuba and the mass of the embassy employees - particularly the CIA agents who first were affected - they certainly were in a stressful situation." In his view, every-day symptoms like brain fog and dizziness are reframed - by sufferers, media and health professionals - as the syndrome. "The symptoms are as real as any other symptoms," he says, arguing that individuals became hyper-aware and fearful as reports spread, especially within a closed community. This, he believes, then became contagious among other US officials serving abroad.
There remain many unexplained elements. Why did Canadian diplomats report symptoms in Havana? Were they collateral damage from targeting nearby Americans? And why have no UK officials reported symptoms? "The Russians have literally tried to kill people on British soil in recent years with radioactive materials, yet why are there no reported cases?" asks Mark Zaid. "I would probably put on pause the statement that no-one in the UK has experienced any symptoms," responds Bill Evanina, who says the US is now sharing details with allies to spot cases. Some instances may be unrelated. "We had a bunch of military folk in the Middle East who claimed to have this attack - turned out they had food poisoning," says one former official. "We need to separate the wheat from the chaff," reckons Mark Zaid, who says members of the public, some with mental health issues, approach him claiming to suffer from microwave attacks. One former official reckons around half the cases reported by US officials are possibly linked to attacks by an adversary. Others say the real number could be even smaller. A December 2020 report by the US National Academies of Sciences was a pivotal moment. Experts took evidence from scientists and clinicians as well as eight victims. "It was quite dramatic," recalls Professor David Relman of Stanford, who chaired the panel. "Some of these people literally were in hiding, for fear of further actions against them by whomever. There were actually precautions we had to take to ensure their safety." The panel looked at psychological and other causes, but concluded that directed, high energy, pulsed microwaves were most likely responsible for some of the cases, similar to the view of James Lin, who gave evidence. But even though the State Department sponsored the study, it still considers the conclusion only a plausible hypothesis and officials say they have not found further evidence to support it. The Biden administration has signalled it is taking the issue seriously. CIA and State Department officials are given advice on how to respond to incidents (including 'getting off the X' - meaning physically moving from a spot if they feel they are getting hit). The State Department has set up a task force to support staff over what are now called "unexplained health incidents". Previous attempts to categorise cases as to whether they met specific criteria have been abandoned. But without a definition, it becomes harder to count. This year, a new wave of cases arrived - including Berlin and a larger group in Vienna. In August, a trip by US Vice-President Kamala Harris to Vietnam was delayed three hours because of a reported case at the embassy in Hanoi. Worried diplomats are now asking questions before taking foreign assignments with their families. "This is a major distraction for us if we think that the Russians are doing things to our intelligence officers who are travelling," says former CIA officer Polymreopolous, who finally received the medical treatment he wanted this year. "That's going to put a crimp in our operational footprint." The CIA has taken over the hunt for a cause, with a veteran of the hunt for Osama bin Laden placed in charge.
Markers In The Blood
An accusation that another state has been harming US officials is a consequential one. "That's an act of war," says Mr Polymeropolous. That makes it a high bar to reach. Policymakers will demand hard evidence, which so far, officials say, is still lacking. Five years on, some US officials say little more is known other than when Havana syndrome started. But others disagree. They say the evidence for microwaves is much stronger now, if not yet conclusive. The BBC has learnt that new evidence is arriving as data is collected and analysed more systematically for the first time. Some of the cases this year showed specific markers in the blood, indicating brain injury. These markers fall away after a few days and previously too much time had elapsed to spot them. But now that people are being tested much more quickly after reporting symptoms, they have been seen for the first time. The debate remains divisive and it is possible the answer is complex. There may be a core of real cases, while others have been folded into the syndrome. Officials raise the possibility that the technology and the intent might have changed over time, perhaps shifting to try and unsettle the US. Some even worry one state may have piggy-backed on another's activities. "We like a simple label diagnosis," argues Professor Relman. "But sometimes it is tough to achieve. And when we can't, we have to be very careful not to simply throw up our hands and walk away." The mystery of Havana syndrome could be its real power. The ambiguity and fear it spreads act as a multiplier, making more and more people wonder if they are suffering, and making it harder for spies and diplomats to operate overseas. Even if it began as a tightly defined incident, Havana syndrome may have developed a life of its own."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-58396698
I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on.........
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019
The Georgia Guidestones is a highly controversial granite structure modeled loosely after Stonehenge, erected in northeast Georgia and shrouded in mystery. The monument proclaims ten commandments in eight different languages, the most contentious being the establishment of a global population of only 500-million, a reduction of over 6.5-billion people from current levels. Other commandments include the development of a global language and a worldwide government. While most of the commandments are written vaguely and appear benign, Common Sense Renewed details a totalitarian global government where every aspect of human life — including birth, death, marriage, childbearing, work, property ownership, travel, health care, education and the right to vote — are regulated by the state.
The extensive eugenic measures outlined in Common Sense Renewed may reflect the involvement of William Shockley, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who co-invented the transistor. Shockley also became known for his claims that blacks are genetically inferior to whites. He espoused financial rewards to encourage voluntary sterilization for people having sub-100 IQs."
https://vanshardware.com/2015/09/part-1-iowa-white-supremacist-behind-the-georgia-guidestones/
PARTICULAR AND DAILY EXAMEN It contains in it three times, and two to examine oneself. The first time is in the morning, immediately on rising, when one ought to propose to guard himself with diligence against that particular sin or defect which he wants to correct and amend. The second time is after dinner, when one is to ask of God our Lord what one wants, namely, grace to remember how many times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect, and to amend himself in the future. Then let him make the first Examen, asking account of his soul of that particular thing proposed, which he wants to correct and amend. Let him go over hour by hour, or period by period, commencing at the hour he rose, and continuing up to the hour and instant of the present examen, and let him make in the first line of the G------- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect. Then let him resolve anew to amend himself up to the second Examen which he will make. The third time: After supper, the second Examen will be made, in the same way, hour by hour, commencing at the first Examen and continuing up to the present (second) one, and let him make in the second line of the same G------- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect. FOUR ADDITIONS FOLLOW TO RID ONESELF SOONER OF THAT PARTICULAR SIN OR DEFECT First Addition. The first Addition is that each time one falls into that particular sin or defect, let him put his hand on his breast, grieving for having fallen: which can be done even in the presence of many, without their perceiving what he is doing. Second Addition. The second: As the first line of the G------- means the first Examen, and the second line the second Examen, let him look at night if there is amendment from the first line to the second, that is, from the first Examen to the second. Third Addition. The third: To compare the second day with the first; that is, the two Examens of the present day with the other two Examens of the previous day, and see if he has amended himself from one day to the other. Fourth Addition. The fourth Addition: To compare one week with another, and see if he has amended himself in the present week over the week past. Note. It is to be noted that the first (large) G------- which follows means the Sunday: the second (smaller), the Monday: the third, the Tuesday, and so on.
GGGGGG
"The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola
TRANSLATED FROM
THE AUTOGRAPH
BY
FATHER ELDER MULLAN, S.J.
I.H.S.
NEW YORK
P.J. KENEDY & SONS
PRINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE
https://ia800303.us.archive.org/.../a588350800loyouoft.pdf
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is a US non-profit organization founded in 2000 by Canadian-American actor Michael J. Fox to find a cure for Parkinson's disease.
Business model
The organization funds grants directly to scientists it assesses as having the best chance of finding a cure.[4] It maintains closer control over and supervision of projects than is typical from other medical-research foundations.[4][5]
Fundraising
In 2006 it was the "largest private funder of research" into Parkinson's, according to The Guardian.[6] As of 2023, it had raised $2 billion for Parkinson's research projects.[7][4] According to Town and Country, in 2022 the organization funded more Parkinson's research than the US government.[4] According to Fox Business, it is the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research in the world.[8]
Work
In 2023, a longitudinal study funded by the organization, the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative, released results in Lancet Neurology showing Parkinson's can be detected by the presence of a biomarker protein, abnormal alpha-synuclein.[4][9][10][11] The biomarker can be detected before the onset of symptoms.[12]
The organization hosts the Fox Trial Finder, a website for presenting clinical trials in Parkinson's disease research.[13]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Michael_J._Fox_Foundation
The name Lisa [ lee-suh, -zuh ][1] is a female given name. It is a form of the name Elizabeth. Lisa is a popular name for girls that has been in use for centuries. It is a short and sweet name that is simple to pronounce and spell. The meaning of the name Lisa can vary depending on its origin. One of the most common meanings of the name Lisa is "God is my oath." This meaning comes from the Hebrew name Elisheba, which was the name of Aaron's wife in the Old Testament. Elisheba was later abbreviated to Elizabeth, and Lisa is a diminutive form of Elizabeth. Another meaning of the name Lisa is "consecrated to God." This meaning comes from the Latin name Lysa, which was a shortened version of Elizabeth. In ancient Rome, the name Lysa was given to girls who were devoted to the goddess Juno. In German, the name Lisa means "God's promise." This meaning comes from the German name Liese, which is a diminutive form of Elizabeth. In German culture, the name Liese was often bestowed upon girls who were born after a long period of waiting or difficulty.[2] This is a unique name (not in the top 1000 newborn names in the US in 2021).
Across the United Kingdom, Lisa was the fifth most popular female name. Around 1996, the name fell out of Top 100. In the United States, during the 1960s and 1970s, Lisa was among the most popular feminine names. However, by around the late 1970s, the name began to decline.
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_(given_name)
Juno (English: /ˈdʒuːnoʊ/ JOO-noh; Latin Iūnō [ˈjuːnoː]) was an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counsellor of the state. She was equated to Hera, queen of the gods in Greek mythology and a goddess of love and marriage. A daughter of Saturn and Ops, she was the sister and wife of Jupiter and the mother of Mars, Vulcan, Bellona, Lucina and Juventas. Like Hera, her sacred animal was the peacock.[1] Her Etruscan counterpart was Uni, and she was said to also watch over the women of Rome.[2] As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman Empire, Juno was called Regina ("Queen") and was a member of the Capitoline Triad (Juno Capitolina), centered on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, and also including Jupiter, and Minerva, goddess of wisdom.
Juno's own warlike aspect among the Romans is apparent in her attire. She was often shown armed and wearing a goatskin cloak. The traditional depiction of this warlike aspect was assimilated from the Greek goddess Athena, who bore a goatskin, or a goatskin shield, called the Aegis. Juno was also shown wearing a diadem.
Etymology
The name Juno was once popularly thought to be connected to Iove (Jove), originally as Diuno and Diove from *Diovona.[3] Although this etymology still receives some support, a derivation was later proposed from iuven- (as in Latin iuvenis, "youth"), through a syncopated form iūn- (as in iūnix, "heifer", and iūnior, "younger"). This etymology became widely accepted after it was endorsed by Georg Wissowa.[4]
Iuuen- is related to Latin aevum and Greek aion (αἰών) through a common Indo-European root referring to a concept of vital energy or "fertile time".[5] The iuvenis is he who has the fullness of vital force.[6] In some inscriptions Jupiter himself is called Iuuntus, and one of the epithets of Jupiter is Ioviste, a superlative form of iuuen- meaning "the youngest".[7] Iuventas, "Youth", was one of two deities who "refused" to leave the Capitol when the building of the new Temple of Capitoline Jove required the exauguration of deities who already occupied the site.[8]
Ancient etymologies associated Juno's name with iuvare, "to aid, benefit", and iuvenescere, "rejuvenate", sometimes connecting it to the renewal of the new and waxing moon, perhaps implying the idea of a moon goddess.[9]
Role and epithets
Juno's theology is one of the most complex and disputed issues in Roman religion. Even more than other major Roman deities, Juno held a large number of significant and diverse epithets, names and titles representing various aspects and roles of the goddess. In accordance with her central role as a goddess of marriage, these included Pronuba and Cinxia ("she who looses the bride's girdle"). However, other epithets of Juno have wider implications and are less thematically linked.
While her connection with the idea of vital force, the fullness of vital energy, and eternal youthfulness is now generally acknowledged, the multiplicity and complexity of her personality have given rise to various and sometimes irreconcilable interpretations among modern scholars.
Juno is certainly the divine protectress of the community, who shows both a sovereign and a fertility character, often associated with a military one. She was present in many towns of ancient Italy: at Lanuvium as Sespeis Mater Regina, Laurentum, Tibur, Falerii, Veii as Regina, at Tibur and Falerii as Regina and Curitis, Tusculum and Norba as Lucina. She is also attested at Praeneste, Aricia, Ardea, Gabii. In five Latin towns a month was named after Juno (Aricia, Lanuvium, Laurentum, Praeneste, Tibur).[10] Outside Latium in Campania at Teanum she was Populona (she who increase the number of the people or, in K. Latte's understanding of the iuvenes, the army), in Umbria at Pisaurum Lucina, at Terventum in Samnium Regina, at Pisarum Regina Matrona, at Aesernia in Samnium Regina Populona. In Rome she was since the most ancient times named Lucina, Mater and Regina. It is debated whether she was also known as Curitis before the evocatio of the Juno of Falerii: this though seems probable.[11]
Other epithets of hers that were in use at Rome include Moneta and Caprotina, Tutula, Fluonia or Fluviona, Februalis, the last ones associated with the rites of purification and fertility of February.[12]
Her various epithets thus show a complex of mutually interrelated functions that in the view of Georges Dumézil and Vsevolod Basanoff (author of Les dieux Romains) can be traced back to the Indoeuropean trifunctional ideology: as Regina and Moneta she is a sovereign deity, as Sespeis, Curitis (spear holder) and Moneta (again) she is an armed protectress, as Mater and Curitis (again) she is a goddess of the fertility and wealth of the community in her association with the curiae.
The epithet Lucina[13] is particularly revealing since it reflects two interrelated aspects of the function of Juno: cyclical renewal of time in the waning and waxing of the moon and protection of delivery and birth (as she who brings to light the newborn as vigour, vital force). The ancient called her Covella in her function of helper in the labours of the new moon. The view that she was also a Moon goddess though is no longer accepted by scholars, as such a role belongs to Diana Lucifera: through her association with the moon she governed the feminine physiological functions, menstrual cycle and pregnancy: as a rule all lunar deities are deities of childbirth. These aspects of Juno mark the heavenly and worldly sides of her function. She is thus associated to all beginnings and hers are the kalendae of every month: at Laurentum she was known as Kalendaris Iuno (Juno of the Kalends).[14] At Rome on the Kalends of every month the pontifex minor invoked her, under the epithet Covella, when from the curia Calabra he announced the date of the nonae.[15] On the same day the regina sacrorum sacrificed to Juno a white sow or lamb in the Regia. She is closely associated with Janus, the god of passages and beginnings who after her is often named Iunonius.
Some scholars view this concentration of multiple functions as a typical and structural feature of the goddess, inherent to her being an expression of the nature of femininity.[16] Others though prefer to dismiss her aspects of femininity and fertility[17] and stress only her quality of being the spirit of youthfulness, liveliness and strength, regardless of sexual connexions, which would then change according to circumstances: thus in men she incarnates the iuvenes, a word often used to designate soldiers, hence resulting in a tutelary deity of the sovereignty of peoples; in women capable of bearing children, from puberty on she oversees childbirth and marriage.[18] Thence she would be a poliad goddess related to politics, power and war. Others think her military and poliadic qualities arise from her being a fertility goddess who through her function of increasing the numbers of the community became also associated to political and military functions.[19]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_(mythology)
The Engineer Corps of Hell, or Rome's Sappers and Miners: Containing the Tactics of the "Militia of the Pope," or the Secret Manual of the Jesuits, ... and Lovers of Civil and Religious Liber Paperback – August 24, 2018
by Edwin Allen Sherman (Author)
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Excerpt from The Engineer Corps of Hell, or Rome's Sappers and Miners
In presenting to our readers this translation from the Spanish Of the monita secreta (secret monitor) of the Jesuits, it is but due that a clear and truthful statement Of how the work came into our hands should be given. In the month Of August of 1870, the Secretariat Of all the bodies Of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freema sonry in the City Of San Francisco, California, had been placed in our hands, and we then occupied an Office, which had been assigned to us, in the Masonic Temple of this city. Scarcely had we then entered upon our duties, when one morning in the month of September, 1870, a rap was heard at our'door, and, on Opening it, a stranger, feeble in body, with a pallid face bearing the evidence of great suffering and of sickness, inquired if that was the office Of the Secretary of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which we answered in the affirmative and invited him in and gave him a seat.
https://www.amazon.com/Engineer-Corps-Romes-Sappers-Miners/dp/1332416179
The name Monita has its roots in India and is derived from the Sanskrit word manita, which means 'honored' or 'respected.' This ancient name reflects the cultural traditions and values of Indian society, where respect and honor hold great significance. Monita has been prominent in Indian history since ancient times, often given to those who were esteemed for their noble character and high social standing. In historical texts and scriptures, the name Monita is often associated with individuals who were recognized for their wisdom, integrity, and leadership qualities.
In modern-day usage, the name Monita continues to evoke a sense of honor and respect. It is a popular name choice among families who value tradition and wish to bestow upon their child a name that reflects these virtues. Monita is often given to female children, symbolizing the strength and dignity they possess. In some cases, the name Monita is also used as a name, further emphasizing the family's heritage and the importance they place on respect and honor.
Overall, the name Monita has a rich history rooted in Indian culture and embodies the values of honor and respect. From ancient times to the present day, this name has stood as a testament to the qualities that society holds in high regard and continues to be cherished by families who wish to pass on these values to future generations.
https://www.ancestry.com/first-name-meaning/monita
Monita
A Latin word meaning "instructions":
Monita, work by Abbot Porcarius I of Lérins (c. 500)
Monita Secreta, an alleged code of instructions of the Jesuits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monita
Devī (/ˈdeɪvi/;[1] Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is deva. Devi and deva mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
The concept and reverence for goddesses appears in the Vedas, which were composed around the 2nd millennium BCE. However, they did not play a vital role in that era.[2] Goddesses such as Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Parvati, Radha, Saraswati and Sita have continued to be revered in the modern era.[2] The medieval era Puranas witness a major expansion in mythology and literature associated with Devi, with texts such as the Devi Mahatmya, wherein she manifests as the ultimate truth and supreme power. She has inspired the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. Further, Devi is viewed as central in the Hindu traditions of Shaktism and Shaivism.[2][3]
Etymology
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vte
Devi and deva are Sanskrit terms found in Vedic literature around the 3rd millennium BCE. Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is devi.[4] Monier-Williams translates it as 'heavenly, divine, terrestrial things of high excellence, exalted, shining ones'.[5][6] Etymologically, a cognate of devi is Latin dea.[7] When capitalised, Devi maata refers to the mother goddess in Hinduism.[8] Deva is short for devatā and devi for devika.[5]
According to Douglas Harper, the etymological root dev- means "a shining one", from *div-, "to shine", it is an Indo-European cognate of the Greek dios, Gothic divine and Latin deus (Old Latin deivos); see also *Dyēus.[9]
A synonym for the word Devi in the Vedas is Bhagavati. Bhagavatī (Devanagari: भगवती, IAST: Bhagavatī), is an Indian epithet of Sanskrit origin, used as an honorific title for goddesses in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, it is primarily used to address the goddesses Lakshmi and Durga. In Buddhism, it is used to refer to several Mahayana Buddhist female deities, like Cundā.[10]
History
The worship of Devi-like deities dates back to period of Indus Valley civilisation.[11][12]
The Devīsūkta of the Rigveda (10.125.1 to 10.125.8) is among the most studied hymns declaring that the ultimate reality is a goddess:[13][14]
I have created all worlds at my will without being urged by any higher Being, and dwell within them. I permeate the earth and heaven, and all created entities with my greatness and dwell in them as eternal and infinite consciousness.
— Devi Sukta, Rigveda 10.125.8, Translated by June McDaniel[15][16]
The Vedas name numerous cosmic goddesses such as Devi (power), Prithvi (earth), Aditi (cosmic moral order), Vāc (sound), Nirṛti (destruction), Ratri (night) and Aranyani (forest); bounty goddesses such as Dinsana, Raka, Puramdhi, Parendi, Bharati and Mahi are among others are mentioned in the Rigveda.[2]: 6–17, 55–64 However, the goddesses are not discussed as frequently as gods (devas).[2] Devi appears in late Vedic texts dated to be pre-Buddhist, but verses dedicated to her do not suggest that her characteristics were fully developed in the Vedic era.[2]: 18–19 All gods and goddesses are distinguished in Vedic times,[2]: 18 but in post-Vedic texts, particularly in the early medieval era literature, they are ultimately seen as aspects or manifestations of one Devi, the Supreme Power.[17]
Devi is the supreme being in the Shakta tradition of Hinduism; in the Smarta tradition, she is one of the five primary forms of Brahman that is revered.[18][19] In other Hindu traditions, Devi embodies the active energy and power of Deva, and they always appear together complementing each other. Examples of this are Parvati with Shiva in Shaivism, Saraswati with Brahma in Brahmanism and Lakshmi with Vishnu, Sita with Rama and Radha with Krishna in Vaishnavism.[20][21][22]
Devi-inspired philosophy is propounded in many Hindu texts such as the Devi Upanishad, which teaches that Shakti is essentially Brahman (ultimate metaphysical Reality) and that from her arises prakṛti (matter) and purusha (consciousness) and that she is bliss and non-bliss, the Vedas and what is different from it, the born and the unborn and all of the universe. Shakti is Parvati, Shiva’s wife. [23] She is also mentioned as the creative power of Shiva in Tripura Upanishad, Bahvricha Upanishad and Guhyakali Upanishad.[13]
Devi identifies herself in the Devi Upanishad as Brahman in her reply to the gods stating that she rules the world, blesses devotees with riches, that she is the supreme deity to whom all worship is to be offered and that she infuses Ātman in every soul.[23] Devi asserts that she is the creator of earth and heaven and resides there.[13] Her creation of the sky as father and the seas as the mother is reflected as the 'Inner Supreme Self'.[13] Her creations are not prompted by any higher being and she resides in all her creations. She is, states Devi, the eternal and infinite consciousness engulfing earth and heaven, and 'all forms of bliss and non-bliss, knowledge and ignorance, Brahman and Non-Brahman'. The tantric aspect in Devi Upanishad, says June McDaniel, is the usage of the terms yantra, bindu, bija, mantra, shakti and chakra.[13]
Among the major world religions, the concept of Goddess in Hinduism as the divine feminine has had the strongest presence since ancient times.[24]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devi
Kamala Devi Harris (English: /ˈkɑːmələ ˈdeɪvi/ ⓘ,[1] born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who has been the 49th and current vice president of the United States since 2021, serving under President Joe Biden. Harris is the Democratic presidential nominee in the 2024 United States presidential election. She is the first female vice president of the United States, making her the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history. She is also the first African American and first Asian American vice president. From 2017 to 2021, she represented California in the United States Senate. Before that, she was Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017.
Born in Oakland, California, Harris graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She began her law career in the office of the district attorney of Alameda County. She was recruited to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and later to the office of the city attorney of San Francisco. She was elected district attorney of San Francisco in 2003 and attorney general of California in 2010, and reelected as attorney general in 2014. As the San Francisco district attorney and the attorney general of California, Harris was the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold each office.
Harris was the junior U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. She won the 2016 Senate election, becoming the second Black woman and first South Asian American U.S. senator. As a senator, Harris advocated for stricter gun control laws, the DREAM Act, federal legalization of cannabis, and reforms to healthcare and taxation. She gained a national profile for her pointed questioning of Trump administration officials during Senate hearings, including Trump's second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.
Harris sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in 2019, but withdrew from the race before the primaries. Biden selected her as his running mate, and their ticket defeated the incumbent president and vice president, Donald Trump and Mike Pence, in the 2020 election. Presiding over an evenly split Senate upon entering office, Harris played a crucial role as president of the Senate. She cast more tie-breaking votes than any other vice president, which helped pass bills such as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 stimulus package and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. After Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential election, Harris launched her campaign with Biden's endorsement and soon became the presumptive nominee. On August 6, 2024, she chose Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, as her running mate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris
XLI
THE GODDESS OF FREEMASONRY-THE
WIDOW
PAGAN RELIGIONS OF ANCIENT TIMES HAD NO god without a goddess. If as we have seen Masonry is a modern 'caricature' of the ancient Barbêlônian and Eqyptian rites, then we should expect to find a goddess in Masonry.
Masons describe themselves in their literature as sons of the Widow'. Who is this Widow? And who is the Son?" The following question and answer explanation from Duane Washum, a Past
for the whole history of Manes rests on legends-, was born in The son of the Widow, a man called Manes, according to the legend- Babylonia about the year A.D. 216, and a slave who was redeemed from slavery by a rich Persian widow who freed and adopted him, thus making him the "son of the widow" a name which after him passed to the nich old woman the books of a Saracen named Scythianus (a all his followers and is still used in Masonic Lodges. He inherited from Combining the doctrines these books contained" [Nesta H. Webster, student of an Aristotle's teachings) on the wisdom of the Egyptians.
295
SHALL I BE A MASON?
concerning her, Isis is said to have conjured the invincible God of Eternities, Ra, to tell her his secret and sacred name, which he did. This name is equivalent to the Lost Word of Masonry." Thus Hall links Iss worship to Masonry. He intimates that Isis is the holder of the sacred name of Ra, the "ineffable name" of the god of Masonry (Abaddon, Apollyon, or Jahbulon).
Who as Isis? Isis was the Venus of Cyprus, the Minerva of Athens, the Cybele of the Phrygians, the Ceres of Eleusis, the Proserpine of Sicily, the Diana of Crete, the Bellona of the Romans, etc. And like the worhsippers of Isis, Freemasons in their ceremonies and initiations perform "the most abominable impurities," and those "initiated into them" are "obliged to take an oath of secrecy."
Secret Societies and Subversive Movements, p. 108.] Manicheism is the religion of the followers of Manes.
Edith Starr Miller Paget Queenborough (Baroness), Occult Theocrasy. Volumes 1-2. According to the Greek accounts, the immediate author of the new doctrines was not Manes, but Scythianus, a Saracen merchant, who in his distant journeys became acquainted with the Oriental and Greek philosophies. His heir and disciple was Terebinthus, who named himself Buddha, and boasted that he had been born of a virgin. The widow of Terebinthus appointed, as her heir, her slave Cubricus, acquainted with Christianity, he infused many ideas borrowed from it into his own system, that he might make it more acceptable to the Christians. These innovations in religion drew upon him a persecution in his native land, and he, therefore, retired to countries more to the east, to Hindostan, Turkestan, and Rhatai, the north of China. He returned to Persia; and he was executed by command of the schach, in 277: see, Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger, A history of the church Volume 1 (London: Published By C. Dolman, 61, New Bond Street, And By T. Jones, 63, Paternoster Row. 1840), p. 155.
Nesta H. Webster, Secret Societies and Subversive Movements. (Boswell: Palmdale, Calif., 1824).
Duane Washum may be reached at the following address: In Search of Light Ministries, Box 28702 Las Vegas, Nevada 89126, USA
Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, Companion to The Secret Teachings All Ages (New York Tarcher/Penguin Group, 2005), originally published
1929
Only at the level, or degree of The Royal Arch is where the Masonic "true ineffable name of god-Jahbulon, is conveyed.
Encyclopaedia Perthesis, or, Universal dictionary of Knowledge (With Supp. nd edition (EDINBURGH: John Brown, Anchor Close, 1816), p
364
1. Ibid, p. 363.
296
The Goddess of Freemasonry-The Widow'
Be of Secrecy and Goddess Fides
"Masonry," writes Freemason Robert Freke Gould, "is... the direct scendant, or as a survival of the mysteries... of ISIS AND OSIRIS in Sp.... Hence in the Master Mason degree, the All-seeing Eye is a ost important symbolism, representing the false Egyptian trinity of sins, Isis and Horus.
And Albert Pike confirms: "Masonry still retains among its emblems e of a woman [Isis] weeping over a broken column, holding in her d a branch of acacia, myrtle, or tamarisk... We need not repeat the pid and trivial explanation... given, of THIS REPRESENTATION OF IS, weeping at Byblos, over the column torn from the palace of the that contained the body of Osiris...."
The conclusion of the matter? The goddess of Freemasonry is Isis. ovanously called by the ancient Romans: Minerva, Venus (or Al zza in Islam), Aurora (the goddess who rode on a car drawn by four s), Diana (Artemis), or Diana Lucifera-being the feminine of ader (a statue of her is still housed, to this day, in the Vatican"). In
Robert Freke Gould (Past Senior Grand Deacon of England, Master of tuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076), History of Freemasonry, Its etiquities, Symbols, Constitutions, Customs, Vol. 1 (New York: John C.
forston & Co., Publishers, 1884) p. 13.
Morals and Dogma, op. cit., p. 379.
ol 4, op. cit., p. 74,
3.0. Heck, Iconographic Encyclopaedia of Science, Literature, and Art, Camera di San Paolo (London: The Warburg Institute, Uni. of London, See, Erwin Panofsky, E. H. Gombrich, The Iconography of Correggio's 1961), H.H. Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic London: Thames and Hudson, 1981), pp. 97, 107.
297
SHALL I BE A MASON?
other cultures this same goddess was called Astarte, Ashtoreth, Asherah, Ishtar, Venus, Artemis, Lilith, Minerva, ISIS, Kwan-yin, Demeter, Gaia, Luna, Hectate, Aphrodite, Shing Moo, HOLY MOTHER, Shakti, Hera, Innanna, Kali (Dark Mother), Juno, Sophia, Ceres, Cybele, Persephone, Our Lady, the Blessed Mother, THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, and Mary-It is for this reason that in ancient Egypt, Isis (Virgo, the Queen of Heaven) was known as the "goddess of a thousand names," and the Initiator into the Sexual Mysteries.
But by whatever name she is termed, she is the same still: Diana Lucifera! A female demon!
The venerated historian Mosheim confirms that 'Mary,' is the same as the Masonic Isis: "they transferred to the Virgin Mary the worship and offerings they had been accustomed to pay to the "Queen of Heaven"-the... Mother of the Babylonian false Messiah, worshipped throughout the ancient heathen world under the various names of Venus, Astarte or Ashtoreth, Juno, Diana, Vesta, Ceres, Cybele, Rhea..." (Mosheim, Ecel. Hist., vol. i, p. 410, quoting Schlegel).
And Alexander Hislop's The Two Babylons adds these facts And Alexander Hislop's The Two Babylons adds these facts:
The Babylonians, in their popular religion, supremely worshipped a Goddess Mother and a Son.... Beltis, therefore, as the title of the female divinity, was equivalent to "Baalti," which, in English, is "My Lady," in Latin, "Mea Domina,"... in Italian... corrupted into the well-known "[Black, or Dark] Madonna.
13 A. Hislop, The Two Babylons, or The Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife (London: Houlston & Wright, 1862 edn.), p. 29. You can download the book from our site: www.luxverb.org.uk/arch/e-books_on_romanism vs protestantism.htm
298
Reader, after all of the revelations found in this book, who but a.... or will be a Mason?
Shall I Be A Mason? Life or Death...
by P.D. Stuart
AI Overview
Learn more
Both "Evan" and "Jean" are variations of the name "John" and ultimately derive from the Hebrew name "Yochanan," meaning "God is gracious"; "Evan" is a Welsh variation while "Jean" is the French version, essentially sharing the same core meaning of "God is gracious.".
Breakdown:
Evan: A Welsh form of "John," meaning "God is gracious".
Jean: The French version of "John," also signifying "God is gracious".
Key points:
Origin: Both names stem from the Hebrew name "Yochanan".
Language variations: "Evan" is Welsh, while "Jean" is French.
Meaning: Both names essentially mean "God is gracious".
Generative AI is experimental.
Evan Wyman
in Dayton, NV (Nevada)
Age 27
Current Address (Since January 2020)
2033 Lonnie Ln
Dayton NV 89403
Jean Rae Malone's Nevada Voter Registration
Dayton, Nevada
Jean Rae Malone (age 66) is listed at 2030 Lonnie Ln Dayton, Nv 89403 and is affiliated with the Non-Partisan Party. Jean is registered to vote in Lyon County, Nevada.
Overview of Jean Rae Malone
Lives in: Dayton, Nevada
Phone: View phone number Ad
Age: 66
Jean Malone's Voter Registration
Party Affiliation: Non-Partisan
Registered to Vote In: Lyon County, Nevada
Registration Date: 12/18/2023
Voter Status: ActivePrecinct: 13.00
Congressional District: Cd2
House District: Ad39
Senate District: Sd17
School Board District: Ed2
https://voterrecords.com/voter/129532222/jean-malone
9:14
2
JM
Jean>
Hi how you doing I have a favor to ask you could you tell Billy to take my info off his wall it really upset me that my kids names were all there even Shay no one cares who I am but I do l cried when I saw my boys name on there I haven't done anything to him I am only asking once if he won't take it off I will file a police report on him I don't think he will want that they can come and go thru his phone and computer so can you at least ask him thanks we tried to help you but you just ignored us so you are on your own to deal with him we're all done trying to help anymore so please see what you can do
+
iMessage
CERTIFICATE OF FOSTER PARENTHOOD
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT SUE DUNN
HAS BECOME A FOSTER PARENT ON THIS DAY DEC. 25, 1986 OF A BOWLSIE CREATION OF LITTLE PEOPLE.
Frances & Bowles
FRANCES A. BOWLES
A SPECIAL CREATION FOR A SPECIAL FRIEND SUSAN JEANI LITTLE SU SU)
HAS BEEN CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Susan Lohrey Dunn's Nevada Voter Registration
Dayton, Nevada
Susan Lohrey Dunn (age 73) is listed at 2031 Lonnie Ln Dayton, Nv 89403 and is affiliated with the Republican Party. Susan is registered to vote in Lyon County, Nevada.
Overview of Susan Lohrey Dunn
Lives in: Dayton, Nevada
Phone: View phone number Ad
Age: 73
Susan Dunn's Voter Registration
Party Affiliation: Republican Party
Registered to Vote In: Lyon County, Nevada
Registration Date: 05/28/2015
Voter Status: ActivePrecinct: 13.00
Congressional District: Cd2
House District: Ad39
Senate District: Sd17
School Board District: Ed2
https://voterrecords.com/voter/124466056/susan-dunn
2030-2031 APPARITION CHARACTERISTICS
Another general rule for predicting oppositions of Mars is from the following: the planet has an approximate 15.8-year periodic opposition cycle, which consists of three or four Aphelic oppositions and three consecutive Perihelic oppositions. Perihelic oppositions are also called "favorable" because the Earth and Mars come closest to each other on those occasions. We sometimes refer to this as the seven Martian synodic periods. This cycle is repeated every 79 years (± 4 to 5 days) and, if one were to live long enough, one would see this cycle nearly replicated in approximately 284 years. The 2031 Mars apparition is considered Transitional (between Aphelic and Perihelic) because the orbital longitude at opposition will be 68.4° from the aphelion longitude of 70° Ls and 111.6° Ls from perihelion (250° Ls).
NOTE: Ls is the planetocentric longitude of the Sun along the ecliptic of Mars’ sky. 0° Ls is defined as that point where the Sun crosses the Martian celestial equator from south to north, that is the planet’s northern hemisphere vernal equinox. The other Ls values that define the beginnings of Martian northern hemisphere seasons are: summer, 90° Ls; autumn, 180° Ls; and winter, 270° Ls. For Mars’ southern hemisphere these values represent the opposite seasons. Distance (A.U.) - Distance from Earth to Mars in astronomical units, where one (1) A.U. equals 92,955,807.267 miles or 149,597,870.691 km.
Opposition occurs 11 months after conjunction when Mars is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. At that time, the two planets will lie nearly in a straight line with respect to the Sun, or five weeks after retrogression begins. Opposition will occur at 1157 UT on May 04, 2031 (138.4° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.7 arcsec. Mars will remain visible for more than twelve months after opposition and then become lost in the glare of the Sun around May 31, 2032 as it approaches the next conjunction (July 11, 2032). The cycle is complete in 780 Earth days.
Closest approach occurs at 0350 UT on May 12, 2031 (142.1° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.9 at a distance of 0.5533578 astronomical units (AU) or 51,437,823 miles (82,781,152 km). During closest approach in 2031 the apparent diameter of Mars will be 2.4 arcsec larger than it was at the same period in 2029; however, it will be 17.1 degrees lower in the sky - not quite as good for observing the Red Planet for observers in the northern hemisphere. It should also be noted that closest approach between Earth and Mars is not necessarily coincident with the time of opposition but varies by as much as two weeks.
https://www.alpo-astronomy.org/jbeish/2031_MARS.htm
Grammar - Conjunction Junction - Schoolhouse Rock
With lyrics by Bob Dorough, Jack Sheldon providing lead vocal and Terry Morrell backing vocal, "Conjunction Junction" is another great "Schoolhouse Rock!" short animated musical that entertains while educating about the importance of "hooking up words and phrases and clauses" with and, but, or. The leading character is a train conductor who has those words printed on the side of the train cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjdCFat9rjI
Philalethes, who in his Entrke ouverte au Palais ferd du Roi has dealt at greatest length on the practice of the Work, mentions the hermetic star and infers the cosmic magic of its appearance.
'It is the miracle of the world, the assembly of superior virtues in the inferior ones. That is why the Almighty has marked it with an extraordinary sign. The Wise Men saw it in the east, were struck with amazement and knew at once that a King most pure had been born into the the world.
'As for you, as soon as you see his star, follow it to the Cradle, where you will see the lovely Child." Then the Adept reveals the manner of operating :
'Let four parts be taken of our fiery dragon, which hides our Preface to the Second Edition 15 magic steel in its belly, and nine parts of our lodestone; mix them together, by burning Vulcan, in the form of mineral water, on which a scum will float which must be removed. Throw away th crust, take the inner part, purge three times, by fire and by salt, which will be done easily if Saturn has seen his image in the mirror of Mars.'
Finally Philalethes adds :
'And the Almighty sets his royal seal on the Work and adorns it specially therewith.'
Fulcanelli
Mystery of the Cathedrals
http://www.mtanthony13.org/library/Fulcanelli%20-%20The%20Mystery%20of%20the%20Cathedrals.pdf
Fire as the agent of Truth
Asha Vahishta is closely associated with fire. Fire is "grandly conceived as a force informing all the other Amesha Spentas, giving them warmth and the spark of life."[27] In Yasht 17.20, Angra Mainyu clamours that Zoroaster burns him with Asha Vahishta. In Vendidad 4.54-55, speaking against the truth and violating the sanctity of promise is detected by the consumption of "water, blazing, of golden color, having the power to detect guilt."
This analogy of truth that burns and detecting truth through fire is already attested in the very earliest texts, that is, in the Gathas and in the Yasna Haptanghaiti. In Yasna 43–44, Ahura Mazda dispenses justice through radiance of His fire and the strength of aṣ̌a. Fire "detects" sinners "by hand-grasping" (Yasna 34.4). An individual who has passed the fiery test (garmo-varah, ordeal by heat), has attained physical and spiritual strength, wisdom, truth and love with serenity (Yasna 30.7). Altogether, "there are said to have been some 30 kinds of fiery tests in all."[28] According to the post-Sassanid Dadestan i denig (I.31.10), at the final judgement a river of molten metal will cover the earth. The righteous, as they wade through this river, will perceive the molten metal as a bath of warm milk. The wicked will be scorched. For details on aṣ̌a's role in personal and final judgement, see aṣ̌a in eschatology, below.
Fire is moreover the "auxiliary of the truth," "and not only, as in the ordeal, of justice and of truth at the same time."[11] In Yasna 31.19, "the man who thinks of aṣ̌a, [...] who uses his tongue in order to speak correctly, [does so] with the aid of brilliant fire". In Yasna 34-44 devotees "ardently desire [Mazda's] mighty fire, through aṣ̌a." In Yasna 43–44, Ahura Mazda "shall come to [Zoroaster] through the splendour of [Mazda's] fire, possessing the strength of (through) aṣ̌a and good mind (=Vohu Manah)." That fire "possesses strength through aṣ̌a" is repeated again in Yasna 43.4. In Yasna 43.9, Zoroaster, wishing to serve fire, gives his attention to aṣ̌a. In Yasna 37.1, in a list of what are otherwise all physical creations, aṣ̌a takes the place of fire.
Asha Vahishta's association with atar is carried forward in the post-Gathic texts, and they are often mentioned together. In Zoroastrian cosmogony, each of the Amesha Spentas represents one aspect of creation and one of seven primordial elements that in Zoroastrian tradition are the basis of that creation. In this matrix, aṣ̌a/arta is the origin of fire, Avestan atar, which permeates through all Creation. The correspondence then is that aṣ̌a/arta "penetrates all ethical life, as fire penetrates all physical being."[12]
In the liturgy Asha Vahishta is frequently invoked together with fire. (Yasna l.4, 2.4, 3.6, 4.9, 6.3, 7.6, 17.3, 22.6, 59.3, 62.3 etc.). In one passage, fire is a protector of aṣ̌a: "when the Evil Spirit assailed the creation of Good Truth, Good Thought and Fire intervened" (Yasht 13.77)
In later Zoroastrian tradition, Asha Vahishta is still at times identified with the fire of the household hearth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asha
Giant Fractured Sphere at the Vatican
By Pinar Noorata on April 18, 2012
Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro is known to construct enormous spheres with layers of complexities. One of his monumental orbs stands tall as the centerpiece of the Courtyard of the Pinecone at the Vatican Museum. The structure titled Sfera con Sfera, translated as Sphere within a Sphere, is a bronze statue that appears golden as the sun shines down on it. It is 4 meters (a little over 13 feet) in diameter.
The Milan-based artist began his series of spheres in the 60's with Sphere no. 1 and has continued designing the globe-like pieces, each depicting a different map of destruction. Each tremendous ball is fractured, revealing an intricate interior that unveils yet another cracking orb. The design of the internal layers seem to mimicking the gears of a clock or the inner workings of a grand piano, making it appear very complicated.
Because of the sculptural installation's round shape, it also echoes the form of Earth. It isn't absolutely clear what the artist's intentions are, but it gives off the impression that it is reflecting the complexity of our world and how easily it can be torn apart.
https://mymodernmet.com/arnaldo-pomodoro-sphere-within-a-sphere
The Sphere (officially Große Kugelkaryatide N.Y., also known as Sphere at Plaza Fountain, WTC Sphere or Koenig Sphere) is a monumental cast bronze sculpture by German artist Fritz Koenig (1924–2017).[2]
The world's largest bronze sculpture of modern times stood between the Twin Towers on the Austin J. Tobin Plaza of the World Trade Center in New York City from 1972 until the September 11 attacks. The work, weighing more than 20 tons, was the only remaining work of art to be recovered largely intact from the ruins of the collapsed Twin Towers. After being dismantled and stored near a hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the sculpture was the subject of the 2001 documentary Koenig's Sphere. Since then, the bronze sphere has become a memorial for the attacks.
The sculpture was installed in Battery Park between 2002 and 2017, when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey moved it to Liberty Park, overlooking the September 11 Memorial and its original location.[2] The sculpture, rededicated at its permanent location on August 16, 2017, has been kept in the badly damaged condition it was found in after the September 11 attacks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sphere
Social Park USA
November 15 at 9:11 AM
The Sphere and the North Tower 🇺🇸
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Ggy86MmsLCbJAubHGqxADhb5N4Au3hWPsHkTKjXqKuZbsb2wuZGWHHutJUST59r3l&id=61555655113607
Alito, Breyer, Kagan, Scalia, and Thomas skip papal address to Congress
By Nick Gass
09/24/2015 10:15 AM EDT
Updated: 09/25/2015 12:37 PM EDT
Less than half of the Supreme Court attended Pope Francis’ historic address to Congress on Thursday morning, including three Catholic no-shows.
Cameras showed Chief Justice John Roberts joined by justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Roberts, Kennedy and Sotomayor are all Catholics, while Ginsburg is Jewish.
Notably absent were Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, all of whom are Catholic. Also absent were Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan, who are Jewish.
A Supreme Court spokeswoman declined to comment on the justices’ schedules.
However, Alito and Breyer were out of town Thursday for previously scheduled engagements, according to press reports and news releases.
Alito was teaching and speaking at the University of Kentucky, while Breyer was in Northern California speaking and promoting his new book, “The Court and the World.”
https://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/pope-francis-supreme-court-214013
Antonin Gregory Scalia[n 1] (March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016)[n 2] was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectual anchor for the originalist and textualist position in the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative wing. For catalyzing an originalist and textualist movement in American law, he has been described as one of the most influential jurists of the twentieth century,[7] and one of the most important justices in the history of the Supreme Court.[8] Scalia was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018, and the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University was named in his honor.
Scalia was born in Trenton, New Jersey. A devout Catholic, he attended the Jesuit Xavier High School before receiving his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. Scalia went on to graduate from Harvard Law School and spent six years at Jones Day before becoming a law professor at the University of Virginia. In the early 1970s, he served in the Nixon and Ford administrations, eventually becoming an Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald Ford. He spent most of the Carter years teaching at the University of Chicago, where he became one of the first faculty advisers of the fledgling Federalist Society. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Scalia as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Four years later, Reagan appointed him to the Supreme Court, where Scalia became its first Italian-American justice following a unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate 98–0.[n 3]
Scalia espoused a conservative jurisprudence and ideology, advocating textualism in statutory interpretation and originalism in constitutional interpretation. He peppered his colleagues with "Ninograms" (memos named for his nickname, "Nino") intending to persuade them to his point of view. He was a strong defender of the powers of the executive branch and believed that the U.S. Constitution permitted the death penalty and did not guarantee the right to either abortion or same-sex marriage. Furthermore, Scalia viewed affirmative action and other policies that afforded special protected status to minority groups as unconstitutional. Such positions would earn him a reputation as one of the most conservative justices on the Court. He filed separate opinions in many cases, often castigating the Court's majority—sometimes scathingly so.
Scalia's most significant opinions include his lone dissent in Morrison v. Olson (arguing against the constitutionality of an Independent-Counsel law), and his majority opinions in Crawford v. Washington (defining a criminal defendant's confrontation right under the Sixth Amendment) and District of Columbia v. Heller (holding that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees an individual right to handgun ownership).
Early life and education
Scalia was born on March 11, 1936, in Trenton, New Jersey.[9] He was the only child of Salvatore Eugenio "Eugene" Scalia (1903–1986), an Italian immigrant from Sommatino, Sicily. Salvatore graduated from Rutgers University and was a graduate student at Columbia University and clerk at the time of his son's birth.[10] The elder Scalia would become a professor of Romance languages at Brooklyn College, where he was an adherent to the formalist New Criticism school of literary theory.[11] Scalia's mother, Catherine Louise (née Panaro; 1905–1985), was born in Trenton to Italian immigrant parents and worked as an elementary school teacher.[10][12]
In 1939, Scalia and his family moved to Elmhurst, Queens, where he attended P.S. 13 Clement C. Moore School.[13][14] After completing eighth grade,[15] he obtained an academic scholarship to Xavier High School, a Jesuit military school in Manhattan,[16] from which he graduated ranked first in his class in 1953.[17] Scalia achieved a 97.5 average at Xavier, earning decorations in Latin, Greek, and debate, among other subjects, in addition to being a distinguished member of its Glee club.[18] He later reflected that he spent much of his time on schoolwork and admitted, "I was never cool."[19]
While a youth, Scalia was also active as a Boy Scout and was part of the Scouts' national honor society, the Order of the Arrow.[20] Classmate and future New York State official William Stern remembered Scalia in his high school days: "This kid was a conservative when he was 17 years old. An archconservative Catholic. He could have been a member of the Curia. He was the top student in the class. He was brilliant, way above everybody else."[9][21]
In 1953, Scalia enrolled at Georgetown University, where he majored in history. He became a champion collegiate debater in Georgetown's Philodemic Society and a critically praised thespian.[22] He took his junior year abroad in Switzerland at the University of Fribourg.[9] Scalia graduated from Georgetown in 1957 as class valedictorian with a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude.[23] Scalia then went to Harvard Law School, where he was a notes editor for the Harvard Law Review.[24] He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Laws, magna cum laude, among the top of the class.[23] Harvard awarded Scalia a Sheldon Fellowship, which allowed him to travel abroad in Europe during 1960 and 1961.[25]
Personal life
On September 10, 1960, Scalia married Maureen McCarthy at St. Pius X church in Yarmouth, Massachusetts.[164] The two had met on a blind date while he was at Harvard Law School. Maureen was an undergraduate student at Radcliffe College when they met; she subsequently obtained a degree in English from the school.[165]
The Scalias had five sons and four daughters.[166] Two of their sons, Eugene Scalia and John Scalia, became attorneys,[167] with Eugene later becoming Secretary of Labor in the Trump administration.[168][169] Paul Scalia became a Catholic priest, Matthew Scalia had a military career, and Christopher Scalia became a writer. All four Scalia daughters—Catherine, Ann, Margaret, and Mary—have families. According to Scalia, Maureen raised all nine children "with very little assistance from me".[167] The family resided in McLean, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.[170]
Scalia enjoyed a warm friendship with fellow Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, considered a member of the court's liberal wing, with the two attending the opera together and appearing together onstage as supernumeraries in Washington National Opera's 1994 production of Ariadne auf Naxos.[123] Ginsburg was a colleague of Scalia on the D.C. Circuit, and the Scalias and Ginsburgs had dinner together every New Year's Eve.[171]
Scalia also enjoyed a friendship with fellow Justice Elena Kagan, also considered a member of the court's liberal wing. When Justice David Souter retired, Scalia told David Axelrod, an adviser to then-President Barack Obama, that he hoped that Obama would nominate Kagan to replace him. While Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor instead, a year later when Justice John Paul Stevens retired, Obama nominated Kagan.[172] An avid hunter, Scalia taught Justice Kagan how to hunt; the two hunted ducks, birds, deer and antelope together.[173][174]
Death and funeral
Scalia died in his sleep[1] at age 79. His body was discovered on the morning of February 13, 2016, in his room[6] at Cibolo Creek Ranch, near Shafter, Texas.[175] He had gone quail hunting the afternoon before, and then dined as the guest of John B. Poindexter, owner of the ranch.[176][177] After Poindexter discovered the body, he called the Presidio County sheriff's department to ask for the number of the U.S. Marshals Service to report a death. Poindexter was reluctant to say who had died to Sheriff Danny Dominguez. Dominguez had the Marshal's Service call the ranch owner, and both the marshals and the sheriff went to the ranch, where they were shown Scalia's body. Dominguez instructed his office to call local justice of the peace Juanita Bishop, but she was out of town.[178]
County Judge Cinderela Guevara pronounced Scalia dead of natural causes.[179] She did not see the body, which under Texas law is not required, nor did she order an autopsy.[6] Bishop, as well as David Beebe, another justice of the peace, later disagreed with the decision not to order an autopsy for Scalia. Guevara, who conferred by telephone with Scalia's physician, stated that she made the determination to pronounce Scalia dead from natural causes after being told by county sheriff Dominguez on the scene that "there were no signs of foul play" and that Scalia "was having health issues".[6][180] Scalia's physician, Rear Admiral Brian P. Monahan, told her Scalia had a history of heart trouble, including high blood pressure, and was recently deemed too weak to undergo surgery for a torn rotator cuff.[181][182] According to Sunset Funeral Home director Chris Lujan, Scalia's family also declined to have an autopsy performed after his body was transferred to his El Paso funeral home, prior to its return to Fairfax, Virginia.[183]
Kansas v. Carr (2016) was the last majority opinion written by Justice Scalia before his death in February 2016, though his last dissenting opinion was in FERC v. Electric Power Supply Association (2016).[184] Following his death, Scalia lay in repose in the Great Hall of the United States Supreme Court Building on February 19, 2016.[185] Scalia's son, Father Paul Scalia, celebrated a Catholic funeral Mass and delivered the homily on February 20, 2016, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.[186] The Obama administration was represented at the funeral by Vice President Joe Biden; President Barack Obama did not attend.[187] Scalia's remains were interred at a private ceremony at Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax, Virginia.[186]
Conspiracy theories
The circumstances surrounding Scalia's death prompted conspiracy theories alleging that he may have been murdered.[188] These conspiracy theories were stimulated by Guevara's decision not to conduct an autopsy and her pronouncement of Scalia's death by a phone call, as well as by Scalia's refusal of a United States Marshals Service security detail, uncertainty over the precise cause of Scalia's death, and Poindexter's initial assertion that he found Scalia in bed with a pillow over his head. Poindexter later clarified that the pillow was in between Scalia's head and the bed's headboard, not over his face.[189] The conspiracy theory was promoted by William Ritchie, a former head of criminal investigations for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and by Alex Jones, a far-right talk show host.[190][191][192] Donald Trump, then a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, referenced the homicide allegations on Michael Savage's radio show The Savage Nation, saying that "they say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow."[188] Eugene Scalia rejected the theories, saying that "our family just has no doubt that he was taken from us by natural causes."[193]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonin_Scalia
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on questions of U.S. constitutional or federal law. It also has original jurisdiction over a narrow range of cases, specifically "all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party."[2] In 1803, the Court asserted itself the power of judicial review, the ability to invalidate a statute for violating a provision of the Constitution via the landmark case Marbury v Madison. It is also able to strike down presidential directives for violating either the Constitution or statutory law.[3]
Under Article Three of the United States Constitution, the composition and procedures of the Supreme Court were originally established by the 1st Congress through the Judiciary Act of 1789. As it has since 1869, the court consists of nine justices – the chief justice of the United States and eight associate justices – who meet at the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. Justices have lifetime tenure, meaning they remain on the court until they die, retire, resign, or are impeached and removed from office.[3] When a vacancy occurs, the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints a new justice. Each justice has a single vote in deciding the cases argued before the court. When in the majority, the chief justice decides who writes the opinion of the court; otherwise, the most senior justice in the majority assigns the task of writing the opinion.[4]
On average, the Supreme Court receives about 7,000 petitions for writs of certiorari each year, but only grants about 80.[5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States
FRANCISCANS: The Franciscans were founded in the 13th century by Saint Francis, who, in a vision, was charged by God to rebuild My Church, which as you see is falling into ruin. These words proved not only to be true, but also prophetic; the Church indeed was falling into ruin, and Saint Francis indeed saved it; for he sparked a wave of new fervor that swept across the world that lasted for generations (Just read any papal encyclical from this time period. They are all about regularizing the Franciscans).
Franciscans are typically characterized by their lives of simplicity, penance, poverty, and love for the poor. In a testament written by Saint Francis, the very first sentence contains the following; "The Lord granted me, Br. Francis, to begin to do penance in this way." It is thus fitting that the Franciscan order be regarded as the Order of Penitents. The Franciscan school tends to follow the thought of Franciscan saints, such as St. Bonaventure and Bl. John Duns SCOTUS, and was responsible for defending the Immaculate Conception in a time when it was still contested, even by St. Thomas Aquinas himself. For this reason, Franciscans and Dominicans have often shared a healthy (and not so healthy at times) competition with one another. Tragically, this has often resulted in a polarization of their two schools, Franciscans vs. Dominicans, where the former avoids Aquinas and the latter avoids Bonaventure and SCOTUS. Such exclusivity, unforutnately, causes much harm to the Church, and is not unique to these two orders alone; it is common for orders to read only saints within their own tradition and avoid others (And, by doing so, communities today are failing in their own formation. It is not unlike reading five chapters of the Bible for ones life, or contemplating a detail of a painting without ever seeing the whole painting. To be Catholic is to be universal, open to all the gifts of God to the Church. If the Church, for example, places such great importance on the theology of Aquinas, then it is lamentable that religious orders do not also do so in their theology programs).
Being a mendicant order, the Franciscans live solely off of the generosity of others, entrusting all to the hands of God. Like the Benedictines, the Franciscans also underwent a number of reforms throughout history, but were consolidated in 1897 into three main bodies; Friars Minor, the Conventuals, and the Capuchins. Some Franciscan communities may be more contemplative in nature, similar to that of monastics. Venerable Mary of Agreda, for instance, a 17th century cloistered Franciscan nun and mystic, received messages from Our Lady on how to live out her religious state;
Mystical City of God, Book VI, Chp V: "But I...find so few who console with me and try to console my Son in His sorrows....Consider then thy duty, my dearest, and raise thyself above all earthly things and above thyself; for I am calling thee and choose thee to imitate and follow me into the solitude in which I am left by man....Flee from the dangerous intercourse with creatures....I remind thee that there is no exercise more profitable and useful to the soul than to suffer....Therefore, my daughter, embrace the cross, and do not admit any consolation outside of it in this mortal life. By contemplating and feeling within thyself the sacred Passion thou wilt attain the summit of perfection and attain the love of a spouse."
Friars Minor: The Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.) were the result of a large consolidation of various branches (Observants, Discalced, Recollects, Riformati, etc.) by Pope Leo XII in 1897. Today the Friars Minor compose the largest body of the Franciscan order, and are criticized as being the most lenient and divorced from the spirit of Saint Francis--an unfortunate exigency considering the OFM's prominent place in the history of the Franciscan order; with roots dating back to first years of the order through the aggregation of the Observants.
Friars Minor Conventual: Next to the Observants, the Conventual Franciscans were one of the first reforms of the Franciscan order. They desired to apply the Franciscan spirit to new applications (such as urban city apostolates, rather than remaining in rural areas). As such, the Conventuals were granted various dispensations to relax certain rules in order to carry out specific apostolates. The conventuals tended to take on a more academic spirit than, say, Capuchins for instance. Today, the Conventuals have also suffered from a spirit of laxity, as most communities. However, there have also been great fruits that originated from Conventual communities, such as St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Bonaventure, and Saint Maximilian Kolbe, known for his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Friars Minor Capuchin. The Capuchin reform (O.F.M. Cap.) dates to about 1525, and not unlike the first Observants, they also desired a return to a stricter observance of the Franciscan rule--though, like most reforms, certain elements of its initial fervor declined with time. The Capuchins are more likely to be seen feeding the poor or street evangelizing, rather than writing a book on the liturgy or studying mystical theology. Today, the Capuchin Franciscans tend to be considerably more divorced from their origins. However, there also exists renewed efforts to restore the original spirit of the order. In 1968, Padre Pio--a Capuchin Franciscan and one of the greatest mystics in the Church--wrote a letter to Pope Paul VI in which he stated; "I pray to God that [the Capuchin order] may continue in its tradition of religious seriousness and austerity, evangelical poverty and faithful observance of the Rule and Constitution, certainly renewing itself in the vitality and in the inner spirit, according to the guides of the Second Vatican Council". We have yet to see if such a renewal, which is so desperately needed in all orders, will take root or not.
Author's note: Like many of the major religious orders, the Franciscans and Dominicans have suffered greatly in recent times. It is not uncommon today to see friars watching television, or going to the movies and eating ice cream on a Friday night. The spirit of sacrifice, a hallmark of religious life, has largely been obscured over years, as the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction to a kind of secularized love, absent of any austerities. However, like the Benedictines, the communities of lax traditions tend to be dying away, as new young communities take their place, devoted to a more authentic renewal that Vatican II called for.
https://www.religious-vocation.com/differences_religious_orders.html#.ZEc2f87MJD9
Case No. 24 PO 00116 3G PO REC NO 311979
244401486 FILED
IN THE JUSTICE COURT OF DAYTON TOWNUG 20 PM 3:09 COUNTY OF LYON, STATE OF NEVADAUSTICE OF THE PEACE
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JULIA ANN BYSE
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Applicant,
VS.
BY Kunden
CLERK
EXTENDED PROTECTION ORDER AGAINST STALKING OR HARASSMENT
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WILLIAM FRANCIS DUNN IV
Adverse Party.
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Expiration: This order was issued by the Court above on August 20, 2024 and will expire on JULY 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. unless the Court orders otherwise.
The Applicant filed a verified application for a protective order. The Court has jurisdiction over this matter. See NRS 200.591, et seq. The Court finds that the above-named Adverse Party received actual notice of the hearing and was given an opportunity to 12 participate. A hearing was held on August 20, 2024. The Applicant JULIA ANN BYSE was present and the Adverse Party WILLIAM FRANCIS DUNN IV was not present. The Court finds that stalking, aggravated stalking and/or harassment has occurred. Accordingly, and good cause appearing, it is the ORDER of the Court that the following orders apply to the Adverse Party:
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1. YOU ARE PROHIBITED from threatening, physically injuring, or harassing the Applicant and/or the following persons:
Protected Parties: The following persons are protected under this order:
Applicant: JULIA ANN BYSE
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Child: DUANE J. GROVE, DOB 05/02/2007
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Child: NATHAN R. GROVE, DOB 06/15/2008
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©2020 Nevada Supreme Court
Page 1 of 3
Extended Protection Order Against Stalking or Harassment (Revised October 2020)
INFORMATION
OF OUR
His mother'S DRIVER License
Piltuck
OF A FRIENd Lav at our House
He Posted
a puture of the TPO
AND He used my House as His PROFILE Back GROWN ON FACE BOOK-
He get kick OFF Face Look FOR 30 DAYS
(attach more pages if you need more room)
I respectfully ask the Court to modify, dissolve, or extend the protection order as the Court finds appropriate.
6. This document does not contain the personal information of any person as defined by NRS 603A.040.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of the State of Nevada that the foregoing
is true and correct.
DATED 8-13-2024
2024
Submitted By: (your signature)
Julia ann Byse
Page 2 of 2
(print your name) JULIA ANN Byse
Protection Order - Motion to Modify/Dissolve/Extend Revised 2023
What does the Bible say about lawlessness?
To be lawless is to be contrary to the law or to act without regard to the law. Laws are necessary in a sinful world (1 Timothy 1:9), and those who choose to act lawlessly further sin in the world. The word for “lawlessness” in the Bible is often translated “iniquity.” According to the Bible, the root of all lawlessness is rebellion.
First John 3:4 defines sin as lawlessness: “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” To commit sin is to be lawless; that is, the sinner breaks God’s law. In this way, lawlessness is a rejection of God. Satan, who models the ultimate rejection of God, will one day empower the Antichrist, called “the lawless one,” whose rise to power “will be in accordance with how Satan works” (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
Lawlessness is contrasted with righteousness in verses such as Romans 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:14, and Hebrews 1:9. The righteous, who have the nature of Jesus Christ, hate the deeds of lawlessness. Lot, a godly man living in Sodom, “was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard” (2 Peter 2:8). The psalmist said, “I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked” (Psalm 26:5). Christians are to be law-abiding (1 Peter 4:15).
When a society ignores the law, lawlessness is the result, and chaos ensues. The time of the judges after Joshua’s death was marked by upheaval, oppression, and general disorder. The biblical historian puts his finger on the reason for the tumult: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). The riot in Ephesus is a good example of lawlessness in action (Acts 19). The rioters were confused and unsure even of why they were rioting (verse 32); in their lawlessness, they were ignoring proper legal channels (verse 39) and, of course, breaking the law (verse 40).
God has a purpose for establishing human government: “to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:14). Rulers are God’s appointees to maintain order and promote righteousness in a civil society. “Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:2). In other words, lawlessness is condemned in Scripture.
The Bible connects man’s lawlessness and rebellion against God with his need for God’s forgiveness. In Romans 4:7, Paul (quoting Psalm 32:1) says, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (ESV). God’s righteousness is imputed to us at salvation, and God forgives us of our lawlessness: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17, quoting Jeremiah 31:34). Christ died on the cross “to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14, ESV). Our lawless deeds resulted in Christ’s death, but God’s grace overcomes our lawless hearts.
In the judgment many will stand before Christ claiming a connection with Him that exists only in their own minds. They will rehearse their good deeds done in His name, only to hear Jesus declare them to be “workers of lawlessness” whom Christ never knew (Matthew 7:23, ESV). At that time, those who practice lawlessness will be cast “into the blazing furnace,” while those who are covered by the righteousness of Christ “will shine like the sun” (Matthew 13:41–43). Christ will have the ultimate victory and will eliminate lawlessness forever.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-lawlessness.html
What does the Bible say about a false witness?
Bearing false witness is mentioned many times in the Bible, exclusively as something bad. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” is the ninth of the Ten Commandments that Moses brought back with him from his encounter with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:16). False witness, or spreading a false report, is associated with being allied with the wicked (Exodus 23:1), willing to do violence to others (Psalm 27:12), and sowing discord among brothers (Proverbs 6:19). The Bible calls bearing false witness lying (Proverbs 14:5) and compares a man who bears false witness against his neighbor to a violent weapon (Proverbs 25:18). Lies harm people.
A false witness is one who stands up and swears before others that something untrue is true, especially with the intention of hurting someone else or ruining his reputation. This happened to David (Psalm 27:12), Jesus (Matthew 26:60; Mark 14:56), and Stephen (Acts 6:13). When the wicked Queen Jezebel wished to procure a vineyard for her sulking husband, King Ahab, she employed two false witnesses. Naboth, the rightful owner of the vineyard, was seated in an honorable place on a day of fasting, but “then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, ‘Naboth has cursed both God and the king.’ So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death” (1 Kings 21:13). What the “scoundrels” said against Naboth was absolutely untrue; they were bearing false witness with impunity and with the queen’s blessing. As a result, an innocent man was killed. When a person is righteous and his enemies can find nothing with which to blame him, bearing false witness is a common weapon.
The lies told by a false witness come from the sinful human heart—along with murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, slander, and evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19). Jesus said that man is defiled by these evil things that come from the heart. The only possible cure for an evil heart that bears false witness is to receive a new, pure heart, which can only be given by God (Ezekiel 36:26). When a person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, he will be like a fresh spring or a fruitful tree or a budding vine, bursting with good things (John 7:38; Psalm 1:1–6; John 15:4–5). The old is gone, and the new takes its place (Ephesians 4:22–24). Those who are in Christ have a new heart that speaks the truth: “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25). A person who bears false witness is controlled by the flesh rather than by the Spirit of God, and he should repent of that sin and turn to Christ.
"There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him...a lying tongue...a false witness who breathes out lies..." (Proverbs 6:16–19).
https://www.gotquestions.org/false-witness.html
Marquette University Law School is the law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Milwaukee Law Class, MULS is housed in Eckstein Hall on Marquette University's campus in downtown Milwaukee.[3][4]
Overview
Marquette University is a Catholic institution operated by the Jesuit order. The law school's mission includes a commitment to the Jesuit idea of cura personalis ("care of the entire person"), a duty to promote diversity, and a goal of encouraging its "students to become agents for positive change in society."[5]
As of the 2016-17 academic year, the school has 575 enrolled students and 98 faculty members and administrators, including 30 full-time faculty members, 10 "deans, librarians, and others who teach," and 58 part-time faculty members.[1] For the fall 2016 entering J.D. class, there were 190 enrolled students (182 full-time and 8 part-time).[1]
Wisconsin, unique among American states, allows graduates of accredited law schools within the state to be admitted to the Wisconsin state bar without taking the state's bar examination if they complete certain requirements in their law school courses and achieve a certain level of performance in those courses, a practice known as the "diploma privilege."[6]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquette_University_Law_School
World, the: 1. It is proper to our vocation: to go to diverse places and live in whatever part of the world and to be sent wherever the greater service of God and the help of souls can be hoped for [82, 92, 304, 308, 588, 603, 605, 626, 749]; to this purpose is directed the vow of special obedience to the supreme pontiff regarding missions, FI no. 3 [603, 605], 2 §1; consequently a complete availability, mobility, and universality are necessary, 110, 121 4°, 242 §3, 246 7°, 248, 259, 411; at the service of which is chastity, 144 §2; consequently our community is a community for dispersion, 255 §1, 312, 314 §2, 315, 317; thus also the need for communicating with different cultures of the world and for insertion into them, 99 §2, 106 §2, 110, 111, 246 2°; and for promoting that perfect and open cooperation among the members of the entire Society, of whatever province or region they may be, 396 §2. See also Cooperation, interprovincial and supraprovincial; Culture(s); Insertion 2. God is present in the world: exercising the ministry of healing and reconciliation, 246 4°; thus he is there to be sought and found, 223 §§3-4; the world, in great part afflicted with atheism and injustice and increasingly divided by diverse economic, social, and ethnic systems and by other sources of division and opposition, 59 §2, 223 §3, 246 4° 3. The world, as distinguished from religious life: is to be left behind, trampled underfoot, and renounced [30, 50, 53, 61, 66, 297]; it is to be despised because of the love for and imitation of Christ [101]; contempt for it assists in the union of minds and hearts [671]: customs which smack of the world are not to be introduced, 322.
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Thirteenth Rule. To be right in everything, we ought always to hold that the white which I see, is black, if the Hierarchical Church so decides it, believing that between Christ our Lord, the Bridegroom, and the Church, His Bride, there is the same Spirit which governs and directs us for the salvation of our souls. Because by the same Spirit and our Lord Who gave the ten Commandments, our holy Mother the Church is directed and governed."
The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YC_luOfFWl0Bm0BWkbANKZGC1kkmdHQf/view?usp=sharing
Fourteenth Rule. Although there is much truth in the assertion that no one can save himself without being predestined and without having faith and grace; we must be very cautious in the manner of speaking and communicating with others about all these things.
The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YC_luOfFWl0Bm0BWkbANKZGC1kkmdHQf/view?usp=sharing
14We ought to act on the principle that everyone who lives under obedience should let himself be carried and directed by Divine Providence through the agency of the superior 15as if he were a lifeless body, which allows itself to be carried to any place and treated in any way; or an old man s staff, which serves at any place and for any purpose in which the one holding it in his hand wishes to employ it. 16For in this way the obedient man ought joyfully to employ himself in any task in which the superior desires to employ him in aid of the whole body of the religious order; 17and he ought to hold it certain that by so doing he conforms himself with the divine will more than by anything else he could do while following his own will and different judgment.[3]"
page 221
The Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
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Universal good: for this the entire Society was founded [258]; the Society s superior should look to the same [119]; let the assistants for provident care be strong in pursuit of this [779], 364 §2; let provincials foster this, 397; let all possess a supraprovincial and supranational spirit, 110, 111, 242 §3; its greatest foe is love of oneself [671]; it must be kept in mind: in admissions [187, 189]; in dismissals [204, 208, 212, 215, 222]; in the dismissal of the author of dissension [665]; in dispensing from a requirement of the Constitutions [425]; in communicating authority [512]; in exercising poverty [422, 558, 576, 579]; in the renunciation of goods [258]; in seeking alms [331]; in taking on the obligations of colleges or universities [325] ; in studies [354, 356, 417, 466, 508]; in the choice of ministries [608, 611, 615, 618, 622-26, 629], 258 §1; in providing our neighbors with the assistance of prayer [638, 639]; in undertaking corporal works of mercy [650]; by the general in his disposition of personnel [739]; and in his removal of superiors [736]; in the provident care the Society exercises toward the general [766, 773, 774, 778]
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
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The large Latin inscription on the façade reads: Clemens XII Pont Max Anno V Christo Salvatori In Hon SS Ioan Bapt et Evang. This abbreviated inscription translates as: "The Supreme Pontiff Clement XII, in the fifth year [of his Pontificate, dedicated this building] to Christ the Savior, in honor of Saints John the Baptist and [John] the Evangelist".[5] The inscription indicates, with its full title (see below), that the archbasilica was originally dedicated to Christ the Savior and, centuries later, rededicated in honor of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. Christ the Savior remains its primary dedication, and its titular feast day is 6 August, the Transfiguration of Christ. As the cathedral of the pope as bishop of Rome, it ranks superior to all other churches of the Catholic Church, including Saint Peter's Basilica.
Name
The archbasilica's Latin name is Archibasilica Sanctissimi Salvatoris ac Sancti Ioannis Baptistae et Ioannis Evangelistae ad Lateranum,[6] which in English is the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist at the Lateran, and in Italian Arcibasilica [Papale] del Santissimo Salvatore e Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano.[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archbasilica_of_Saint_John_Lateran#Lateran_Palace
Himmler used the Jesuits as the model for the SS, since he found they had the core elements of absolute obedience and the cult of the organisation.[59][60] Hitler is said to have called Himmler "my Ignatius of Loyola".[59] As an order, the SS needed a coherent doctrine that would set it apart.[61] Himmler attempted to construct such an ideology, and deduced a "pseudo-Germanic tradition" from history.[61] Himmler dismissed the image of Christ as a Jew and rejected Christianity's basic doctrine and its institutions.[62] Starting in 1934, the SS hosted "solstice ceremonies" (Sonnenwendfeiern) to increase team spirit within their ranks.[63] In a 1936 memorandum, Himmler set forth a list of approved holidays based on pagan and political precedents meant to wean SS members from their reliance on Christian festivities.[64] In an attempt to replace Christianity and suffuse the SS with a new doctrine, SS-men were able to choose special Lebenslauffeste, substituting common Christian ceremonies such as baptisms, weddings and burials. Since the ceremonies were held in small private circles, it is unknown how many SS-members opted for these kind of celebrations.[65]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideology_of_the_SS
From modest beginnings the SS (Schutzstaffel; Protection Squadrons), became a virtual state within a state in Nazi Germany, staffed by men who perceived themselves as the “racial elite” of Nazi future.
In the Nazi state, the SS assumed leading responsibility for security, identification of ethnicity, settlement and population policy, and intelligence collection and analysis. The SS controlled the German police forces and the concentration camp system. The SS conceived and implemented plans designed to restructure the ethnic composition of eastern Europe and the occupied Soviet Union.
From 1939, the SS assumed responsibility for “solving” the so-called Jewish Question; after 1941, its leadership planned, coordinated and directed the so-called Final Solution of the Jewish Question. This “solution” was the annihilation of the European Jews, which we now refer to as the Holocaust
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/ss
2 §1. The character and charism of the Society of Jesus arise from the Spiritual Exercises which our holy father Ignatius and his companions went through. Led by this experience, they formed an apostolic group rooted in charity, in which, after they had taken the vows of chastity and poverty and had been raised to the priesthood, they offered themselves as a HOLOCAUST to God,[2] so that serving as soldiers of God beneath the banner of the cross and serving the Lord alone and the Church his spouse under the Roman Pontiff, the vicar of Christ on earth,[3] they would be sent into the entire world[4] for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine. [5]
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
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[666] 6. 1On the side of the superior general, what will aid toward this union of hearts are the qualities of his person [G], to be treated in Part IX [723-25], with which he will perform his office, 2which is to be for all the members a head from which the influence required for the end sought by the Society ought to descend to them all. 3It is thus from the general as head that all authority of the provincials should flow, from the provincials that of the local superiors, and from the local superiors that of the individual members. 4And from this same head, or at least by his commission and approval, should likewise come the appointing of missions. And the same should apply to communicating the graces of the Society. 5For the more the subjects are dependent upon their superiors, the better will the love, obedience, and union among them be preserved."
The Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complementary Norms
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"Head:
1. See Illness, mental
2. The superior general, head of the Society [666]"
page 463
The CONstitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
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Revelation 13:18
New International Version
"18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666."
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2013%3A18&version=NIV
BULL of Pope Boniface VIII promulgated November 18, 1302
For, according to the Blessed Dionysius, it is a law of the divinity that the lowest things reach the highest place by intermediaries. Then, according to the order of the universe, all things are not led back to order equally and immediately, but the lowest by the intermediary, and the inferior by the superior. Hence we must recognize the more clearly that spiritual power surpasses in dignity and in nobility any temporal power whatever, as spiritual things surpass the temporal. This we see very clearly also by the payment, benediction, and consecration of the tithes, but the acceptance of power itself and by the government even of things. For with truth as our witness, it belongs to spiritual power to establish the terrestrial power and to pass judgement if it has not been good. Thus is accomplished the prophecy of Jeremias concerning the Church and the ecclesiastical power: ‘Behold to-day I have placed you over nations, and over kingdoms‘ and the rest. Therefore, if the terrestrial power err, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a minor spiritual power err, it will be judged by a superior spiritual power; but if the highest power of all err, it can be judged only by God, and not by man, according to the testimony of the Apostle: ‘The spiritual man judgeth of all things and he himself is judged by no man‘ [1 Cor 2:15]. This authority, however, (though it has been given to man and is exercised by man), is not human but rather divine, granted to Peter by a divine word and reaffirmed to him (Peter) and his successors by the One Whom Peter confessed, the Lord saying to Peter himself, ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in Heaven‘ etc., [Mt 16:19]. Therefore whoever resists this power thus ordained by God, resists the ordinance of God [Rom 13:2], unless he invent like Manicheus two beginnings, which is false and judged by us heretical, since according to the testimony of Moses, it is not in the beginnings but in the beginning that God created heaven and earth [Gen 1:1]. Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff."
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm
[529] C. 1The entire purport of this fourth vow of obedience to the pope was and is with regard to missions; 2and this is how the bulls should be understood where they speak of this obedience in all that the sovereign pontiff may command and wherever he may send one, and so on."
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Historical Institute of the Society of Jesus: a Roman work of the entire Society, 304 §2
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
LII-
THE INQUISITION IN MINUTE DETAIL: THE FIRST HOLOCAUST
Cruelties committed by the Inquisition. Those who survive the first tortures are tied dom upon their backs, a large cauldron turned upside down is placed upon their naked stomachs, with a number of large dormice underneath. A fire is lighted upon the top of the cauldron, which enrages the dormice; and as they are unable to creep under the edges of the cauldron, they burrow into the entrails of the victim
OR NEARLY SIX CENTURIES, WROTE PETER DE ROSSA. "Not one of the eighty popes (from the thirteenth century to nineteenth) said a word against the diabolical machinery of the inquisition, rather they cach added their own cruel touch to the awful machinery of death. The Church of Rome, at times, even waded through the blood of Roman Catholics to get to the Protestant "heretics."
THE
The real object of the Inquisition, it has been asserted. "was to discover errors in doctrine, to stop them from being propagated, and endeavour to enlighten and to win back those who had been perverted by the apostles of error." So says a Catholic apologist. We are even told that "the popes were obliged to employ stratagem in order to protect the penitent heretics from the merciless severity of the Inquisition." But, the fact is that the Holy See, in 1215 at the fourth Lateran Council, in the
1 Peter de Rossa, Vicars of Christ: The Dark Side of the Papacy (1988).
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The Inquisition In Minute Detail...
third canon of that Council declared that "the heretics who are condemned shall be handed over to the secular arm, in order that they may receive their merited punishment," in the MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MIDDLE AGES! Indeed, one historian, giving a detailed account of trials before the tribunals of the Inquisition, tell us that the civil punishment was only inflicted after the day of the Church's mock trial
called the Auto-da-fe ("Act of Faith").
In 1252, the pope even made a decree stipulating the exact details of how the prisoners of the Inquisition were to be tortured-including children from the age of twelve and upwards.
But for all its horrors, it was popish Spain that refined to an art the punishments Catholics invented to use against those who refused to accept their faith. In 1481, during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. the Inquisition was provided with "a new code of regulations," giving it even more formidable powers:
It was then that it got the name of The Holy Office, and was superintended by a grand inquisitor-general and a council.
When the Holy Office had a heretic, or anyone suspected of being one, lafter being arrested, its agents stripped the accused person of all he had about his person, and took a detailed inventory of his clothing and furniture.... The money so seized, whether in gold or silver, belonged by right to the tribunal, and went to defray the costs of the procedure. These formalities over, the accused...was taken to prison.
Of prisons, the Inquisition had several kinds: 1st, the common prison, in which were confined persons accused merely of ordinary misdemeanour, and who, consequently, were allowed to communicate with their families and friends; 2nd, the prison of mercy or of penitence, which was set apart for those who were to be detained only temporarily; 3rd, the intermediate prison, reserved for those who had committed some ordinary delinquency which brought them within the jurisdiction of the Holy Office; 4th, the secret prison, the inmates of which were kept in solitary confinement.
lon] the day of trial.... after a long interrogatory linterrogation). if the prisoner failed to avow his guilt, he was taken to the torture chamber, preceded by the Inquisitor and the four mystenous men in black.... Here he was again exhorted to abjure his errors, and, if these fresh entreaties were powerless to move lum, he was handed over to the torturer, who put him to the torture with one of the four agencies employed by justice-the cord, the scourge, fire, or water."
P. L. Jacob, (a Catholic) Military and Religious Life in the Middle Ages, (London: Chapman & Hall, 1874), pp. 435-436.
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CODEWORD BARBELÓN Bk 2
Reader, we cannot find expressions strong enough to characterise the brutish, raw violence to which the Church of Rome had recourse with a view to establishing her anti-christian 'religion. John Lothrop Modey, speaking of papal persecution in the Netherlands, says: "Upon February 16, 1568, a sentence of the Holy Office (the Inquisition) condenmed ALL the inhabitants of the Netherlands to death as heretics.... The mos concise death warrant that was ever framed. THREE MILLIONS of people, men, women and children, were sentenced to the scaffold..." Although not put into full effect, "Alva's contemporary Grotius states that 100,000 genuine martyrs suffered death in the Netherlands for conscience' sake. Gibbon declared that this number, executed in a single province and a single reign, far exceeded that of the primitive martyrs in the space of three centuries and of the Roman Empire."
More than fifty million members of the human family are estimated to have been slaughtered under the sanction of the Catholic Church (Dowling, History of Rome. Bk. 8). How could such a degraded, inhumane, barbaric system claim to be the religion of Jesus Christ? Where in the Bible does it say the life of the heretic should be taken?
In Rome today, you will find, on the outside the Lateran Church, a plaque depicting Pope Innocent VIII's 1487 order against the Christian Waldenses (Vaudois or Albigenses) in these words: "That abominable sect of malignant to be crushed like venomous snakes." Why? They would not accept the pope as their head. R. W. Thompson writes:
The Waldenses were burned; they were cast into damp and bomd dungeons; they were smothered in crowds in mountain cavems mothers and babes, and old men and women together; they were sen out into exile in the winter night, unclothed and unfed, to climb the snowy mountains; they were hurled over the rocks; their houses and lands were taken from them; their children were stolen to be indoctrinated with the religion which they abhorred. Rap individuals were sent among them to strip them of their propert persecute and exterminate them. Thousands... old men, wouse and children, WERE HUNG, QUARTERED, BROKEN UPON THE WHEEL, OR BURNED ALIVE and their property confiscated...
John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic, Vol. I (London:
John Chapman, 1856), part 3, chap. 2, p. 626.
4 W.L. Bruckman, THE GLORY OF BELGIUM (London, New York, Toronto: Hodder & Stoughton), see footnote on pp. 10-11.
5 John Dowling, History of Romanism (1871), Bk. 6, chap. 5: sect. 62. 6 R.W. Thompson, The Papacy and the Civil Power, op. cit., p. 416.
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The Inquisition In Minute Detail...
In 1209 (July 22nd), Pope Innocent III caused the Waldenstan town of Beziers to be taken by assault and made a scene of terrible camage: his "crusaders gave no quarter-twenty thousand inhabitants were massacred without distinction of age or sex, and seven thousand were burnt in a church in which they had taken refuge."
In a few decades, hundreds of thousands of Waldenses dissenters were killed by the Pope's army. Two cities, of considerable size, Beziers (Braziers) and Carcasone, were destroyed; their occupants thrown from the top of high cliffs, hanged, DISEMBOWELED, PIERCED THROUGH REPEATEDLY, drowned, put out to be tom by dogs, burnt alive, and even crucified! One victim, "Paul Garnier was slowly sliced to pieces at Rora. Thomas Margueti was mutilated in an indescribable manner at Miraboco, and Susan Jaquin cut in bits at La Torre, Sara Rostagnol was slit open from the legs to the bosom, and so left to perish on the road between Eyral and Lucerna. Anne Charbonnier was impaled and carried thus on a pike, AS A STANDARD, from San Giovanni to La Torre. Daniel Rambaud, at Paesano, had his nails torn off, then his fingers chopped off, then his feet and his hands, then his arms and his legs, with each successive refusal on his part to abjure the Gospel.... In June, 1556, Barthelemi Hector, of Poitiers, was burned at Turin, for having sold copies of the Bible to the shepherds of the Alps."
Said the same author. "On Saturday, 24th April, 1655, at four o'clock in the morning, the signal for a general massacre of the Vandois was given: Sick persons and old people, men and women, were burned alive in their houses, or hacked in pieces, or mutilated in horrible ways. or flayed alive, or exposed bound and dying to the sun's noontide heat, or to ferocious animals; some were stripped naked, bound up in the form of a ball... and then rolled over precipices... Next, alter massacre and abduction, came incendiarismr. monks and priests, and other zealous propagandists, went about with lighted torches and projectiles, burning down the houses.... lal sister had seen her brother's mouth filled with gunpowder, and the head then blown to atoms...." These people, "so simple, so Christian, were made a prey to the DEMON of popery, cruel in its superstition BEYOND THE CRUELTY OF THE
MOST BARBAROUS SAVAGES.
TP. L. Jacob, Military and Religious Life..., op. cit., p. 430. Alex Muston (transl.), A History of the Waldenses: The Israel of the Alps
2nd edn. (London: Ingram, Cooke, & Co., 1853), p. 46.
9 Ibid., p. 138.
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CODEWORD BARBELON BK 2
I shall next quote from one who was intimately acquainted with the Inquisition, Don Juan Antonio Llorente, derived from orginal documents in the archives of the Supreme Tribunal and those of the Subterranean Tribunals of the Holy Office. I quote Llorente from his Critical History of the Inquisition in Spain, cited in page 207 of History of the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, Vol. 1, by William H. Prescott
Don Juan Antonio Llorente is the only writer who has succeeded in completely lifting the veil from the dread mysteries of the Inquisition. It is obvious how very few could be competent to this task, since the proceed. ings of the Holy Office were shrouded in such impenetrable secrecy, that even the prisoners who were arraigned before it, as has been already stated, were kept in ignorance of their own processes. Even such of its functionaries, as have at different times pretended to give its transactions to the world, have confined themselves to an historical outline, with meagre notices of such parts of its internal discipline as might be safely disclosed to the public.
Llorente was secretary to the tribunal of Madrid from 1790 to 1792. His official station consequently afforded him every facility for an acquaint- ance with the most recondite affairs of the Inquisition; and, on its suppres sion at the close of 1808, he devoted several years to a careful investigation of the registers of the tribunals, both of the capital and the provinces, as well as of such other original documents contained within their archives, as had not hitherto been opened to the light of day.
Llorente thus speaks in his Preface:--
In order to write an exset history, it was necessary to be an Inquisitor, or Se entary of the Inquisition. In this way alone could be seen the bulls of the pope the orders of the kings, the decisions of the council of the Inquisition, the original trials and other papers of its archives. Perhaps I am the only one, who at the pre sent time can poss all of these documents. I was Secretary of the Inquisition of the Court of Madrid, in the years 1789, 1790, and 1791. I knew its establishment sofficiently to consider it vicious in its origin, constitution, and laws, in spite of the apologetic writings in its favour. I immediately devoted myself to the collection of papers, abridging the most voluminous, but copying literally all that was impert ant. My perseverance in this labour, and in that of collecting all the suppressed books and pamphlets that I could find among the depositories of former inquisitor provided me with a great sumber of interesting documents. I at last obtained the whole of the archives in 150), when the tribunal was abolished. I hope that I shall not be thought arrogant is mying, that I alone can satisfy the cariosity of th who wish to know the trae tory of the Inquisition of Spain. I merely mean, that supply in a great degree, my want of talent" I hop
In the early chapters of his work. Llorente gives a sketch of the ancient Inquisition, from its origin in 1203, down to the estab lishment of the modern tribunal by Ferdinand V. in 1481. Llo rente, with all his opportunities, was able to collect bat meagre details of the ancient Inquisition: its existence during the dark ages being unfavourable to critical inquiry.
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The Inquisition In Minute Detail...
To begin to understand the scale of atrocity of the inquisitions, consider the career of Torquemada (1420-1498), Grand Inquisitor of Spain. During his 18- year term, well over 100,000 heresy cases were tried in Spain alone, of which 97.322 were imprisoned and/or lost their property, at least 90,000 were torrared (many to death) and 10.220 were burned. These are numbers so large they seem incredible, but which were given by Llorenie, the Spanish historian of the Imp sition, who was well-qualified to judge their accuracy. If we take only half of Torquemada's rate of 5975 victims per year (people imprisoned, robbed, tor tured or killed by the Church) and multiply it for the 6 major Western Christian powers (Spain, France. England, Germany, Italy, Slavic countries) over 500 years (roughly 1150-1650), we reach a figure of nearly 9,000,000 victims of the various inquisitions. This does not include groups slaughtered in Europe by crusaders, or by general decree. It also does not include those threatened, harassed, lynched or punished without trial, such as known Jews. These victims add millions more to the body count. We can easily say that Christian Inquisitions killed at least 10 million, and cruelly ruined the lives of at least 10 million more.
Sober reader, the Seventh chapter of Daniel has been precisely fulfilled in the Catholic Church: "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth... and shall devour the whole earth.... tread it down, and break it to pieces."
I quote next Grattan Guiness Romanism and the Reformation, 1881:
Stay, I will take you to the Inquisition. You shall enter its gloomy portals; you shall walk through its dark passages; you shall stand in its infernal torture-chamber; you shall hear the cries of some of its victims; you shall listen to their very words. What agonies have been suffered in these somber vaults, unseen by any human eyes save those of fiendish inquisitors! What cries have been uttered in this dismal place which has never reached the open world in which we live. Locked doors shut them in; stone walls stifled them. No sound escaped, not even that of a faint and distant moan. But now and then a victim found release; one and another have come forth from the torture-chamber pale and tremblingly, maimed and mutilated, to tell the things they experienced when in the hands of the holy inquisitors. We shall call in some of these as witnesses.
This book is Limborch's History of the Inquisition. It tells the story of its origin seven hundred years ago.... it describes its ministers and methods, its vicars, assistants, notaries, judges, and other officials. It describes the power of the inquisitors, and their manner of proceeding. It unveils their dread tribunal; opens their blood-stained records; describes their dungeons, the secret tortures they unflicted. the extreme, merciless, unmitigated tortures, and also the public... burning of heretics. What a record! What a world of tyranny and intolerable anguish compressed into that one word-the Inquisition!
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CODEWORD BARBELON Bk 2
Tyranny over the conscience! Men in the name of Jesus Christ stretching and straining, maiming and mangling their fellow men, to compel them to call light darkness, and darkness light. To bow down to man and worship him as God; to call the teaching of Chris beress, and the teachings of antichrist Divine! Tremendous was the power of that dread[ed] tribunal. In Spain and Portugal it completely crushed the Reformation. No secrets could be withheld from the inquisitors; hundreds of persons were often apprehended in one day, and in consequence... from their examinations under torture, thousands more were apprehended.
the inquisition [cells were filled and emptied again and ag torture-chamber was a hell. The most excruciating engines wer employed to dislocate the limbs of even tender women. Thousands were burned at the stake. The gospel was gagged and crushed....
"The place of torture," says a Spanish historian, quoted by Limborch, Page 217, "is generally an underground and very dri room.... There is a tribunal erected in it in which the inquisitor inspector, and secretary sit. When the candles are lighted, and the person to be tortured brought in, the executioner, who is waiting for him, makes an astonishing and dreadful appearance. He is covered all over with a black linen garment down to his feet and tied close to his body. His head and face are all concealed with a long black carl, only two little holes being left in it for him to see through.
All this is intended to strike the miserable wretch with greater terror in mind and body, when he sees himself going to be tortured by the hands of one who thus looks like the very devil.
Today, the infallible Church of Rome would have us to believe that such atrocities were the product of darker, less civilized times and that she has changed. But if she has changed' WHAT WAS SHE BEFORE?
TORTURE BY Ut
For more, see Juan Antonio Llorente's Critical History of the Inquisition in Spain 189
350
"The Inquisition In Minute Detail: The First Holocaust"
Codeword Barbelon book Two
by P.D. Stuart
https://www.facebook.com/billy.dunn.50767/posts/pfbid023VqYNt4iwNSk8BREzesUxR1gPEDTrmnE648pn3nATw2NNfWCjamzEtr9zdXMcftkl
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
Inquisition
INQUISI'TION, noun s as z. [Latin inquisitio, inquiro. See Inquire.]
1. Inquiry; examination; a searching or search. Psalms 9:12.
2. Judicial inquiry; official examination; inquest.
The justices in eyre had it formerly in charge to make inquisition concerning them by a jury of the county.
3. Examination; discussion.
4. In some catholic countries, a court or tribunal established for the examination and punishment of heretics. This court was established in the twelfth century by father Dominic, who was charged by pope Innocent III. with orders to excite catholic princes and people to extirpate heretics.
https://kingjamesbibledictionary.com/Dictionary/inquisition
Inquisition
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Inquisition
INQUISITION
in-kwi-zish'-un (darash, "to follow," "diligently inquire," "question," "search" (Deuteronomy 19:18; Psalms 9:12), baqash, "to search out," "to strive after," "inquire" (Esther 2:23)):
The term refers, as indicated by these passages, first of all to a careful and diligent inquiry necessary to ascertain the truth from witnesses in a court, but may also refer to a careful examination into circumstances or conditions without official authority.
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/inquisition/
Deuteronomy 19
1599 Geneva Bible
19 2 The franchised towns. 14 Not to remove thy neighbor’s bounds. 16 The punishment of him that beareth false witness.
1 When the Lord thy God shall root out the nations, whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou shalt possess them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses,
2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee, in the midst of thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
3 Thou shalt [a]prepare thee the way, and divide the coasts of the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every [b]manslayer may flee thither.
4 ¶ This also is the cause wherefore the manslayer shall flee thither, and live: who so killeth his neighbor ignorantly, and hated him not in time passed:
5 As he that goeth unto the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand striketh with the axe to cut down the tree, if the head slip from the helve, and hit his neighbor that he dieth, the same [c]shall flee unto one of the cities, and live,
6 Lest the avenger of the blood follow after the manslayer while his heart is chafed, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, although he be not [d]worthy of death, because he hated him not in time passed.
7 Wherefore I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt appoint out three cities for thee.
8 And when the Lord thy God [e]enlargeth thy coasts (as he hath sworn unto thy fathers) and giveth thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers.
9 (If thou keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day: to wit, that thou love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways forever) then thou shalt add three cities more for thee besides those three,
10 That no innocent blood be shed within thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, [f]lest blood be upon thee.
11 ¶ But if a man hate his neighbor, and lay wait for him, and rise against him, and smite any man that he die, and flee unto any of these cities,
12 Then the [g]Elders of his city shall send and fet him thence, and deliver him to the hands of the avenger of the blood, that he may die.
13 Thine [h]eye shall not spare him, but thou shalt put away the cry of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
14 ¶ Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s mark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, that thou shalt inherit in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
15 ¶ One witness shall not rise against a man for any trespass, or for any sin, or for any fault that he offendeth in, but at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be stablished.
16 ¶ If a false witness rise up against a man to accuse him of trespass,
17 Then both the men which strive together, shall stand before the [i]Lord, even before the Priests and the Judges, which shall be in those days.
18 And the Judges shall make diligent inquisition: and if the witness be found false, and hath given false witness against his brother,
19 Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to do unto his brother: so thou shalt take evil away forth of the midst of thee.
20 And the rest shall hear this, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such wickedness among you.
21 Therefore thine eye shall have no compassion, but life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Footnotes
Deuteronomy 19:3 Make an open and ready way.
Deuteronomy 19:3 Which killeth against his will, and bare no hatred in his heart.
Deuteronomy 19:5 That murder be not committed upon murder.
Deuteronomy 19:6 Or, cannot be judged to death.
Deuteronomy 19:8 When thou goest over Jordan to possess the whole land of Canaan.
Deuteronomy 19:10 Lest thou be punished for innocent blood.
Deuteronomy 19:12 The Magistrates.
Deuteronomy 19:13 Then whosoever pardoneth murder, offendeth against the word of God.
Deuteronomy 19:17 God’s presence is where his true ministers are assembled.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2019&version=GNV
Nevada School of Law at Old College was the first law school established in the state of Nevada. The school, located in Reno, was founded in 1981 by former president of Gonzaga University Rev. John "Jack" P. Leary and then-Washoe County District Attorney Cal Dunlap. After its first year, the school moved from the former St. Thomas Aquinas Parochial School to its permanent home at the old Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper plant donated by the Gannett Company. The school lacked the financial means by which to gain full accreditation from the American Bar Association, and it closed its doors in AUGUST 1988. At the time of its closure, the school had an 85% first-time bar passage rate among its graduates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_School_of_Law_at_Old_College
Dayton Judge Camille Vecchiarelli presented Judge of the Year award
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Judge Camille Vecchiarelli, Justice of the Peace, Dayton Township Justice Court, was honored with the 2015 Judge of the Year award, which was presented at the Nevada Judges Limited Jurisdiction seminar in Mesquite.
The award was formally given to Judge Vecchiarelli by last year’s honoree, Judge Alan Tiras of the Incline Village Township Justice Court. Vecchiarelli will pass on the honor to the next Nevada Judge of the Year.
In her acceptance speech, Judge Vecchiarelli said that she was humbled and honored to receive the award. She also stated, “I am speechless and for those who know me, that is a hard thing to do.”
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, James Hardesty, also presented Vecchiarelli and 10 other Nevada judges with Certificates of Achievement in Judicial Education.
https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2015/feb/10/dayton-judge-camille-vecchiarelli-presented-judge-/
The Judge is the chief antagonist of "Surprise" and "Innocence" - a two-part episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was a powerful demon sent forth by Drusilla and Spike to wreak havoc as a "gift" to Buffy on her birthday.
History
The Judge was an ancient and legendary demon brought forth to this dimension in the 14th Century to rid Earth of the plague of humanity. He was aptly named The Judge for he had come to separate the righteous from the wicked, and burn the righteous down. An army was sent against the Judge, and though most of the warriors died, the army was finally able to dismember the Judge, but not to kill him. The pieces were placed in iron boxes and scattered to be buried "in every corner of the Earth". For six hundred years he remained aware of his status.
As Drusilla's 1998 birthday present, Spike has all the pieces of the Judge brought to Sunnydale. Drusilla plans to reassemble the Judge and unleash Armageddon. Spike's minions succeed in reuniting all the pieces and taking them to Spike and Dru's lair, except for one of the arms, which Dalton loses to Buffy. At The Bronze, Buffy opens the box, and the Judge's arm immediately attacks her.
Fearing that the Judge would be too dangerous to fight, Angel decides to take a ship to hide the arm in Nepal, thus leaving the Judge incomplete, which would have ended Dru's plot to reawaken the demon. However, Dalton and Spike's minions manage to steal the arm back from Buffy and Angel.
With the pieces complete, the Judge is reassembled before an ecstatic Drusilla. The Judge shows contempt for her and Spike as the two share affection, a quality considered by the Judge to be human. The Judge wanted to kill them until Spike reminded him that he and Dru had brought him back. Deeming them "helpful" for his purposes the Judge agreed to leave the two unharmed. Seconds later, the Judge turns on Dalton, whom the Judge also deems "full of feeling" (Dalton's love for knowledge). As he had just been awakened, the Judge wasn't at his full power, and needed to touch his victims to incinerate them, as he demonstrates on Dalton, much to Drusilla's delight.
Buffy and Angel find themselves in mortal danger when they go to the Factory, only to find the Judge already assembled, and Spike and Dru ready for their visit thanks to Drusilla's premonitions. Buffy and Angel barely escape, Buffy having already felt the Judge's deadly power when she kicked the demon. The two hide in Angel's apartment, where they share an intimate encounter, which causes Angel to lose his soul. Meanwhile, the Judge rests, waiting for his powers to return to full strength.
The now unsouled Angel returns to the Factory. The Judge attacks him but is unable to incinerate him, as Angelus is "clean of humanity", according to the Judge. While it has been established that all vampires have some humanity in them, the Judge's powers do not work on Angelus, despite the fact that he's a vampire, as he's incapable of feeling love or affection (unlike Spike and Dru or Dalton), and is a true creature of evil, meaning that he is capable of surviving the touch of the Judge.
With his powers restored, the Judge is taken by Angelus and Dru for a massacre at a mall. With a mere gesture, the Judge incinerates a man and then attacks a large number of people. The Judge's power bounces from a human to the next, thus creating a web of victims. Before the victims die, Buffy attacks the Judge with a crossbow. The Judge reminds Buffy that no weapon forged can hurt him, prompting Buffy to fire a rocket launcher at him. Unfamiliar with modern weaponry, the Judge merely stands as the projectile flies towards him. Angel and Dru escape, while the Judge is destroyed, though not killed, by the explosion. The pieces of the Judge are then picked by the Scoobies, who proceed to dispose of them, taking great care to keep them separate.
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/The_Judge_(Buffyverse)
The Supreme Court of Cassation (Italian: Corte Suprema di Cassazione) is the highest court of appeal or court of last resort in Italy. It has its seat in the Palace of Justice, Rome.
The Court of Cassation also ensures the correct application of law in the inferior and appeal courts and resolves disputes as to which lower court (penal, civil, administrative, military) has jurisdiction to hear a given case.
Procedure
The Italian Supreme Court of Cassation is the highest court of Italy. Appeals to the Court of Cassation generally come from the Appellate Court, the second instance courts, but defendants or prosecutors may also appeal directly from trial courts, first instance courts. The Supreme Court can reject, or confirm, a sentence from a lower court. If it rejects the sentence, it can order the lower court to amend the trial and sentencing, or it can annul the previous sentence altogether. A sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court of Cassation is final and definitive, and cannot be further appealed for the same reasons. Although the Supreme Court of Cassation cannot overrule the trial court's interpretation of the evidence it can correct a lower court's interpretation or application of the law connected to a specific case.[1]
As explained by the Cassazione, "The appeal in cassation may be lodged against the measures issued by the ordinary courts at the appellate level or in degree only: the reasons given to support the use may be, in civil matters, the violation of the right material (errores in iudicando) or procedural (errores in proceeding), the vices of motivation (lack, insufficiency or contradiction) of the judgment under appeal; or, again, the grounds for jurisdiction. A similar scheme is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court in criminal matters".[2]
The Italian judicial system is based on civil law within the framework of late Roman law, and not based on common law. Its core principles are entirely codified into a normative system which serves as the primary source of law, which means judicial decisions of the supreme court, as well as those of lower courts, are binding within the frame of reference of each individual case submitted, but do not constitute the base for judicial precedent for other future cases as in Common Law. While in Civil Law jurisdictions the doctrine of stare decisis (precedent) does not apply, in practice the decisions of the Supreme Court of Cassation usually provide a very robust reference point in jurisprudence constante. The two essential aims of the Supreme Court of Cassation are to ensure that lower courts correctly follow legal procedure, and to harmonize the interpretation of laws throughout the judicial system.
Members and organization
The Supreme Court of Cassation is organized into two divisions: a criminal section and a civil section. The court has a general president, The First President of the Court of Cassation, a deputy, and each section has its own president. Cases brought to the supreme court are normally heard by a panel of five judges. In more complex cases, especially those concerning compounded matters of statutory interpretation an extended panel of nine judges ("united sections" of the supreme court) hear the case.[3][4] In addition, in every case submitted to the supreme court, the office of public prosecutor must state their interpretation of the applicable law, to assist and facilitate the court, in a consultative capacity, in reaching its final decision.[5][6]
Brief history
The need for this kind of court in Europe became apparent with the Ancien Régime's difficulties in maintaining both uniformity of interpretation and supremacy of the central laws against local privileges and rights. This kind of court first appeared during the French Revolution. The original French courts were initially much more like a legislative body than a judicial one. During his conquests, Napoleon greatly influenced Italian legal theory, and the Court of Cassation was formed using many imported French ideas.
The Court of Cassation was provided by the former Italian Civil Code in 1865 and then it was reorganized by royal decree 12 on 30 January 1941,[1] supplanting the previous court.[7]
On 1 March 2023, the High Council of the Judiciary unanimously elected the magistrate Margherita Cassano in the role of first president of the Court of Cassation. She is the first woman to hold this position.[8][9][10]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Cassation_(Italy)
Charles Louis de Bourbon
Portrait of Charles Louis de Bourbon
Year of birth:
1799
Year of death:
1883
He was born as the heir of the throne of Parma and when he was four he took the demanding title of King of Etruria.
His childhood was upset by the Napoleonic events and he was taken away from his mother and entrusted to his grandparents. He was a sharp man with lots of cultural interests. In 1817 he moved to Lucca and in 1820 he married Maria Teresa of Savoia, Vittorio Emanuele I's daughter.
He succeed to his mother on the throne of Lucca in 1824, but he preferred to dedicate himself on the foreign stays in Vienna, Dresden and Berlin, staying in Lucca only for short periods of time and leaving the governance of the dukedom to his ministers.
His ephemeral conversion to the Protestant religion and the numerous improper personalities in his court made him a very talked-about man in Europe.
He was such a tolerant and mild-mannered man that he hosted political emigrants in Lucca. As a very profligate man, he accumulated a lot of debts, and to contain them he consigned the Dukedom of Lucca to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany ahead of time.
Thanks to the agreements of the Congress of Vienna, he regained the control of the Dukedom of Parma in 1847, with the name of Carlo II.
But the revolutionary events in 1848 made him abdicating in favor of his son; he spent the rest of his life between Paris, Lucca and Nice, where he died.
https://www.palazzoducale.lucca.it/en/characters/charles-louis-de-bourbon
By the sixth century, the western Germanic tribe of the Franks had been Christianised; this was due in considerable measure to the conversion of their king, Clovis I, to Catholicism.[10] The Franks had established a kingdom in Gaul in the wake of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire.[11] This kingdom, Francia, grew to encompass nearly all of present-day France and Switzerland, along with parts of modern Germany and the Low Countries under the rule of the Merovingian dynasty.[12] Francia was often divided under different Merovingian kings, due to the partible inheritance practised by the Franks.[13] The late seventh century saw a period of war and instability following the murder of King Childeric II, which led to factional struggles among the Frankish aristocrats.[14]
Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, ended the strife between various kings and their mayors with his 687 victory at the Battle of Tertry.[15] Pepin was the grandson of two important figures of Austrasia: Arnulf of Metz and Pepin of Landen.[16] The mayors of the palace had gained influence as the Merovingian kings' power waned due to divisions of the kingdom and several succession crises.[17] Pepin was eventually succeeded by his son Charles, later known as Charles Martel.[18] Charles did not support a Merovingian successor upon the death of King Theuderic IV in 737, leaving the throne vacant.[19] He made plans to divide the kingdom between his sons, Carloman and Pepin the Short, who succeeded him after his death in 741.[20] The brothers placed the Merovingian Childeric III on the throne in 743.[21] Pepin married Bertrada, a member of an influential Austrasian noble family, in 744.[22][23] In 747, Carloman abdicated and entered a monastery in Rome. He had at least two sons; the elder, Drogo, took his place.[24]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne
Pope Alexander VI[Note 2] (born Rodrigo de Borja[Note 3]; 1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503) (epithet: Valentinus ("The Valencian")[6] was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503. Born into the prominent Borgia family in Xàtiva in the Kingdom of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon (now Spain), Rodrigo studied law at the University of Bologna. He was ordained deacon and made a cardinal in 1456 after the election of his uncle as Pope Callixtus III, and a year later he became vice-chancellor of the Catholic Church. He proceeded to serve in the Curia under the next four popes, acquiring significant influence and wealth in the process. In 1492, Rodrigo was elected pope, taking the name Alexander VI.
Alexander's papal bulls of 1493 confirmed or reconfirmed the rights of the Spanish crown in the New World following the finds of Christopher Columbus in 1492. During the second Italian war, Alexander VI supported his son Cesare Borgia as a condottiero for the French king. The scope of his foreign policy was to gain the most advantageous terms for his family.[7][8]
Alexander is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, partly because he acknowledged fathering several children by his mistresses. As a result, his Italianized Valencian surname, Borgia, became a byword for libertinism and nepotism, which are traditionally considered as characterizing his pontificate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_VI
Louise Borgia (17 May 1500 – 1553) was a French noblewoman. She was the daughter of Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois, who died when she was almost seven years old. She was also Dame de Chalus, a title she inherited from her mother Charlotte of Albret. She was a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic.[1]
Life
Louise was born on 17 May 1500. She was Cesare Borgia's only child with his wife, Charlotte of Albret.[2] Her paternal grandparents were Pope Alexander VI of the House of Borgia and Vannozza dei Cattanei, and her maternal grandparents were Alain I of Albret, Lord of Albret, and Françoise of Châtillon-Limoges. She had at least eleven illegitimate half-siblings from her father's relationships with other women."
She married her second husband, Philippe de Bourbon, Seigneur de Bourbon-Busset on 3 February 1530.[2] They made their home at the Château de Busset, where she made many renovations including a covered arcade on the ground floor and a gallery in the east wing.[10] Together Philippe and Louise had six children."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Borgia
Maria Virginia Borghese
Birth
10 Nov 1642 - Not Available
Death
02 Mar 1718 - Roma
Mother
Olympia Aldobrandini, Princess of Meldola and Rossano
Father
Paolo prince Borghese
https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/maria-virginia-borghese-24-1y0t86r
Virginia Borghese (Consort of Agostino Chigi, Prince Farnese, Eldest Daughter of Giovanni Battista Borghese, Prince of Sulmona & Rossano)
https://www.rct.uk/collection/614873/virginia-borghese-consort-of-agostino-chigi-prince-farnese-eldest-daughter-of
Portrait of Maria Virginia Borghese Chigi, Princess Farnese (1642–1718) c.1663-78
Studio of Jacob Ferdinand Voet (c. 1639-1700)
This portrait belongs to a type of portrait known as ‘Les Belle Romanes’. Voet is perhaps best remembered for his series of them – a great set of portraits of the most enchanting women of Rome. Inspired by the Mancini sisters, these portraits from 1672 onwards included sitters from the Chigi, Savoia and Massimo families, as well as other celebrated Italian dynasties. The paintings were so popular that the artist was repeatedly asked to reproduce replicas and versions. After working mainly in Italy, his reputation was such that he spent the last years of his life as ‘Pittore del Re’ – official portraitist to the Sun King, Louis XIV, in Paris. With such international production, his fame even surpassed that of Pierre Mignard, Carlo Maratta, Giovanni Maria Morandi and Baciccio, his main rivals in the genre.
The subject is Maria Virginia Borghese Chigi (1642-1718) who was a member of the ancient Borghese family originally from Siena; the family first came to prominence in the 13th century. The family moved to Rome in the 16th century and there, Camillo was elected as Pope Paul V in 1605. As an extended family the Borghese became some of the largest landowners of the Roman Campagna, increasing their wealth by their strategic control of their properties and a concerted policy of assuming monopolies of milling grain and the rights to run inns. The family were a major patron of the arts and their art collection was established as the Galleria Borghese located in the family's former property, Villa Borghese.
Maria Virginia is shown with the grandiloquence characteristic of Voet’s portraits. Painted in Rome in circa 1670, when the artist was at the height of his powers, the portrait displays great luminosity, it is no wonder why Voet was one Europe's premier painters of portraits during the last quarter of the 17th century (and court painter to the French King Louis XIV). The image illustrates the artist's virtuosic handling of material and his consummate skill.
Our sitter married Agostino Chigi (1634-1705) on 25 April 1659 in her hometown, and Agostino acquired the principalities of Farnese (1658), Campagnano (1661) and Ariccia. The Chigi family were another immensely rich and powerful family originally from Siena, first mentioned in the 13th century. Perhaps the most famous member was the rich banker, Agostino Chigi (1465–1520).
https://titanfineart.com/portrait-of-maria-virginia-borghese-chigi-ferdinand-voet.html
No single portrait of Lucrezia Borgia captures her contradictory nature more than an allegorical painting by Titian that hangs in the Borghese Gallery in Rome. The painting shows Lucrezia on one edge of a small pool, a naked Venus on the other, and a small cupid between them. The allegory is intended to represent sacred love (Lucrezia) and profane love (Venus). Such is the historical paradox of Lucrezia Borgia.
Lucrezia and Venus by Titian (Galeria Borghese, Rome)
https://lucretiasdaggers.com/lucretia-borgia
Borja (Borgia)
Spanish: habitational name from a place in Zaragoza province named from Arabic burj ‘tower’. See also Borgia .
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=borja
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fulfil different functions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortified_tower
Francis Borgia SJ (Valencian: Francesc de Borja; Spanish: Francisco de Borja; 28 October 1510 – 30 September 1572) was a Spanish Jesuit priest. The great-grandson of both Pope Alexander VI and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, he was Duke of Gandía and a grandee of Spain. After the death of his wife, Borgia renounced his titles and became a priest in the Society of Jesus, later serving as its third superior general. He was canonized on 20 June 1670 by Pope Clement X.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Borgia
PART VI 1THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THOSE ALREADY ADMITTED AND INCORPORATED INTO THE BODY OF THE SOCIETY
SECTION 1: THE APOSTOLIC CHARACTER OF OUR VOWS IN GENERAL
143 §1. Our consecration by profession of the evangelical counsels, by which we respond to a divine vocation, is at one and the same time the following of Christ poor, virginal, and obedient and a rejection of those idols that the world is always prepared to adore, especially wealth, pleasure, prestige, and power. Hence, our poverty, chastity, and obedience ought visibly and efficaciously to bear witness to this attitude, whereby we proclaim the evangelical possibility of a certain communion among men and women that is a foretaste of the future kingdom of God.[1]
§2. Our religious vows, while binding us, also set us FREE:
FREE, by our vow of poverty, to share the life of the poor and to use whatever resources we may have, not for our own security and comfort, but for service;
FREE, by our vow of chastity, to be men for others, in friendship and communion with all, but especially with those who share our mission of service;
FREE, by our vow of obedience, to respond to the call of Christ as made known to us by him whom the Spirit has placed over the Church, and to follow the lead of all our superiors.[2] [1] See GC 32, d. 4, no. 16; see GC 31, d. 16, no. 4; d. 17, no. 2; d. 18, no. 3. [2] GC 32, d. 2, no. 20. 215
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts
THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES
SAINT LOUIS, 1996
https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Borghese
Recorded in many forms including Bourges, Bourgaize, Bourgeois, (France), Burgess, Burges and Burgis (England and Scotland), Borghese, Borgesio and Burgisi (Italy), and others, this interesting surname is of pre 8th century Old French origins. It derives from the word "burgeis", meaning inhabitant and FREEMAN of a fortified town, one which could apply municipal rates, taxes, and duties. A burgeis generally had tenure of land or buildings from a landlord by "burgage", which involved the payment of a fixed money rent. In Scotland, the position of burgess required not only the making of payments, but to be availble to take part in guarding the town. The surname is one of the earliest recorded anywhere in the world. These recordings are from England because this country was the first to adopt both hereditary surnames and to make the necessary registers in which to record them. France was several centuries later, and Italy, not until the 19th century in most areas. Early recordings showing the influence of the Norman-French in England after the Invasion of 1066 include: Ralph le Burgeis, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Sussex in 1195, and Philip Bourges in the cartulary of Oseney Abbey, Oxford in 1197. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey Burgeis, which was dated 1115, in the "Winton Rolls" of Hampshire. This was during the reign of King Henry 1st, known as "The Lion of Justice", 1100 - 1135. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. Over the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Borghese
Pope Paul V (Latin: Paulus V; Italian: Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a member of the papal Accademia dei Lincei and supported his discoveries.[2] In 1616, Pope Paul V instructed Cardinal Robert Bellarmine to inform Galileo that the Copernican theory could not be taught as fact, but Bellarmine's certificate allowed Galileo to continue his studies in search for evidence and use the geocentric model as a theoretical device. That same year Paul V assured Galileo that he was safe from persecution so long as he, the Pope, should live. Bellarmine's certificate was used by Galileo for his defense at the trial of 1633.[3]
Trained in jurisprudence, Borghese was made Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Eusebio and the Cardinal Vicar of Rome by Pope Clement VIII. He was elected as Pope in 1605, following the death of Pope Leo XI. Pope Paul V was known for being stern and unyielding, defending the privileges of the Church. He met with Galileo Galilei in 1616 and was involved in the controversy over heliocentrism. He canonized and beatified several individuals during his papacy and created 60 cardinals in ten consistories.
His insistence on ecclesiastical jurisdiction led to conflicts with secular governments, notably with Venice, which resulted in an interdict on the city in 1606. This disagreement was eventually mediated by France and Spain in 1607. Pope Paul V's diplomacy also strained relations with England, as his actions were perceived as undermining moderate Catholics in the country.
In Rome, he financed the completion of St. Peter's Basilica, improved the Vatican Library, and restored the ancient Roman aqueduct Aqua Traiana. Pope Paul V established the Banco di Santo Spirito in 1605 and is also known for fostering the rise of the Borghese family through nepotism. He died on 28 January 1621, after suffering from a series of strokes and was succeeded by Pope Gregory XV.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Paul_V
"It will be lawful for an ecclesiastic, or one of the religious order jeg. a Jesuit, to kill a calumniator who threatens to spread atrocious accusations against himself or his religion," is the rule given by the Jesuit Francis Amicus. Clement XIV was in their eyes such a calumniator. Indeed, as we have read, the Jesuit oath states, "I will secretly use the poisoned cup, the strangulation cord, the steel of the poniard (a dagger) or the leaden bullet, regardless of the honor, rank. dignity, or authority of the person or persons...." That would include 'popicide'! Several historians have opined that the poison given to Pope Clement XIV was administered by one of his regular guests or a servant. And it is a fact that every week the pope met with his Jesuit confessor.
Even to this day, of those who have access to the pope, the Jesuits are always the best positioned. The Jesuits know all the secrets of the popes and have the most intimate access to the Roman pontiffs. Indeed, some of the Pope's closest advisors are Jesuits. Further, it is a requirement that the pope's confessor must be a Jesuit. Jean Lacouture's work Jesuits: A Multibiography confirms that Pope Paul VI (Cardinal Montini) had as his confessor a Jesuit priest. And the Jesuit Cardinal Paolo Dezza, with whom the Pope is said to have had "almost daily meetings," tells us that the "White Pope" has private "monthly face-to- face meetings" with the "Black Pope."" This quote is verbatim.
Nor were these weekly meetings a peculiarity of Paul VT's papacy "The Pope's confessor, an ordinary priest, must be a Jesuit: he must
25 Charles Newdigate, Glimps of the Great Secret Society, op. cit., p. 40: and Wylie, History of Protestantism, op. cit.
26 R. W. Thompson, Footprints of the Jesuits, op. cit., pp. 224-227. 27 Francis Amicus, Cursus Theologici, Tomus v., Duaci, 1642, Disp. 36,
Sect. 5, n. 118.
28 Jean Lacouture, Jesuits: A Multibiography, op. cit., p. 463, para. 1. See also, p. 444 (Pope Pius XII also having Jesuit Father Robert Leiber. as his confessor). Only a Jesuit can be the Pope's confessor: p. 445.
252
Order out of Chaos: the Jesuits, Their rise, fall...Audacious Return the Vatican once a week at a fixed time, and he alone may absolve the Pope of his sins. In fact, Cardinal Dezza was confessor to two Popes- Paul VI and John Paul I-both of whom 'chose him as confessor.
10
The reader may be surprised to learn that there have been several such Papal assassinations, and attempts at assassinations. Malachi Martin, the former Jesuit professor and Vatican insider, says that the tensions between Paul VI and the Jesuit General was so high that the Pontill was thinking about "dissolving the Company a second time." He was not to live to execute any such plans. In 1970, Pope Paul VI was almost stabbed to death by Benjamin Mendoza y Amor Flores. Malachi Martin writes: "Had it not been for that still collar and the speed of Paul's private secretary, Monsignore Macchi, who caught Mendoza's arm and slowed its force, Paul VI would have been killed. As it was, he was wounded slightly on both sides of the neck." Then, on July 14, 1978, for no apparent reason, Paul VI fell into unconsciousness for four hours and died soon after of a massive heart attack. It would be remiss of me not to point out that almost every pope who has sought to dissolve the Jesuits has had an untimely and sudden demise.
Likewise, Paul VI's successor Pope John Paul I inherited a financial scandal involving the Jesuits, the Vatican Bank and its American director, Bishop Paul Marcinkus. John Paul I decided to act: he went to bed with a copy of his speech about his plans to either terminate or reorganize the Jesuits. He was found dead by his housekeeper the following morning." In an earlier age so untimely a death might have stirred deep suspicions. Time magazine, October 9, 1978, notes: "If this were the time of the Borgias," said a young teacher in Rome, "there'd be talk that John Paul was poisoned."
29 Nino Lo Bello, The Vatican Empire, (New York: Trident Press, a division of Simon and Schuster, 1968), p. 78. Nino Lo Bello was the author of ten books, including the New York Times bestsellers. The Vatican Empire, Vatican U.S.A., European Detours, The Vatican Papers, and Nino Lo Bello's Guide to the Vatican. For eight years, he was Italian correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune and served as special correspondent to the International Herald Tribune for more than a
quarter-century.
30 Malachi Martin, The Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church. (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989), p. 401; see also his comments on pp. 231-233 regarding the murder of
Pope Sixtus V in 1590.
31
Martin, The Jesuits, The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the
Roman Catholic Church, op. cit., p. 44.
253
CODEWORD BARBELON
Three years later, on May 13, 1981, the successor to John Paul I, "ope John Paul II, was struck by two bullets from the semiautomatic istol of hitman Mehmet Ali Agca. Three weeks prior to the ssassination attempt John Paul II had a meeting with six of the most owerful cardinals in the Vatican and was in deadlock talks with the esuit General. The topic? The forced resignation of the Jesuit General Pedro Arrupe!" John Paul had written a letter to Father General Arrupe, insisting on appointing the 80 year old Jesuit Cardinal Paolo Dezza as his personal delegate to the Jesuits, with power to govern the Society of Jesus. After the failed attempt on his life John Paul II withdrew his demands, and lived a long life-unlike Pope Clement XIV.
Not long thereafter the attempted assassination of John Paul II by Mehmet Ali, May 1981, the Jesuit General Pedro Arrupe" made this marvellous admission: "The Company is feared everywhere.... The people say, "These Jesuits are wily! And so powerful!****
Returning to the suppression. For all its "comprehensive" and bold declarations, Pope Clement's decree of 1773 proved only partially successful and palpably shortlived. After Clement's suspicious and untimely death, Cardinal Braschi was elected Pope Pius VI, on February 15, 1775. The successor to the unfortunate Clement XIV was no less in fear of the Jesuits. A former pupil of the Society of Jesus, he knew their wrath. Almost immediately he sought to secure the release of Fr. Ricci, the Jesuit General, and his assistants from the prison in Castel San Angelo. But Charles III. King of Spain, insisted on their detention. Moreover, the Jesuits were never suppressed in Russia or Germany. Pius VI, seeing the fate of his predecessors, colluded with Frederick II of Prussia to "saving the Jesuits." On March 12, 1783. Pius VI "approved" the maintenance of the Jesuits in Russia.
138
32 Malachi Martin, The Jesuits..., op, cit., pp. 79-80, 94.
33 Pedro Arrupe (1907-1991) "the 28th Superior General". For nearly 20
years, he was the central figure in the renewal of the Society after Vatican Council II. From the Basque country of Spain, he put his medical training on hold to join the Jesuits. He was expelled from Spain in 1932, along with all the Jesuits by the Spanish government. 34 Jean Lacouture, Jesuits: A Multibiography, op. cit., p. 472; Alain. Woodrow, Les Jesuits (Paris: Jean-Claude Lattés, 1984), p. 267. 35 Lacouture, Jesuits: A Multibiography, op. cit., p. 305.
36 Histoire religieuse, politique et litteraire de la Compagnie de Jesus, op
cit, p. 485.
254
"Order Out of Chaos: The Jesuits, Their Rise, Fall, And Audacious Return" Codeword Barbelon book One
by P.D. Stuart
https://www.facebook.com/billy.dunn.50767/posts/pfbid02fbtfkCQezZXRYQgVMyXWcurYudxodaRdzAGY1QqL7ZfbB9grFKAHvPVKhSXoS1M6l
20. It is better and safer to make alliance and amity with [Moslem] Turks, [Communist] Infidels, or [Talmudic and anti-Torah, Zionist] Jews, than with [Reformation Bible-believing] Heretic Protestants [and Baptists], because they may draw us into the errors of their novelties. {1}
Absolutist Papal Maxims of the Jesuits
World, the: 1. It is proper to our vocation: to go to diverse places and live in whatever part of the world and to be sent wherever the greater service of God and the help of souls can be hoped for [82, 92, 304, 308, 588, 603, 605, 626, 749]; to this purpose is directed the vow of special obedience to the supreme pontiff regarding missions, FI no. 3 [603, 605], 2 §1; consequently a complete availability, mobility, and universality are necessary, 110, 121 4°, 242 §3, 246 7°, 248, 259, 411; at the service of which is chastity, 144 §2; consequently our community is a community for dispersion, 255 §1, 312, 314 §2, 315, 317; thus also the need for communicating with different cultures of the world and for insertion into them, 99 §2, 106 §2, 110, 111, 246 2°; and for promoting that perfect and open cooperation among the members of the entire Society, of whatever province or region they may be, 396 §2. See also Cooperation, interprovincial and supraprovincial; Culture(s); Insertion 2. God is present in the world: exercising the ministry of healing and reconciliation, 246 4°; thus he is there to be sought and found, 223 §§3-4; the world, in great part afflicted with atheism and injustice and increasingly divided by diverse economic, social, and ethnic systems and by other sources of division and opposition, 59 §2, 223 §3, 246 4° 3. The world, as distinguished from religious life: is to be left behind, trampled underfoot, and renounced [30, 50, 53, 61, 66, 297]; it is to be despised because of the love for and imitation of Christ [101]; contempt for it assists in the union of minds and hearts [671]: customs which smack of the world are not to be introduced, 322.
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts
THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES SAINT LOUIS, 1996
https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Luke 21:24
1599 Geneva Bible
24 And they shall fall on the [a]edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Read full chapter
Footnotes
Luke 21:24 Word for word, mouth, for the Hebrews call the edge of a sword the mouth, because the edge biteth.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2021%3A24&version=GNV
The Holocaust, medicine and becoming a physician: the crucial role of education
Shmuel P. Reis, Hedy S. Wald & Paul Weindling
Israel Journal of Health Policy Research volume 8, Article number: 55 (2019) Cite this article
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Abstract
Learning about the abandonment of moral principles of healthcare professionals and scientists, their societies and academic institutions, to a murderous ideology yields fundamental concerns and global implications for present and future healthcare professionals’ education and practice. Medicine’s worst-case scenario raises deeply disturbing yet essential questions in the here and now: Could the Holocaust, one of the greatest evils ever perpetrated on humankind, have occurred without the complicity of physicians, their societies, and the scientific profession community? How did healers become killers? Can it happen again?
We reflect here on those queries through the lens of the Second International Scholars Workshop on Medicine during the Holocaust and Beyond held in the Galilee, Israel on May 7–11, 2017 and derive contemporary global lessons for the healthcare professions. Following a brief historical background, implications of the history of medicine in the Holocaust are drawn including 1) awareness that the combination of hierarchy, obedience, and power constitutes a risk factor for abuse of power in medicine and 2) learning and teaching about medicine in the Holocaust and beyond is a powerful platform for supporting professional identity formation. As such, this history ideally can help “equip” learners with a moral compass for navigating the future of medical practice and inherent ethical challenges such as prejudice, assisted reproduction, resource allocation, obtaining valid informed consent, end of life care, and challenges of genomics and technology expansion. Curriculum modules are available and studies on impact on students’ attitudes and behavior are emerging.
The conference culminated with the launch of the Galilee Declaration, composed and signed by an international, inter-professional community of historians, healthcare professions educators, and ethicists. The Declaration included herein (http://english.wgalil.ac.il/category/Declaration) calls for curricula on history of healthcare professions in the Holocaust and its implications to be included in all healthcare professions education.
The Holocaust. A zenith of profound evil afflicted by human beings upon their fellow humans under National Socialism (1940–45) [1, 2]. “Never again” is a resounding promise for a civilized society, and “never again” for the medical profession as well. While many professions swept by Nazi ideology went overboard to please the Führer, physicians and other healthcare professionals were among the most avid [3, 4]. Forty-five percent of German physicians, for example, joined the Nazi party (many of those even before Hitler’s rise to power) compared to 7% of teachers in Germany [4]. Learning about and reflecting upon the abandonment of moral principles of individual healthcare professionals and scientists and more broadly, their societies and academic institutions, to a murderous ideology yields fundamental concerns and global implications for present and future healthcare professionals’ education and practice [5,6,7]. Medicine’s worst-case scenario [8] raises deeply disturbing yet essential questions in the here and now: Could the Holocaust, one of the greatest evils ever perpetrated on humankind, have occurred without the complicity of physicians, their societies, and the scientific profession community? How did healers become killers? Can it happen again? We reflect here on those queries through the lens of the Second International Scholars Workshop on Medicine during the Holocaust and Beyond held in the Galilee, Israel on May 7–11, 2017 and derive contemporary global lessons for the healthcare professions. This gathering of over 100 historians, physicians, nurses, medical and university educators, medical students, ethicists and more from 17 countries presenting on history, healthcare professions education, and bioethics addressed this dark chapter of history and contemplated its implications for current and future practitioners and researchers.
Background
Some historical background is presented here as context for this workshop: Five “programs” deliberately launched by the Nazis established the priority of the “health” of the State or “Volk” over the health of individuals and dehumanized those considered “unworthy of life.” first, the Jewish medical presence was eliminated from Nazi Germany (1935–1939). A second program consisted of involuntary sterilization of disabled German citizens (Jews included) (1933–1939), followed by a third, “euthanasia” of (mostly) Germans and Austrians whose lives were deemed medically “unworthy of living,” including the disabled and mentally ill (1939–1945). Fourth, horrific experiments on numerous persons ranging from mixed-race Afro-German children to Jews in Auschwitz were conducted throughout this period (1933–1945) [9] and fifth, medicalized genocide aimed to annihilate European Jewry and other “undesirables” (1941–1945), indeed from 1940 given that Jewish psychiatric patients were prioritized for killing with carbon monoxide gas. These programs were proposed, planned, organized, and implemented (contributed to for the fifth) by healthcare professionals and scientific institutions, implicating almost the entire scientific and medical enterprise of Germany and annexed Austria [6, 7]. The sequence of events was gradual. The first two “programs” enacted prior to World War II rendered an estimated 350,000 persons forcibly sterile and resulted in several thousand Jewish physicians being ousted from their jobs with many committing suicide or eventually perishing in the ghettoes and death camps. In this prelude to what was to follow, German and Austrian physicians and their institutions engaged in reporting, “legally” sanctioning, and executing these first two crimes. “The Holocaust started in the dark basements of German hospitals” [10].
Once the war began on September 1, 1939, Hitler permitted transitioning from sterilization to the T4 (“euthanasia”) program where, once again, German and Austrian disabled individuals were gassed. While this program officially ceased in August, 1941 after public protest with the Catholic Bishop Galen taking a lead, medical teams continued to perform “wild euthanasia” on a decentralized basis similar to the “special care children’s units” until late May, 1945. During 1941, the infrastructure, personnel and expertise of the T4 program were transferred east to serve the emerging “Final Solution” (plan to annihilate European Jewry officially launched in January 1942), by building the first three extermination camps on German-occupied Polish soil: Sobibor, Belzec, and Treblinka, as well as testing Zyklon gas for killing sick Poles and Russian prisoners in September 1941 in Auschwitz before large scale killing of Jews from 1942. It was also in Auschwitz where sick prisoners were routinely killed with lethal injections or sent to the gas chambers. Intermediary steps toward achieving the Holocaust included massive population transfers to ghettoes and labor camps fueled by medical advice on such actions “preventing epidemics” [11] and genocide by bullets in territories seized from the Soviet Union during the 1941–44 German invasion. In parallel, experimentation on ca 18,000 prisoners and patients, with medical and scientific establishments competing for generous research grants offered to support war related and racial research [12]. The pre-existing German Medical Ethics Guidelines of 1931 did not prevent such abuse and violation of human rights [13]. In the death camps, physicians conducted a disinformation charade intended to mislead with white coats and ambulances on the train ramps, followed by the infamous selection of immediately “diagnosing” the few who may be fit for work and sending the vast majority of deportees to gas chambers and crematoria. The image of the “angel of death” Josef Mengele MD, PhD looms large as the icon of medical presence selecting on the ramp of Auschwitz a select minority for forced labor and most for immediate killing by poison gas, as well as twins and persons with genetic growth defects for coerced experiments and extraction of soft tissue, body fluids and bones [4]. Mengele did not act alone. Research implicates numerous German and Austrian medical physicians and others in the scientific community as participating in this unprecedented breach of ethics and humanity [14].
Additional issues raised during the conference included the involvement of pharma in exploiting available slave labor and participating in unethical experiments, examples of the international medical community and its journals giving voice to, supporting, and publishing policies, ideology and “scientific” results of the Nazi medical and scientific communities, failures of compliance in many countries with ethical codes formulated in the aftermath of the Holocaust, and finally denial with transparency obstruction of the medical atrocities and their perpetrators in involved countries. Essential lessons for health professionals in all stages of the professional life cycle derive from studying history highlighting what may occur when ideology fuels evil distortion of medicine and science. The conference confronted the history of the often-central role of Nazi healthcare professionals in atrocities including exclusion of persons categorized as racially “sub humans” from the realm of ethical consideration, human beings labeled as unworthy of living [15], starvation and other forms of “legally” administered torture, and barbaric experiments conducted in the ruthless pursuit for “medical knowledge.”
Implications of the history of medicine in the Holocaust for medical ethics and education
Potential for abuse of power is inherent to medicine. Healthcare can involve the application of aggressive, potentially painful and distressing modalities, i.e. delivering bad news, surgery, resuscitation, distressing and often painful diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Physicians hold the power to announce and certify death, assist in reproductive technologies, admit against a patient’s will, and supply a host of certificates and reports which profoundly affect patients’ lives and welfare. Medicine is a hierarchical profession, with senior clinicians issuing orders to be carried out by junior ones, and where physicians often direct or command allied health personnel [16]. While these features of medicine are applied with the noble goal of healing and administering best practices within humanistic care, the combination of elements of hierarchy, obedience, and power constitutes a risk factor for abuse of power [2, 16]. What prevents potentialities for abuse of power in medicine from becoming reality?
Such existential deliberations were integrated at the conference within medical education imperatives, i.e. considering how the history of medicine under the Third Reich informs and shapes contemporary clinical ethics, human subject experimentation checks and balances, and required ethics committees, ethics consults, and institutional review boards (IRBs). An ethics code or instruction cannot suffice – “medical ethics” in Nazi-era medical school curricula existed, yet included “unequal worth of human beings, authoritative role of the physician, and priority of public health over individual patient care” [17, 18] Nazi physicians, idealistic in a perverse way, earnestly believed what they were doing was right [19]. While no physician was present in the Wannsee meeting that formally confirmed the plan for genocide of the Jewish people, [20] programs 1–4 as described above could not have been realized without individual physicians and the medical and scientific communities playing a decisive role in the planning and implementation of such programs. As for program #5, most horrific of all, the question of whether the Holocaust could have occurred without the contributions of the medical and scientific professions is haunting. Nearly 100 conference presentations included topics such as the medical/scientific community’s involvement in medical atrocities and bioethics after the Holocaust as well as medical activity (including ethical dilemmas) in ghettos and camps, genocide conditions, treatment of survivors and their offspring, resilience and post-trauma [21].
Learning and teaching about medicine in the Holocaust and beyond is a powerful platform for supporting professional identity formation. As such, this history ideally can help “equip” learners with a moral compass for navigating the future of medical practice and inherent ethical challenges such as prejudice, assisted reproduction, resource allocation, obtaining valid informed consent, end of life care, and challenges of genomics and technology expansion [7]. In addition to its relevance within overt racism and prejudice, medicine in the Holocaust pedagogy is germane to increasing awareness of potential for implicit bias to shape healing relationships, albeit in subtle ways, and efforts to identify, reduce, and ideally eliminate this characteristic within healthcare professions practice [22, 23].
Fostering reflection on the history of the profession has the potential to broaden learners’ perspectives, raise awareness, and promote empathy, compassion, and tolerance of the “other” [6, 24]. Medical student-authored publications have highlighted the contemporary relevance of Holocaust and Medicine curriculum for professional development [25, 26] as “hard truths are faced,” i.e. “What exactly did Nazi physicians do; how are their actions a part of Western medicine’s legacy [25]; and what can we do as a profession to prevent a repeat?”
Within this, there is increasing attention to the valuable contribution of the history of medicine within the medical humanities to medical education [27]. The inclusion of examples of altruism, deep humanity, and devotion to medicine as a calling while risking one’s life and the life of one’s family during the Holocaust can serve as inspiration [5,6,7]. Jewish prisoner healthcare professionals as well as “righteous of the nations’ ones” cared for patients, taught junior learners, conducted research, and manifested resistance to evil even under brutal conditions and in mortal danger [28,29,30]. The Warsaw Ghetto heroic Jewish healthcare system, its clandestine medical school, and the Hunger Study [31, 32] as well as Ludwik Fleck’s typhus vaccine sabotage, and the White Rose student resistance group based in the Munich medical school are some specific exemplars [28,29,30].
Holocaust and Medicine curriculum modules are integrated into health professions curricula [6], with further examples included at http://www.medicineaftertheholocaust.org/category/curricula-syllabi/. Studies of curriculum impact on students’ attitudes and behavior are emerging [33] including within a 3 year credit-earning elective curriculum for interprofessional students (including study excursions to Holocaust sites; students may participate in any/all of the years) at the Witten-Herdecke University Faculty of Health-Integrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine (ICURAM) in collaboration with the Ita Wegman Institute (https://ibam.uni-wh.de/en/, http://www.wegmaninstitut.ch/).
The Scholars Workshop on Medicine during the Holocaust and Beyond culminated with the launch of the Galilee Declaration, composed and signed by an international, inter-professional community of historians, healthcare professions educators and ethicists (additional signatures invited.) The Declaration (included below) and accessed at: http://english.wgalil.ac.il/category/Declaration) calls for curriculum on history of healthcare professions in the Holocaust and its implications to be included in all healthcare professions education. The document emulates the 2000 Stockholm Declaration [34] that transformed general Holocaust education worldwide, with the intention of similar impact.
Conclusions: what global lessons can we draw from this critical reflection?
It is about the major ethical questions of our time: the soul of care, equity in healthcare, resource allocation, pharma ethical conduct, non-exploitation of the vulnerable, poor and marginalized, rights of the disabled, beginning and end of life issues…and more. It is about current and future health professionals being cognizant of the inherent danger of abuse of power in medicine and the need for “immunizing” ourselves for prevention. Challenges abound within the practice of healing, given reality of violence [35], stress, fatigue, burnout-inducing systems factors [36] and potential dilemmas of dual commitment (eg. physicians in uniform) [37]. It is about critical aspects of professionalism, professional identity formation, and prevention of abuse of power. These include desired professional competencies of conscience, empathy, compassion, reflection, and resilience (emotional and moral) in the individual health professional in conjunction with additional technical competencies. It is also about checks and balances, remembering and commemorating, learning and teaching within the shared humanity of individuals, institutions, societies, and nations.
May we carry Primo Levi’s words as an everlasting reminder: “It can happen, and it can happen everywhere” [38].
https://ijhpr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13584-019-0327-3
8 Things You Need to Know about Surveillance
8 important truths about surveillance
ai-in-society
Author
Rachel Thomas
Published
August 7, 2019
Over 225 police departments have partnered with Amazon to have access to Amazon’s video footage obtained as part of the “smart” doorbell product Ring, and in many cases these partnerships are heavily subsidized with taxpayer money. Police departments are allowing Amazon to stream 911 call information directly in real-time, and Amazon requires police departments to read pre-approved scripts when talking about the program. If a homeowner doesn’t want to share data from their video camera doorbell with police, an officer for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said they can just go directly to Amazon to obtain it. This creation of an extensive surveillance network, the murky private-public partnership surrounding it, and a lack of any sort of regulations or oversight is frightening. And this is just one of many examples related to surveillance technology that have recently come to light.
I frequently talk with people who are not that concerned about surveillance, or who feel that the positives outweigh the risks. Here, I want to share some important truths about surveillance:
Surveillance can facilitate human rights abuses and even genocide
Data is often used for different purposes than why it was collected
Data often contains errors
Surveillance typically operates with no accountability
Surveillance changes our behavior
Surveillance disproportionately impacts the marginalized
Data privacy is a public good
We don’t have to accept invasive surveillance
While I was writing this post, a number of investigative articles came out with disturbing new developments related to surveillance. I decided that rather than attempt to include everything in one post (which would make it too long and too dense), I would go ahead and share the above facts about surveillance, as they are just a relevant as ever.
Surveillance can facilitate human rights abuses and even genocide
There is a long history of data about sensitive attributes being misused, including the use of the 1940 USA Census to intern Japanese Americans, a system of identity cards introduced by the Belgian colonial government that were later used during the 1994 Rwandan genocide (in which nearly a million people were murdered), and the role of IBM in helping Nazi Germany use punchcard computers to identify and track the mass killing of millions of Jewish people. More recently, the mass internment of over one million people who are part of an ethnic minority in Western China was facilitated through the use of a surveillance network of cameras, biometric data (including images of people’s faces, audio of their voices, and blood samples), and phone monitoring.
Adolf Hitler meeting with IBM CEO Tom Watson Sr. in 1937. Source: Computer History
Pictured above is Adolf Hitler (far left) meeting with IBM CEO Tom Watson Sr. (2nd from left), shortly before Hitler awarded Watson a special “Service to the Reich” medal in 1937 (for a timeline of the Holocaust, see here). Watson returned the medal in 1940, although IBM continued to do business with the Nazis. IBM technology helped the Nazis conduct detailed censuses in countries they occupied, to thoroughly identify anyone of Jewish descent. Nazi concentration camps used IBM’s punchcard machines to tabulate prisoners, recording whether they were Jewish, gay, or Gypsies, and whether they died of “natural causes,” execution, suicide, or via “special treatment” in gas chambers. It is not the case that IBM sold the machines and then was done with it. Rather, IBM and its subsidiaries provided regular training and maintenance on-site at the concentration camps: printing off cards, configuring machines, and repairing them as they broke frequently.
Data is often used for different purposes than why it was collected
In the above examples, the data collection began before genocide was committed. IBM began selling to Nazi Germany well before the Holocaust (although continued for far too long), including helping with Germany’s 1933 census conducted by Adolf Hitler, which was effective at identifying far more Jewish people than had previously been recognized in Germany.
It is important to recognize how data and images gathered through surveillance can be weaponized later. Columbia professor Tim Wu wrote that “One [hard truth] is that data and surveillance networks created for one purpose can and will be used for others. You must assume that any personal data that Facebook or Android keeps are data that governments around the world will try to get or that thieves will try to steal.”
Plenty of data collection is not involved with such extreme abuse as genocide; however, in a time of global resurgence of white supremacist, ethno-nationalist, and authoritarian movements, it would be deeply irresponsible to not consider how data & surveillance can and will be weaponized against already vulnerable groups.
Data often has errors (and no mechanism for correcting them)
A database of suspected gang members maintained by California law enforcement officials was found to be full of errors, including 42 babies who had been added to the database when they were less than 1 year old (28 of whom were marked as “admitting to being gang members”). Even worse, there was no process in place for correcting mistakes or removing people once they’ve been added.
An NPR reporter recounts his experience of trying to rent an apartment and discovering that TransUnion, one of the 3 major credit bureaus, incorrectly reported him as having two felony firearms convictions. TransUnion only removed the mistakes after a dozen phone calls and notification that the story would be reported on. This is not an unusual story: the FTC’s large-scale study of credit reports in 2012 found 26% of consumers had at least one mistake in their files and 5% had errors that could be devastating. An even more opaque, unregulated “4th bureau” exists: a collection of companies buying and selling personal information about people on the margins of the banking system (such as immigrants, students, and people with low incomes), with no standards on what types of data are included, no way to opt out, and no system for identifying or correcting mistakes.
Surveillance typically operates with no accountability
What makes the examples in the previous section disturbing is not just that errors occurred, but that there was no way to identify or correct them, and no accountability for those profiting off the error-laden data. Often, even the existence of the systems being used is not publicly known (much less details of how these systems work), unless discovered by journalists or revealed by whistleblowers. The Detroit Police Dept used facial recognition technology for nearly two years without public input and in violation of a requirement that a policy be approved by the city’s Board of Police Commissioners, until a study from Georgetown Law’s Center for Privacy & Technology drew attention to the issue. Palantir, the defense startup founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, ran a program with New Orleans Police Department for 6 years which city council members did not even know about, much less have any oversight.
After two studies found that Amazon’s facial recognition software produced inaccurate and racially biased results, Amazon countered that the researchers should have changed the default parameters. However, it turned out that Amazon was not instructing police departments that use its software to do this either. Surveillance programs are operating with few regulations, no oversight, no accountability around accuracy or mistakes, and in many cases, no public knowledge of what is going on.
Surveillance changes our behavior
Hundreds of thousands of people in Hong Kong are protesting an unpopular new bill which would allow extradition to China. Typically, Hong Kong locals use their rechargeable smart cards to ride the subway. However, during the protests, long lines of people waited to use cash to buy paper tickets (usually something that only tourists do) concerned that they would be tracked for having attended the protests. Would fewer people protest if this was not an option?
In the United States, in 2015 the Baltimore Police Department used facial recognition technology to surveil people protesting the death of Freddie Grey, a young Black man who was killed in police custody, and arrested protesters with outstanding warrants. Mass surveillance could have a chilling impact on our rights to move about freely, to express ourselves, and to protest. “We act differently when we know we are ‘on the record.’ Mass privacy is the freedom to act without being watched and thus in a sense, to be who we really are,” Columbia professor Tim Wu wrote in the New York Times.
Flyer from the company Geofeedia Source
Surveillance disproportionately impacts those who are already marginalized
Surveillance is applied unevenly, causing the greatest harm to people who are already marginalized, including immigrants, people of color, and people living in poverty. These groups are more heavily policed and surveilled. The Perpetual Line-Up from the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology studied the unregulated use of facial recognition by police, with half of all Americans appearing in law enforcement databases, and the risks of errors, racial bias, misuses, and threats to civil liberties. The researchers pointed out that African Americans are more likely to appear in these databases (many of which are drawn from mug shots) since they are disproportionately likely to be stopped, interrogated, or arrested. For another example, consider the contrast between how easily people over 65 can apply for Medicare benefits by filling out an online form, with the invasive personal questions asked of a low-income mother on Medicaid about her lovers, hygiene, parental shortcomings, and personal habits.
In an article titled Trading privacy for survival is another tax on the poor, Ciara Byrne wrote, “Current public benefits programs ask applicants extremely detailed and personal questions and sometimes mandate home visits, drug tests, fingerprinting, and collection of biometric information… Employers of low-income workers listen to phone calls, conduct drug tests, monitor closed-circuit television, and require psychometric tests as conditions of employment. Prisoners in some states have to consent to be voiceprinted in order to make phone calls.”
Data privacy is a public good, like air quality or safe drinking water
Data is more revealing in aggregate. It can be nearly impossible to know what your individual data could reveal when combined with the data of others or with data from other sources, or when machine learning inference is performed on it. For instance, as Zeynep Tufekci wrote in the New York Times, individual Strava users could not have predicted how in aggregate their data could be used to identify the locations of US military bases. “Data privacy is not like a consumer good, where you click ‘I accept’ and all is well. Data privacy is more like air quality or safe drinking water, a public good that cannot be effectively regulated by trusting in the wisdom of millions of individual choices. A more collective response is needed.”
Unfortunately, this also means that you can’t fully safeguard your privacy on your own. You may choose not to purchase Amazon’s ring doorbell, yet you can still show up in the video footage collected by others. You might strengthen your online privacy practices, yet conclusions will still be inferred about you based on the behavior of others. As Professor Tufekci wrote, we need a collective response.
We don’t have to accept invasive surveillance
Many people are uncomfortable with surveillance, but feel like they have no say in the matter. While the threats surveillance poses are large, it is not too late to act. We are seeing success: in response to community organizing and an audit, Los Angeles Police Department scrapped a controversial program to predict who is most likely to commit violent crimes. Citizens, researchers, and activists in Detroit have been effective at drawing attention to the Detroit Police Department’s unregulated use of facial recognition and a bill calling for a 5-year moratorium has been introduced to the state legislature. Local governments in San Francisco, Oakland, and Somerville have banned the use of facial recognition by police.
For further resources, please check out: - Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology - Digital Defense Playbook
https://www.fast.ai/posts/2019-08-07-surveillance.html
Numbers 13
1599 Geneva Bible
13 4 Certain men are sent to search the land of Canaan. 24 They bring of the fruit of the land. 31 Caleb comforteth the people against the discouraging of the other spies.
1 Then afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of [a]Paran.
2 ¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
3 [b]Send thou men out to search the land of Canaan which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, such as are all rulers among them.
4 Then Moses sent them out of the wilderness of Paran at the commandment of the Lord: all those men were [c]heads of the children of Israel.
5 Also their names are these: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur:
6 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori:
7 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh:
8 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph:
9 Of the tribe of Ephraim, [d]Hoshea the son of Nun:
10 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu:
11 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi:
12 Of the tribe of Joseph, to wit, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi:
13 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli:
14 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael:
15 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi:
16 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
17 These are the names of the [e]men, which Moses sent to spy out the land: and Moses called the name of Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.
18 So Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, Go up this way toward the South, and go up into the [f]mountains.
19 And consider the land what it is, and the people that dwell therein, whether they be strong, or weak, either few or many.
20 Also what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be [g]good or bad: and what cities they be, that they dwell in, whether they dwell in tents, or in walled towns.
21 And what the land is: whether it be fat or lean, whether there be trees therein, or not. And be of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land (for then was the time of the first ripe grapes.)
22 ¶ So they went up, and searched out the land, from the wilderness of [h]Zin unto Rehob, to go to Hamath.
23 And they ascended toward the South, and came unto Hebron, where were Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the sons of [i]Anak. And [j]Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
24 Then they came to the river of Eshcol, and cut down thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it upon a bar between two, and brought of the pomegranates and of the figs.
25 That place was called the [k]river Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes, which the children of Israel cut down thence.
26 Then after forty days they turned again from searching of the land.
27 And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron, and unto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, in the wilderness of [l]Paran, to Kadesh, and brought to them, and to all the Congregation tidings, and showed them the fruit of the land.
28 And they told [m]him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou hast sent us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey: and here is of the fruit of it.
29 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and exceeding great: and moreover, we saw the [n]sons of Anak there.
30 The Amalekites dwell in the South country, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coasts of Jordan.
31 Then Caleb stilled the people [o]before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it: for undoubtedly we shall overcome it.
32 But the men that went up with him, said, We be not able to go up against the people: for they are stronger than we.
33 So they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched for the children of Israel, saying, The land which we have gone through to search it out, is a land that [p]eateth up the inhabitants thereof: for all the people that we saw in it, are men of great stature.
34 For there we saw giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants, so that we seemed in our sight like grasshoppers: and so we were in their sight.
Footnotes
Numbers 13:1 That is, in Rithmah, which was in Paran, Num. 33:18.
Numbers 13:3 After the people had required it of Moses, as it is in Deut. 1:22, then the Lord spake to Moses so to do.
Numbers 13:4 Or, rulers.
Numbers 13:9 Or, Joshua.
Numbers 13:17 Which in number were twelve, according to the twelve tribes.
Numbers 13:18 Or, his country.
Numbers 13:20 Plentiful or barren.
Numbers 13:22 Which was in the wilderness of Paran.
Numbers 13:23 Which were a kind of giants.
Numbers 13:23 Declaring the antiquity thereof: also Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob were buried there.
Numbers 13:25 Or, the valley of Eshcol, that is, of grapes.
Numbers 13:27 Called also Kadesh Barnea.
Numbers 13:28 That is, Moses.
Numbers 13:29 Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, whom Caleb slew afterward, Josh. 11:21, 22.
Numbers 13:31 Or, murmuring against Moses.
Numbers 13:33 The giants were so cruel, that they spoiled and killed one another and those that came to them.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2013&version=GNV
The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the late Spring and Autumn period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to a different set of skills or art related to warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. For almost 1,500 years, it was the lead text in an anthology that was formalized as the Seven Military Classics by Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1080. The Art of War remains the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare,[1] has influenced both East Asian and Western military theory and thinking, and has found a variety of applications in myriad competitive non-military endeavors across the modern world including espionage,[2] culture, politics, business, and sports.[3][4][5][6]
The book contains a detailed explanation and analysis of the 5th-century BC Chinese military, from weapons, environmental conditions, and strategy to rank and discipline. Sun also stressed the importance of intelligence operatives and espionage to the war effort. Considered one of history's finest military tacticians and analysts, his teachings and strategies formed the basis of advanced military training throughout the world.
The book was translated into French and published in 1772 by the French priest Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot; it was re-published in 1782. A partial translation into English was attempted by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905 under the title The Book of War. The first annotated English translation was completed and published by Lionel Giles in 1910.[7] Military and political leaders such as the Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong, Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen, Vietnamese general Võ Nguyên Giáp, is cited along with American military generals Douglas MacArthur and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. as having drawn inspiration from the book.[8]
Outside of military use, The Art of War has also become a source of inspiration in business, politics, sports and esports, and its usage has extended to film and television.
History
Text and commentaries
The Art of War is traditionally attributed to an ancient Chinese military general known as Sun Tzu (pinyin: Sūnzǐ), meaning 'Master Sun'. Sun Tzu is said to have lived in the 6th century BC, but the earliest parts of The Art of War probably date to at least 100 years later.[9]
Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, the first of China's 24 dynastic histories, records an early Chinese tradition that a text on military matters was written by one "Sun Wu" (孫武) from the State of Qi, and that this text had been read and studied by King Helü of Wu (r. 514–495 BC).[10] This text was traditionally identified with the received Master Sun's Art of War. The conventional view was that Sun Wu was a military theorist from the end of the Spring and Autumn period (776–471 BC) who fled his home state of Qi to the southeastern Kingdom of Wu, where he is said to have impressed the king with his ability to quickly train even court women in military discipline and to have made Wu's armies powerful enough to challenge their western rivals in the state of Chu. This view is still widely held in China.[11]
The strategist, poet, and warlord Cao Cao in the early 3rd century AD authored the earliest known commentary to the Art of War.[10] Cao's preface makes clear that he edited the text and removed certain passages, but the extent of his changes were unclear historically.[10] The Art of War appears throughout the bibliographical catalogs of the Chinese dynastic histories, but listings of its divisions and size varied widely.[10]
Authorship
Fragments of The Art of War discovered as a part of the Yinqueshan Han Slips, showing the version of The Art of War that was popular in Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)
Beginning around the 12th century, Sun Tzu's historical existence began to be questioned by Chinese scholars, primarily on the grounds that he is not mentioned in the historical classic Zuo Zhuan, which mentions most of the notable figures from the Spring and Autumn period.[10] The name "Sun Wu" (孫武) does not appear in any text prior to the Records of the Grand Historian,[12] and has been suspected to be a made-up descriptive cognomen meaning "the fugitive warrior", glossing the surname "Sun" as the related term "fugitive" (xùn 遜), while "Wu" (wǔ 武) is (1) the ancient Chinese virtue of "martial, valiant" and (2) a Jianghuai dialectal synonym of 士; shì "knight",[13][14] which corresponds to Sunzi's role as the hero's doppelgänger in the story of Wu Zixu.[15] In the early 20th century, the Chinese writer and reformer Liang Qichao theorized that the text was actually written in the 4th century BC by Sun Tzu's purported descendant Sun Bin, as a number of historical sources mention a military treatise he wrote.[10] Unlike Sun Wu, Sun Bin appears to have been an actual person who was a genuine authority on military matters, and may have been the inspiration for the creation of the historical figure "Sun Tzu" through a form of euhemerism.[15]
In 1972, the Yinqueshan Han slips were discovered in two Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) tombs near the city of Linyi in Shandong.[16] Among the many bamboo slip writings contained in the tombs, which had been sealed between 134 and 118 BC, respectively were two separate texts, one attributed to "Sun Tzu", corresponding to the received text, and another attributed to Sun Bin, which explains and expands upon the earlier The Art of War by Sunzi.[17] The Sun Bin text's material overlaps with much of the "Sun Tzu" text, and the two may be "a single, continuously developing intellectual tradition united under the Sun name".[18] This discovery showed that much of the historical confusion was due to the fact that there were two texts that could have been referred to as "Master Sun's Art of War", not one.[17] The content of the earlier text is about one-third of the chapters of the modern The Art of War, and their text matches very closely.[16] It is now generally accepted that the earlier The Art of War was completed sometime between 500 and 430 BC.[17]
The 13 chapters
The Art of War is divided into 13 chapters (or piān); the collection is referred to as being one zhuàn ("whole" or alternatively "chronicle").
The Art of War chapter names and contents
Chapter Lionel Giles (1910)[19] R. L. Wing (1988) Ralph D. Sawyer (1996) Chow-Hou Wee (2003) Michael Nylan (2020) Contents
I Laying Plans The Calculations Initial Estimations Detail Assessment and Planning
(Chinese: 始計; pinyin: shîjì) First Calculations Explores the five fundamental factors (the Way, seasons, terrain, leadership, and management) and seven elements (which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the way or moral law, which side’s general is more capable, which side has superior in right time and right place, which side's laws and regulations can be enforced more strictly, which side has more resources, better equipment and stronger army, which side's officers and men are more well-trained and more capable of fighting, which side's rewards and punishments are more fair and clear) that determine the outcomes of military engagements. By thinking, assessing and comparing these points, a commander can calculate his chances of victory. Habitual deviation from these calculations will ensure failure via improper action. The text stresses that war is a very grave matter for the state and must not be commenced without due consideration.
II Waging War The Challenge Waging War Waging War
(Chinese: 作戰; pinyin: zuòzhàn) Initiating Battle Explains how to understand the economy of warfare and how success requires winning decisive engagements quickly. This section advises that successful military campaigns require limiting the cost of competition and conflict.
III Attack by Stratagem The Plan of Attack Planning Offensives Strategic Attack
(Chinese: 謀攻) Planning an Attack Defines the source of strength as unity, not size, and discusses the five factors that are needed to succeed in any war. In order of importance, these critical factors are: Attack, Strategy, Alliances, Army and Cities.
IV Tactical Dispositions Positioning Military Disposition Disposition of the Army
(Chinese: 軍形) Forms to Perceive Explains the importance of defending existing positions until a commander is capable of advancing from those positions in safety. It teaches commanders the importance of recognizing strategic opportunities, and teaches not to create opportunities for the enemy.
V Use of Energy Directing Strategic Military Power Forces
(Chinese: 兵勢) The Disposition of Power Explains the use of creativity and timing in building an army's momentum.
VI Weak Points and Strong Illusion and Reality Vacuity and Substance Weaknesses and Strengths
(Chinese: 虛實) Weak and Strong Explains how an army's opportunities come from the openings in the environment caused by the relative weakness of the enemy and how to respond to changes in the fluid battlefield over a given area.
VII Maneuvering an Army Engaging The Force Military Combat Military Maneuvers
(Chinese: 軍爭) Contending Armies Explains the dangers of direct conflict and how to win those confrontations when they are forced upon the commander.
VIII Variation of Tactics The Nine Variations Nine Changes Variations and Adaptability
(Chinese: 九變) Nine Contingencies Focuses on the need for flexibility in an army's responses. It explains how to respond to shifting circumstances successfully.
IX The Army on the March Moving The Force Maneuvering the Army Movement and Development of Troops
(Chinese: 行軍) Fielding the Army Describes the different situations in which an army finds itself as it moves through new enemy territories, and how to respond to these situations. Much of this section focuses on evaluating the intentions of others.
X Classification of Terrain Situational Positioning Configurations of Terrain Terrain
(Chinese: 地形) Conformations of the Lands Looks at the three general areas of resistance (distance, dangers and barriers) and the six types of ground positions that arise from them. Each of these six field positions offers certain advantages and disadvantages.
XI The Nine Situations The Nine Situations Nine Terrains The Nine Battlegrounds
(Chinese: 九地) Nine Kinds of Ground Describes the nine common situations (or stages) in a campaign, from scattering to deadly, and the specific focus that a commander will need in order to successfully navigate them.
XII Attack by Fire The Fiery Attack Incendiary Attacks Attacking with Fire
(Chinese: 火攻) Attacks with Fire Explains the general use of weapons and the specific use of the environment as a weapon. This section examines the five targets for attack, the five types of environmental attack and the appropriate responses to such attacks.
XIII Use of Spies The Use of Intelligence Employing Spies Intelligence and Espionage
(Chinese: 用間) Using Spies Focuses on the importance of developing good information sources, and specifies the five types of intelligence sources and how to best manage each of them.
Cultural influence
Military and intelligence applications
See also: Wen and wu
Across East Asia, The Art of War was part of the syllabus for potential candidates of military service examinations.
During the Sengoku period (c. 1467–1568), the Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen (1521–1573) is said to have become almost invincible in all battles without relying on guns, because he studied The Art of War.[20] The book even gave him the inspiration for his famous battle standard "Fūrinkazan" (Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain), meaning fast as the wind, silent as a forest, ferocious as fire and immovable as a mountain.
The translator Samuel B. Griffith offers a chapter on "Sun Tzu and Mao Tse-Tung" where The Art of War is cited as influencing Mao's On Guerrilla Warfare, On the Protracted War and Strategic Problems of China's Revolutionary War, and includes Mao's quote: "We must not belittle the saying in the book of Sun Wu Tzu, the great military expert of ancient China, 'Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster.'"[20]
During the Vietnam War, some Viet Cong officers extensively studied The Art of War and reportedly could recite entire passages from memory. General Võ Nguyên Giáp successfully implemented tactics described in The Art of War during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu ending major French involvement in Indochina and leading to the accords which partitioned Vietnam into North and South. General Giáp, later the main PVA military commander in the Vietnam War, was an avid student and practitioner of Sun Tzu's ideas.[21]
Outside East Asia
The United States' defeat in the Vietnam War, more than any other event, brought Sun Tzu to the attention of leaders of U.S. military theory.[21][22][23] The Department of the Army in the United States, through its Command and General Staff College, lists The Art of War as one example of a book that may be kept at a military unit's library.[24] The Art of War is listed on the US Marine Corps Professional Reading Program (formerly known as the Commandant's Reading List). It is recommended reading for all United States Military Intelligence personnel.[25] The Art of War is also used as instructional material at the United States Military Academy (commonly known as West Point), in the course Military Strategy (470).[26] It is also recommended reading for Officer cadets at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Some notable military leaders have stated the following about Sun Tzu and The Art of War:
"I always kept a copy of The Art of War on my desk."[27] – General Douglas MacArthur, 5 Star General and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.
"I have read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. He continues to influence both soldiers & politicians."[28] – General Colin Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Advisor, and Secretary of State.
According to some authors, the strategy of deception from The Art of War was studied and widely used by the KGB: "I will force the enemy to take our strength for weakness, and our weakness for strength, and thus will turn his strength into weakness".[29]
Application outside the military
The Art of War has been applied to many fields outside of the military. Much of the text is about how to outsmart one's opponent without actually having to engage in physical battle. As such, it has found application as a training guide for many competitive endeavors that do not involve actual combat.
The Art of War is mentioned as an influence in the earliest known Chinese collection of stories about fraud (mostly in the realm of commerce), Zhang Yingyu's The Book of Swindles (Du pian xin shu, 杜騙新書, c. 1617), which dates to the late Ming dynasty.[30]
Many business books have applied the lessons taken from the book to office politics and corporate business strategy.[31][32][33] Many Japanese companies make the book required reading for their key executives.[34] The book is also popular among Western business circles citing its utilitarian values regarding management practices. Many entrepreneurs and corporate executives have turned to it for inspiration and advice on how to succeed in competitive business situations. The book has also been applied to the field of education.[35]
The Art of War has been the subject of legal books[36] and legal articles on the trial process, including negotiation tactics and trial strategy.[37][38][39][40]
The book The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene employs philosophies covered in The Art of War.[41]
The Art of War has also been applied in sports. National Football League coach Bill Belichick, record holder of the most Super Bowl wins in history, has stated on multiple occasions his admiration for The Art of War.[42][43] Brazilian association football coach Luiz Felipe Scolari actively used The Art of War for Brazil's successful 2002 World Cup campaign. During the tournament Scolari put passages of The Art of War underneath his players' doors at night.[44][45]
The book Sun Tzu Soccer by Liam Shannon is a direct translation of The Art of War into soccer language and scenarios.[46]
Playing To Win by David Sirlin analyses applications of the ideas from The Art of War in modern esports.[47] The Art of War was released in 2014 as an e-book companion alongside the Art of War DLC for Europa Universalis IV, a PC strategy game by Paradox Development Studios, with a foreword by Thomas Johansson.
Film and television
The Art of War and Sun Tzu have been referenced and quoted in many movies and television shows, including in the 1987 movie Wall Street, in which Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) frequently references it.[48] The 20th James Bond film, Die Another Day (2002) also references The Art of War as the spiritual guide shared by Colonel Moon and his father.[49] In The Sopranos, season 3, episode 8 ("He Is Risen"), Dr. Melfi suggests to Tony Soprano that he read the book.[50]
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation first-season episode "The Last Outpost", first officer William Riker quotes The Art of War: "Fear is the true enemy, the only enemy". Captain Picard expressed pleasure that Sun Tzu was still taught at Starfleet Academy. Later in the episode, a survivor from a long-dead nonhuman empire noted common aspects between his own people's wisdom and The Art of War with regard to knowing when and when not to fight.[51]
The Art of War is a 2000 action spy film directed by Christian Duguay and starring Wesley Snipes, Michael Biehn, Anne Archer and Donald Sutherland.[52]
Notable translations
Sun Tzu on the Art of War. Translated by Lionel Giles. London: Luzac and Company. 1910.
The Art of War. Translated by Samuel B. Griffith. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1963. ISBN 978-0-19-501476-1. Part of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Dragon Editions. 1988. ISBN 978-0877734529.
The Art of Warfare. Translated by Roger Ames. Random House. 1993. ISBN 978-0-345-36239-1.
The Art of War. Translated by John Minford. New York: Viking. 2002. ISBN 978-0-670-03156-6.
The Art of War: Sunzi's Military Methods. Translated by Victor H. Mair. New York: Columbia University Press. 2007. ISBN 978-0-231-13382-1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_War
A famous Jesuit General Michael Angelo Tambourini once boasted, in 1720, to the Duke of Brissac: " See, My Grace [my Lord], from this room, I govern not only Paris, but China; not only China, but the whole world, without anyone knowing how it is managed."
"Andrew Steinmetz, History of the Jesuits, Vol. 1 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Lea and Blanchard Publ.,/New York: Richard Bentley, 1848), pp.107, 168-169; see also, Constitution of the Jesuits, edited by Paris Paulin (1843); Eugene Sue (Marie Joseph), The Wandering Jew, (London: Chapman and Hall, 1844/ New York; Harper & Brothers,, 1845), Bk I, Chap. XV, P. 183; see also, p. 618, and Bk. II, p. 21; Abrige de I'Hist. Eccles. de Racine, Chap. xii. P. 77." page 129 Chapter XII "Unhesitating Obedience: The General And The Holy Office" Codeword Barbelon book One by P.D. Stuart
"Steinmetz was fourteen years a Jesuit; see also, Constitutions of the Jesuits, ed. by P. Paulin (1843); Morale Pratique Des Jesuites: Histoire De La Persecution De deux Saints, Vol. I (Cologne, 1669), pp. 50 and 51." "Epilogue-For Such A Time As This"
Pope Francis Lord of the World by P.D. Stuart
Jean Joseph Marie Amiot (Chinese: 錢德明; pinyin: Qián Démíng; February 8, 1718 – October 8, 1793) was a French Jesuit priest who worked in Qing China, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
Born in Toulon, Amiot entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at the age of 19. After he was ordained in 1746, he aspired to serve in an overseas mission. Eventually, he was assigned a mission in China and left France in 1749. He arrived at Beijing in 1751 and remained there for the rest of his life.
Amiot served as an intermediary between the academics of Europe and China. His correspondence provided insight on the culture of China to the Europeans. He translated Chinese works into French. Most notably, his translation of Sun Tzu's The Art of War is the first rendition of the work into a Western language.
Early life
Amiot was born in Toulon on February 8, 1718 to Louis Amiot, the royal notary of Toulon, and Marie-Anne Serre.[1] He was the eldest of ten children: five boys and five girls.[2] His brother Pierre-Jules-Roch Amiot would go on to become the lieutenant-general of the admiralty of Toulon[3] and his sister, Marguerite-Claire was an Ursuline nun.[4] Amiot maintained contact with both.[5]
After finishing his studies in philosophy and theology at the Jesuit seminary in Toulon, Amiot entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Avignon on September 27, 1737;[5] he remained a novice for two years.[5] Afterwards, he taught at the Jesuit colleges of Besançon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence and finally at Nîmes, where he was professor of rhetoric in the academic year of 1744–1745. He completed his theological studies at Dôle from 1745 to 1748[6] and was ordained as a priest on December 22, 1746.[6]
Arrival at China
Amiot requested Franz Retz, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus at that time, to serve in an overseas mission, and was eventually given a mission to China.[7] Earlier, in a letter to his brother, he had expressed his desire to serve in a delegation to this particular country.[8] He left France in 1749, accompanied by Chinese Jesuits Paul Liu and Stanislas Kang,[7] who had been sent to study in France and were returning to their home country. Kang died at sea, before the party could reach China.[9]
They arrived at Macau on July 27, 1750.[7] The Jesuits of Beijing announced Amiot's arrival, along with that of the Portuguese Jesuits José d'Espinha and Emmanuel de Mattos,[7][10] to Emperor Qianlong, who ordered that they be taken to the capital.[11] On March 28, 1751, they left Macau for Guangzhou and arrived there five days later.[12] They left Canton on June 2, and reached Beijing on August 22.[13]
After his arrival in Beijing, he was put in charge of the children's congregation of the Holy Guardian Angels. Alongside this, he studied the Chinese language.[11] He adopted the Chinese name Qian Deming (錢德明)[14] and wore Chinese clothing in order to adapt himself to the culture of China.[15] In 1754, Amiot made a young Chinese man by the name of Yang Ya-Ko-Pe his assistant[15] and instructed him in the European manner. Yang died in 1784, after working with Amiot for over thirty years.[11]
Suppression of the Jesuits
In 1762 the Parlement of Paris ordered the suppression of the Society of Jesus and the confiscation of its property.[16] The society was abolished in France two years later, by the order of King Louis XV.[17] The Jesuit mission in China survived for a while after their suppression, being protected by the Qianlong Emperor himself.[18] The final blow, however, would be Pope Clement XIV's brief, Dominus ac Redemptor, issued on July 21, 1773, with which the Bishop of Rome officially ordered the suppression of the Society of Jesus. The brief reached the French Jesuits in China on September 22, 1775[19] via a German Carmelite named Joseph de Sainte-Thérèse.[20] The Jesuits of Beijing surrendered to it, resigned from the Society of Jesus and became secular priests.[18][21] Wishing to keep the French mission alive, King Louis XVI sent them financial aid and appointed François Bourgeois as their administrator.[22][23] Amiot was named as Bourgeois' replacement in the event of his absence.[24]
Subsequently, Amiot turned his attention to writing. He maintained contact with Henri Bertin, the foreign minister of France. His correspondences were published from 1776 to 1791 in the Mémoires concernant l’histoire, les sciences, les arts, les mœurs et les usages des Chinois.[25] He also corresponded with other European Academies, including brief contacts with the Imperial Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society.[26]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Joseph_Marie_Amiot
In 1748 the Rite de Veilla Bru, or Faithful Scotsman, was established at Toulouse with nine degrees, the first three Symbolic, followed by the Secret Master, four Elu degrees, and the Ninth degree ' Scientific Masonry.^" " In 1750 and 1751, a Lodge styled ' St. Jean de Ecossais ' was established at Marseilles, which afterwards assumed the style of ' Scottish Mother Lodge of France.' Its regime finally consisted of Eighteen degrees, of which the Scottish Mother Lodge of France at Paris afterwards borrowed Eight."
" In 1752 a power of the High degrees was established under the pompous title of * Sovereign Council, Sublime Scotch Mother Lodge of the Grand French Globe.' It afterwards called itself* Sovereign Council, Sublime Mother Lodge of the Excellents of the Grand French Globe.' The ' Council of the Emperors of the East and West ' assumed that title also on the 22d January, 1780. — Ragon."
"In 1754, The Chevalier de Bonneville established a chapter of the High degrees at Paris, styled the ' Chapter of Clermont.' In it the Templar system was revived, and the Baron de Hund received the High degrees, there and thence derived the principles and doctrines of his ' Order of Strict Observance ' —Thory and Leveque—Ragon says, The regime of the Chapter of Clermont at first comprised only three degrees, viz., the three Symbolic, followed by the Knight of the Eagle or Master Elect, Illustrious Knight or Templar, and Illustrious Sublime Knight—but that they soon became more numerous."
" In the same year Martinez Pascalis established his rite of ' Elus C'dens ' with nine degrees. He did not carry it to Paris until 1767, where Martinism in ten degrees grew out of it." — Clavel.
" In 1757 M. de St. Gelaire introduced at Paris the ' Order of Noachites.' ^'
page 50
THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH KITE, IN THIRTY-THREE DEGREES. KNOWN HITHERTO UNDER THE NAMES OF THE " RITE OF PEEPECTION" ^THE " EITE OF HEEEDOM" THE " ANCIENT SCOTTISH rite"—THE " RITE OF KILWINNING" AND LAST, AS THE " SCOTTISH RITE, ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED." A FULL AND COMPLETE HISTORY, WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING NUMEROUS AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS, RELATING TO THE ORIGIN, PKO- OB£SS AND ESTABLISHMENT OP THE EITE—EDICTS, CIRCULARS, PATENTS, REGISTERS, AND THE OPINIONS OF NUMEROUS AUTHORS — ILLUSTRATED WITH "TABLETS," / BY ROBERT B. FOLGER, M. D., Past Master, 33d., iJi-SECRETARY GENERAL, &0. SECOND EDITION. ,c ^ j ;^ NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/The_ancient_and_accepted_Scottish_rite%2C_in_thirty-three_degrees_%28IA_ancientaccepted00folg%29.pdf
PART VI 1THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THOSE ALREADY ADMITTED AND INCORPORATED INTO THE BODY OF THE SOCIETY
SECTION 1: THE APOSTOLIC CHARACTER OF OUR VOWS IN GENERAL
143 §1. Our consecration by profession of the evangelical counsels, by which we respond to a divine vocation, is at one and the same time the following of Christ poor, virginal, and obedient and a rejection of those idols that the world is always prepared to adore, especially wealth, pleasure, prestige, and power. Hence, our poverty, chastity, and obedience ought visibly and efficaciously to bear witness to this attitude, whereby we proclaim the evangelical possibility of a certain communion among men and women that is a foretaste of the future kingdom of God.[1]
§2. Our religious vows, while binding us, also set us FREE:
FREE, by our vow of poverty, to share the life of the poor and to use whatever resources we may have, not for our own security and comfort, but for service;
FREE, by our vow of chastity, to be men for others, in friendship and communion with all, but especially with those who share our mission of service;
FREE, by our vow of obedience, to respond to the call of Christ as made known to us by him whom the Spirit has placed over the Church, and to follow the lead of all our superiors.[2] [1] See GC 32, d. 4, no. 16; see GC 31, d. 16, no. 4; d. 17, no. 2; d. 18, no. 3. [2] GC 32, d. 2, no. 20. 215
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Valley of Traverse City
ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE
The History and Legend of Scottish Rite Origins
The Story Unfolds…
Like much of early Masonic history, the origins of the Scottish Rite are uncertain. This is primarily due to the lack of historic documentation prior to the early 1700’s and not to any great veiled mystery. The few records kept were subject to loss, fire, weather and aging. So we can at best only speculate on many of our origins by looking at the few documents, historical references and legends that remain.
What We Know
n 1754, near Paris, Chevalier de Bonneville established the Chapter of Clermont. The Chapter resided in the College of Jesuits of Clermont, hence the name. It is said to have been created to honor the Duc de Clermont, then Grand Master of the English Grand Lodge of France.
The Chapter of Clermont was a “Chapter of the Advanced Degrees” and initially entailed six degrees and was later extended to 25 known degrees. The six initial degrees were 1˚, 2˚ and 3˚ St John’s Masonry, 4˚ Knight of the Eagle, 5˚ Illustrious Knight or Templar, 6˚ Sublime Illustrious Knight.
Interestingly enough historically, prior to the time of the Rite’s creation, James II had been in residence at Clermont in exile from Britain from 1688 to his death in 1701. As noted by German Masonic historian, Lenning… “whilst in exile, James II residing at the Jesuit College of Clermont in France, allowed his closest associates to fabricate certain degrees in order to extend their political views.” Lenning believed this to have been an attempt on the part of James and his associates to regain control of the British throne for the House of Stuart. If Lenning is right, this places the origins of the “Rite of Perfection” in the hands of James II and the Jacobite (Stuart) Freemasons who at the time were in exile from Great Britain throughout France and Italy. Lenning also contends that these degrees were introduced into French Freemasonry under the name of the Clermont System.
James II died in exile in 1701. His son James III is said to have continued his father’s Masonic legacy and later created further higher degrees.
Perhaps James II saw in the Jesuit morality plays of the College of Clermont a vessel for passing on a set of moral lessons. Some of the world’s greatest playwrights had emerged from Clermont. Jesuit tutelage had previously produced great writers such as Lope de Vega, Moliere, Racine, and the Corneille brothers. Ensconced in exile, I believe James II did find the inspiration and the training to help produce what would later become the first six degrees. From out of the darkness… comes light.
To be continued… (Author’s note… An in depth look at the Templar influence in Scottish Rite masonry’s origins can be found by visiting the Rosslyn Templars’ website.)"
https://web.archive.org/.../scottish-rite-history.html
The Collège de Clermont was one of the earliest schools established by the Jesuits, who were incredibly influential in shaping education in Europe. The Jesuits were a rigid and hierarchical Catholic sect that followed the teachings of Ignatius Loyola.
https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/exhibits/show/development-of-education-in-ea/item/249#:~:text=The%20Coll%C3%A8ge%20de%20Clermont%20was,the%20teachings%20of%20Ignatius%20Loyola.
Note 348,—« 'Knight Kadosh, or Knight of the White and Black Eagle. he 30th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. There are several decrees known as Kadoshes. The French rituals mention seven: 1. That f the Hebrews. 2. That of the first Christians. 3. That of the Crusades. 4. That of the Templars^ 5. That of Cromwell, or the Puritans. 6. That of the Jesuits. 7. The Grand Veritable Kadosh, 'apart from every sect, free of all ambition, which opens its arms to all men, and has no enemies other than vice, crime, fanaticism, and superstititlon.' Its ritual furnishes the history of the destruction of the Templars by the united efforts of Philip of France and Pope Clement V. In this degree, when there is a reception, four apartments are used. In the first and second apartments, the Lodge is termed Council; in the third. Areopagus; in the fourth, the Senate. The presiding officer is styled Most Illustrious Grand Commander. The jewel is a Teutonic cross, and is thus described, in heraldic language: 'A cross potent sable, charged ivith another cross double potent, or, surcharged with an escutcheon, rearing the letters J. B. M.; the principal cross surmounted by a chief, izure seme of France.* On the reverse, a skull transpierced by a poniard. The stated meetings of all councils of Kadosh are held January 6; on jood Friday; on Ascension day, and on November the 2. in each year. So one of these is ever, on any account, to be omitted."—Macoy's E,ncyclopedia and Dictionary of Freemasonry, Article Knight Kadosh.
Note 370.—"Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret. The 32nd degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite, and for many years, or until the institution of the 33d degree, this was the highest degree, or ne plus ultra of Masonry. The body is styled a Consistory, and should be held in a building of two stories. The officers are, a Thrice Illustrious Commander, First and Second Lieutenants, a Minister of State, a Grand Chancellor, a Grand Treasurer, a Grand Secretary, and a Grand Captain of the Guard. In the East a throne, elevated on seven steps, which is the seat of the Thrice Illustrious Commander, who wears a robe of royal purple, and he and the Lieutenants, wear swords. The collar of this degree is black, lined with scarlet, and in the center, at the point, a double-headed eagle, of silver or gold, on a red Teutonic cross. The apron is of white satin, with a border of gold lace, one inch wide, lined with scarlet; on the flap is a double-headed eagle, on each side of which is the flag of the country in which the body is located, the flag of Prussia and the Beause- -ant of the Kadosh degree; on the apron is the camp of the Crusaders, , which is thus explained; it is composed of an enneagon, within which is ' inscribed a heptagon, within that a pentagon, and in the center an equilateral triangle, within which is a circle. Between the heptagon and pentagon are placed five standards, in the designs of whigjl are five letters, which form a particular word. The first standard is purple, on which is emblazoned the ark of the covenant, with a palm, tree on each side; the ark has the motto Laus Deo. The second is blue, on which is a lion, of gold, couchant, holding in his mouth a golden key, with a collar of the same metal on his neck, and on it is the device, Ad majorem Dei gloriam. The third is white, and displays a heart in flames, with two wings; it is surmounted by a crown of laurels. The fourth is green, and bears a double-headed black eagle, crowned, holding a sword in his right claw, and a bleeding heart in his left. The fifth bears a black ox. on a field of gold. On the sides of the enneagon are nine tents, with flags, representing the divisions of the Masonic army; on the angles are nine pinions, of the same color as the flag of the tent that precedes it. The hall of the Consistory is hung with black, strewed with tears of silver. The jewel is a double-headed white and black eagle, resting on a Teutonic cross, of gold, worn attached to the collar or ribbon. ^The members are called Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret. The moral of the degree teaches opposition to bigotry, superstition, and all the passions and vices which disgrace human nature."—Macoy's Encyclopaedia and Pictionary of Freemasonry, Article Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret
MISSIONS FROM THE SUPREME PONTIFF
252 §1. To be truly Christian, our service to the Church must be anchored in fidelity to Christ, who makes all things new; to be proper to the Society, it must be done in union with the SUCCESSORS OF PETER[32]
The Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complementary Norms
https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons
By Reuters
November 15, 20235:16 PM PSTUpdated 10 months ago
The department, known as the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, issued its opinion, dated Nov. 13 and countersigned by Pope Francis, in response to a bishop from the Philippines alarmed by the growing number of Freemasons in his country.
The same office said last week that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents and act as witnesses at Catholic weddings.
The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion".
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vatican-confirms-ban-catholics-becoming-freemasons-2023-11-15/
Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal SJ (born 12 November 1948) is a Venezuelan Catholic priest who serves as the 31st and present superior general of the Society of Jesus. He was elected by the Society's 36th General Congregation on 14 October 2016, succeeding Adolfo Nicolás. He is the first person born in Latin America to lead the Jesuits.
Early life and education
Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on 12 November 1948,[1] the son of Arturo Sosa, Sr. a prestigious businessman who served twice as finance minister in 1958 and 1982.[2] He entered the Society of Jesus in 1966 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1977.[1] He earned a licentiate in philosophy from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in 1972, and a doctorate in political science from the Universidad Central de Venezuela in 1990.[3][4]
Priestly ministry
Sosa has held a number of positions in various universities. He was a professor and member of the Council of the foundation for the Andrés Bello Catholic University, and rector of the Catholic University of Tachira, both Jesuit universities.[4] He was also the Chair of Contemporary Political Theory and the Department of Social Change at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Venezuela.[4] He published a number of works, mainly about the history and politics of Venezuela. He was also coordinator of the social apostolate and director of Centro Gumilla in Venezuela, a centre of research and social action for the Jesuits in Venezuela,[4] as well as editor-in-chief of Revista SIC magazine for Catholic social ethics and politics from 1976 to 1996.[5] In 2004, he was professor of Venezuelan political thinking at the Catholic University of Tachira and was invited to Georgetown University Center for Latin American Studies as a visiting professor to give a lecture.[6]
Between 1996 and 2004, Sosa was Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Venezuela.[4] During the 35th General Congregation in 2008, he was appointed Counselor General by then-Superior General Adolfo Nicolás.[4] In 2014, he joined the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome as Delegate for Interprovincial Roman Houses of the Society of Jesus in Rome, which include institutions such as the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute, the Pontifical Oriental Institute, the Vatican Observatory, and La Civiltà Cattolica.[4][7]
Sosa speaks Spanish, Italian and English, and understands French.[4]
Superior General of the Society of Jesus
On 14 October 2016, during the thirty-sixth General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, the assembly elected Sosa as the Order's thirty-first Superior General to succeed Adolfo Nicolás.[6] He became the first Latin American to head the Jesuits.[8] In his first address as Superior General, he said that Jesuits should look for "alternatives to overcome poverty, inequality and oppression" and also to collaborate with others "inside and outside the Church".[9]
In 2017, in a visit to the Jesuit mission in Cambodia, Sosa met with a group of Buddhist monks in the Buddhist-majority country.[10] In 2018, commenting on the Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Sosa spoke of secularization, saying "What if we try, instead, to look at secularization as a sign of the times, in the theological sense that the Second Vatican Council gave to this expression? It means looking at secularization, and the secular world that arises from it, as one of the ways the Spirit is speaking to us and guiding us in this time."[11]
In February 2019, after guiding Jesuits and their lay collaborators through two years of discernment, Sosa announced four priorities that would guide the Society's decisions for the next decade. These were: teaching discernment through use of the Spiritual Exercises, walking with the poor in their quest for dignity and justice, accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future, and collaborating in the care of our Common Home. Pope Francis declared these priorities to be very much in line with those of his pontificate.[12]
Criticism
The Catholic Herald criticised Sosa for being one of over 1,000 signatories of a 1989 letter welcoming Cuban dictator Fidel Castro to Venezuela in 1989, Castro having repressed the Catholic Church in Cuba during his time in power.[13] George Neumayr of the conservative American Spectator described Sosa as a "Marxist", "a Venezuelan communist, and modernist".[14]
In February 2017, in response to Cardinal Müller's argument that permitting the reception of Communion by the remarried contradicts Jesus's words in the Bible that marriage is indissoluble and Müller's insistence that those words are unchangeable, Sosa argued for a "reflection on what Jesus really said", and described the Gospel as "relative", being "written by human beings" and "accepted by [...] human beings". Sosa also argued that the doctrine of the Church is in "continuous development", and "never in white and black".[15] Sosa's remarks drew criticism in the Italian media.[16]
The English priest and consulting editor of The Catholic Herald Alexander Lucie-Smith disagreed with Sosa, arguing that the Church's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage has been historically consistent, and that there was no precedent set in the Bible to interpret these words otherwise.[17] Theologian Chad Pecknold criticised Sosa's views as "reflect[ing] a profound skepticism about Holy Scripture", countering that although a variety of interpretations are allowed, they must "fit with the established doctrine of the Church and do not contradict the deposit of the Faith". Contradicting Sosa's own claim that his views were "not relativism",[15] Pecknold characterised Sosa's remarks as "historicist relativizing".[18]
Catholic author Vittorio Messori accused Sosa of "'liquefying' the Gospel itself" by suggesting that the Gospel should be adapted according to the times on the basis that Jesus's words were not recorded verbatim or "on tape".[19]
In June 2017, in an interview with El Mundo, Sosa said, "We have formed symbolic figures such as the devil to express evil. Social conditioning can also represent this figure, since there are people who act [in an evil way] because they are in an environment where it is difficult to act to the contrary". This was criticised as contradicting the Catechism of the Catholic Church which teaches that the Devil is a real creature.[20] A spokesman for Sosa later argued that Sosa was not denying church teaching, saying, "to say the devil symbolizes evil is not to deny the existence of the devil."[21] On 21 August 2019, Sosa declared in an interview that the Devil "exists as the personification of evil in different structures, but not in persons, because [he] is not a person, [he] is a way of acting evil. He is not a person like a human person. It is a way of evil to be present in human life. [...] Good and evil are in a permanent war in the human conscience and we have ways to point them out. We recognize God as good, fully good. Symbols are part of reality, and the devil exists as a symbolic reality, not as a personal reality." The Catholic World Report criticized these declarations, saying they were contrary to the catechism, and reminded of the controversy of the June 2017 statement of Sosa concerning the Devil.[22]
In October 2018, in an interview with Eternal Word Television Network, Sosa argued that "the pope is not the chief of the Church, he's the Bishop of Rome". This was opposed by Chad Pecknold, Associate Professor of Theology at the Catholic University of America, who argued that it would be wrong to believe that Pope was "merely 'first among equals' ", and insisted that the pope has "supreme authority" over all bishops and the faithful.[23]
Publications
Sosa has authored about a dozen books on politics and on the history of Venezuela, including:
Arturo Sosa, La filosofía política del gomecismo: Estudio del pensamiento by Laureano Vallenilla Lanz, Barquisimeto, Centro Gumilla,1974, 130 p. (ISBN 8439920830)
Arturo Sosa and Eloi Lengrand, Del garibaldismo student to the izquierda criolla: Los orígenes marxistas del proyecto de AD (1928-1935), Caracas, Centauro, 1981, 517 ppp. (OCLC 30449576)
Arturo Sosa, Ensayos sobre el pensamiento político positivista venezolano, Caracas, Centauro,1985, 269 pp. (ISBN 9802630217)
Arturo Sosa, Rómulo Betancourt y el Partido del Pueblo, 1937-1941, Caracas, Fundación Rómulo Betancourt, coll. "Vigente Tiempo" (No. 9) 1995, 617 pp. (ISBN 9806191293)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_Sosa
Books: 1. In general: the extent to which they are to be allowed for the private use of Ours [372, 373]; specifically, in the colleges of Ours [372]. See also Library; Publishing books and other scholarly works 2. Administrative: in which are to be recorded: possessions brought by novices and certain of their declarations [57, 200]; the names of those who pronounce vows [530, 545] 3. To be read in the schools: see Authors 4. The writing thereof: see Writing of books;Writers 5. Publication thereof: see Publishing books and other scholarly works
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts
THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES SAINT LOUIS, 1996
https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
Elymas (/ˈɛlɪməs/; Ancient Greek: Ἐλύμας;[1] c. 1st century AD), also known as Bar-Jesus (Ancient Greek: Βαριησοῦς,[1] Imperial Aramaic: Bar-Shuma, Latin: Bariesu), is a Jew described in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 13,[2] in the New Testament. He is referred to as a mágos (μάγος), which the King James Bible translates as "sorcerer" and false prophet (ψευδοπροφήτης).[1]
In the Bible
In Acts 13, Paul the Apostle and Barnabas travel to the city of Paphos in Cyprus, where the Roman Proconsul, Sergius Paulus, wishes to hear them speak about Jesus. Elymas, described as a false prophet and a sorcerer, opposes them, whereupon Paul (who is here referred to for the first time by his Roman name) announces that God intends to make Elymas temporarily blind. A cloud of darkness immediately begins blocking his sight;[3] after this, Sergius Paulus is converted to Christianity.[4]
According to The Golden Legend, Elymas later stirred up a riot of Jews and pagans in Salamina (Salamis) against Barnabas, resulting in his death.[5]
Name
Acts 13:8 says, "Elymas the mágos (for so his name is translated) opposed them". "Elymas" is possibly derived from the Arabic ‘alīm "learned" or "wise", and may be used to translate mágos.[6] Bar-Jesus means "Son of Joshua" or "Son of Jesus" in Aramaic.
Cultural influence
"Elymas the Sorcerer Struck with Blindness" is the title of a famous cartoon by Raphael, which served as the inspiration for woven tapestries in the Vatican.[7]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elymas
Christianity
The ankh was one of the few ancient Egyptian artistic motifs that continued to be used after the Christianization of Egypt during the 4th and 5th centuries AD.[30] The sign resembles the staurogram, a sign that resembles a Christian cross with a loop to the right of the upper bar and was used by early Christians as a monogram for Jesus,[31] as well as the crux ansata, or "handled cross", which is shaped like an ankh with a circular rather than oval or teardrop-shaped loop.[32] The staurogram has been suggested to be influenced by the ankh, but the earliest Christian uses of the sign date to around AD 200, well before the earliest Christian adoption of the ankh.[33] The earliest known example of a crux ansata comes from a copy of the Gospel of Judas from the 3rd or early 4th century AD. The adoption of this sign may have been influenced by the staurogram, the ankh, or both.[32]
According to Socrates of Constantinople, when Christians were dismantling Alexandria's greatest temple, the Serapeum, in 391 AD, they noticed cross-like signs inscribed on the stone blocks. Pagans who were present said the sign meant "life to come", an indication that the sign Socrates referred to was the ankh; Christians claimed the sign was their own, indicating that they could easily regard the ankh as a crux ansata.[34]
There is little evidence for the use of the crux ansata in the western half of the Roman Empire,[35] but Egyptian Coptic Christians used it in many media, particularly in the decoration of textiles.[30]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh
antichrist (n.)
mid-14c., earlier antecrist (late Old English) "an opponent of Christ, an opponent of the Church," especially the last and greatest persecutor of the faith at the end of the world, from Late Latin antichristus, from Greek antikhristos (I John ii.18), from anti- "against" (see anti-) + khristos (see Christ). The earliest appearance of anti- in English and one of the few before c. 1600.
The name has also been applied to the pretenders to the Messiahship, or false Christs (Mat. xxiv. 24), who have arisen at various periods, as being antagonistic to the true Christ. Of these as many as sixty-four have been reckoned, including some of little importance, and also some, as Mohammed, who cannot properly be classed among them. [Century Dictionary]
also from mid-14c.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/antichrist
Priests of Babylon move to today's Turkey. They became the kings of Pergamum
"Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Awil-Marduk, set the stage for the submission of the empire to the Medo-Persians. Weakened over the next few decades by internal divisions, the strongly fortified Babylon fell without a fight in 539 BCE to Cyrus the Great’s forces. The Persians were generally tolerant toward the nations they defeated, allowing them to retain their culture and religion. An example of their permissive attitude came soon after the fall of Babylon. Cyrus issued a proclamation returning the Jewish captives in Babylon to Jerusalem with instructions to rebuild the temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.
Though the Persians did not initially interfere in Babylon’s religious practices, the political power of the Babylonian priesthood (who were Chaldean magi) eventually became a problem. The temple had always been central to Babylonian life, with an entire culture and economy surrounding the Ziggurat of Marduk. As a result, the Chaldean priests were a powerful elite. They were often more powerful than the Babylonian king himself: the monarch had to acknowledge the priests’ intermediary role and “take the hands of Marduk” before assuming the throne. The king thus became the son of the god and was obliged to protect the religious hierarchy."
Priests of Babylon move to today's Turkey. They became the kings of Pergamum
https://www.project6000.com/english-home-page/2000-a-abraham-daniel-and-the-persians/480-133-p-the-babylonian-priests-come-to-pergamon/
The priests frustrated the Persians’ tolerance when, in an attempt to retain their behind-the-scenes political power, they installed one of their own, a priest posing as the king’s brother Smerdis, as ruler of Babylon. The imposter was discovered and killed by the Persians. Following a subsequent revolt when the priests again set up their own Babylonian ruler, the Persian king Xerxes came and destroyed Babylon in 487 BCE. In the process, he tore down the temples and removed the statue of Marduk.
At this point, around 480 BCE, the Babylonian priests are thought to have left the city and reestablished their base elsewhere. According to one source, “the defeated Chaldeans fled to Asia Minor, and fixed their central college at Pergamos, and took the palladium of Babylon, the cubic stone, with them. Here, independent of state control, they carried on the rites of their religion” (William B. Barker, Lares and Penates: or, Cilicia and Its Governors, Ingram, Cooke and Co., London, 1853, pp. 232–233).
https://www.vision.org/through-ancient-looking-glass-809
The Attalid Dynasty ruled an empire from their capital at Pergamon during the 3rd and 2nd century BCE. Fighting for their place in the turbulent world following the death of Alexander the Great, the Attalids briefly flourished with Pergamon becoming a great Hellenistic city famed for its culture, library, and Great Altar.
https://www.ancient.eu/Attalid_Dynasty/
For in the year 133 B.C. the young King of Pergamon, Attalus III, died, leaving his territory and his treasure to the city and people of Rome. While Attalus’ bequest had some precedent, it was nevertheless unusual and was the first to be accepted by Rome. Its acceptance had consequences that affected the subsequent course of Roman history.
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/legacy-attalus
Bible scholars further indicate that the Chaldean priesthood did not make Pergamos their final home. When the city was given to Rome, the priesthood sought out the new power center and moved to the Italian peninsula. Within the pagan Roman Empire they were able to continue their ancient Chaldean practices. This influence gradually extended into Roman Christianity. According to John Walvoord, chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, “when the teachers of the Babylonian mystery religions later moved from Pergamum to Rome, they were influential in paganism Christianity and were the source of many so-called religious rites which have crept into ritualistic churches” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Revelation).
https://www.vision.org/through-ancient-looking-glass-809
Rev. 2: 12-13
“Here is what I command you to write to the church in Pergamum. Here are the words of Jesus, who has the sharp sword with two edges. He says, 13 ‘I know that you live where Satan has his throne. But you remain faithful to me. You did not give up your faith in me. You didn’t give it up even in the days of Antipas. Antipas, my faithful witness, was put to death in your city, where Satan lives. NIRV
https://www.project6000.com/english-home-page/2000-a-abraham-daniel-and-the-persians/480-133-p-the-babylonian-priests-come-to-pergamon/
Peter was called Simon when he was born and he was a fisherman. He met Jesus near the Sea of Galilee. He decided to give up everything so that he could follow Jesus and listen to him talk about God. Simon became one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Jesus changed his name to Peter which means “rock”.
https://www.mtcarmelcoorparoo.qld.edu.au/resource-centre/student-links/Documents/Saints%20Research.pdf
As far as Simon Magus goes, even those now considered to be early supporters of the Roman Catholic Church condemned him. Yet, those who claim Christ really should look into whether or not they have adopted the non-biblical heresies that Simon Magus and his later followers adopted. Those wanting to learn more should also consider studying the articles at the The History of Early Christianity page.
We do not know how or when Simon Magus died (there are various legends). Some early reports indicate he was buried in Samaria or in Rome. Some suspect that burial was in Vatican hill.
Notice the following:
Elevating his personal teachings above the Bible, and preaching a "no-works" doctrine of salvation, Simon Magus soon had a universal, popular following. Deified by the Romans, he was buried on Vatican Hill. ...
The records regarding Simon's death vary widely. Many of the stories try to incorporate some fiction from the Greek and Egyptian myths to enhance the reader's interest in this fascinating character. But the earliest records say that he was buried in Rome after a long period of great honour and deification.
It is not clearly known where Simon Magus alias Simon Pater or Simon Jupiter was buried. But this much is known. The place of burial for ALL prophets and holy men of the Romans was in the sacred cemetery on Vatican Hill. This much is certain.
Notice what Werner Keller in his The Bible as History says about the so-called burial of the Catholics' Peter. (Before reading Keller's statement, let us remember that he is a thorough-going Catholic and firmly, himself, believed that the Apostle Peter was buried in Rome.
However, the Bible shows nothing of the kind. Now, let's read Keller's comment — the official comment of the Roman Catholic Church):
"On the night of his death on the cross Peter's followers BURIED his body. As in the case of Jesus on the hill of Calvary it was wrapped in linen and secretly taken to a PAGAN BURIAL GROUND on the Via Cornelia, behind the stone structure of the arena. This PAGAN CEMETERY lay on a knoll called VATICANUS: the Latin word 'vatis' means a 'prophet' or 'SOOTHSAYER'. In days gone by there had been an Etruscan oracle on this spot" (p. 368).
What an admission!
Keller ought to have better sense to know that this Peter buried in this cemetery, of all places, could NOT be the Apostle Peter. In the first place, Peter was a Jew, and they had to be buried in their own cemeteries. And even if by a happen-chance a Jew could be buried in a Roman cemetery, it is most unlikely that a Jew — especially one who attacked the Roman religion as the Apostle Peter did — would ever have been allowed into the most holy of pagan cemeteries! This cemetery was reserved for prophets, soothsayers and the great ones of pagan Rome. (Martin E. SIMON MAGUS SERIES - Simonites Establish UNIVERSAL Church. Good News, August 1964)
When Vatican hill has been excavated, they have found pagan graves and one or more in costly apparel. Perhaps, one in costly apparel was Simon Magus."
https://www.cogwriter.com/simonmagus.htm
Magisterium of the Church: its norms are to be observed in the doctrine that is to be taught by Ours, 100; due reverence should be shown to it, 101; what is to be said if a given professor in his teaching departs from doctrine that is in accord with it, 104; we must collaborate with it in order to discern the movements of the Spirit in the sense of the faithful, 295
Magistrates: see Important persons, princes
Magnanimity: it should shine forth in the superior general [728]; in all superiors, 349 §2; and in novices, 51, 52 Magnates: see Important persons, princes
The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms
A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts
THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES
SAINT LOUIS, 1996
https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf
What does the Bible say about white magic?
White magic is described as “good” magic, as opposed to black magic, which draws upon the powers of evil beings. Opinions vary as to the differences between black and white magic, ranging from the idea that they are two names for exactly the same thing, to the belief that they are completely different, especially in goals and intent. The Bible does not differentiate between “good” and “bad” magic. Magic is magic as far as the Bible is concerned. Scripture doesn’t distinguish whether the magic is supposed to be used for good or for bad; it’s all forbidden because it appeals to a source of power other than God.
Those who practice white magic, also often called Wicca, worship the creation rather than the Creator, and, while they may not call on the devil or evil spirits, they often appeal to “mother earth,” angels, and/or the elements. The central Wiccan theme is, “if it does no harm, do your own will.” Many who dabble in white magic call themselves Wiccans, whether they actually are or not. Although Wicca is fairly open-ended and there are various “denominations” and theological positions within the belief, there are certain beliefs, practices, and traditions that connect adherents of white magic to Wicca.
Whether the intent is to venerate “mother earth,” the elements, or the angels, and even if one intends to do only good, the reality is that, ultimately, there is no distinction between white and black magic because they both worship something other than God. It’s frightening to think that the adherents of white magic are unknowingly praying to and beseeching the same god that adherents of black magic are—Satan.
Throughout Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, all forms of witchcraft are in violation of God’s law and are condemned. (Deuteronomy 18:10–16; Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:27; Acts 13:8–10). Pharaoh’s magicians used their “secret arts” to try to duplicate the miracles done by Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7:11; 8:7)—secret arts are the ceremonies or rituals sorcerers use to accomplish their magic, involving incantations, spells, magic words, charms, amulets, etc. The apostle Paul condemned Elymas the sorcerer, proclaiming him a “child of the devil” who was full of “all kinds of deceit and trickery” and was “perverting the right ways of the Lord” (Acts 13:10). The apostle Peter likewise condemned Simon the magician in Acts 8:20–23. Nowhere in the Bible is a practicing sorcerer or magician portrayed in a positive light. A possible exception are the magi who brought gifts to Jesus; however, in the East the title magi was frequently given to philosophers or learned men who studied the secrets of nature, astronomy, and medicine. Jesus’ visitors were “wise men,” but not necessarily sorcerers. The Bible shows them worshiping the Lord (Matthew 2:11), not casting spells.
Scripture says that God hates all magic, whether it is white magic or some other kind. Why? Because it doesn’t come from God. Satan deceives people by making them think white magic is beneficial. Satan pretends to be an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), but his desire is to ensnare the souls of as many as he can. The Bible warns against him and his evil tricks. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Real spiritual power only comes from God, from a right relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, and from the Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of believers.
https://www.gotquestions.org/white-magic.html
THE definition of magic, as used in this book, is: "The change in situations or events in accordance with one's will, which would, using normally accepted methods, be unchangable." This admittedly leaves a large area for personal interpretation. It will be said, by some, that these instructions and procedures are nothing more than applied psychology, or scientific fact, called by "magical" terminology - until they arrive at a passage in the text that is "based on no known scientific finding". It is for this reason that no attempt has been made to limit the explanations set forth to a set nomenclature. Magic is never totally scientifically explainable, but science has always been, at one time or another, considered magic.
There is no difference between "White" and "Black" magic, except in the smug hypocrisy, guilt-ridden righteousness, and self-deceit of the "White" magician himself. In the classical religious tradition, "White" magic is performed for altruistic, benevolent, and "good" purposes; while "Black" magic is used for self-aggrandizement, personal power, and "evil" purposes. No one on earth ever pursued occult studies, metaphysics, yoga, or any other "white light" concept, without ego gratification and personal power as a goal. It just so happens that some people enjoy wearing hair shirts, and others prefer velvet or silk. What is pleasure to one, is pain to another, and the same applies to "good" and "evil". Every practitioner of witchcraft is convinced that he or she is doing the "right" thing.
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE
OF
SATANIC MAGIC
(Definition and Purpose)
https://cparker15.tripod.com/tsb/earthI.html
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initially planned in the 15th century by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the ageing Old St. Peter's Basilica, which was built in the fourth century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.[2]
Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Carlo Maderno, with piazza and fittings by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is one of the most renowned works of Italian Renaissance architecture[3] and is the largest church in the world by interior measure.[note 1] While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome (these equivalent titles being held by the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome), St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world",[4] and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom."[3][5]
Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, chief among Jesus's apostles and also the first Bishop of Rome (Pope). Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the high altar of the basilica, also known as the Altar of the Confession.[6] For this reason, many popes, cardinals and bishops have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period.
St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage and for its liturgical functions. The pope presides at a number of liturgies throughout the year both within the basilica or the adjoining St. Peter's Square; these liturgies draw audiences numbering from 15,000 to over 80,000 people.[7] St. Peter's has many historical associations, with the early Christian Church, the Papacy, the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation and numerous artists, especially Michelangelo. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age.[8] St. Peter's is one of the four churches in the world that hold the rank of Major papal basilica, all four of which are in Rome, and is also one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. Contrary to popular misconception, it is not a cathedral because it is not the seat of a bishop; the cathedra of the pope as bishop of Rome is at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran.[9]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica
John Hyrcanus (/hərˈkeɪnəs/; יוחנן הרקנוס Yōḥānān Hurqanōs; Ancient Greek: Ἰωάννης Ὑρκανός, romanized: Iōánnēs Hurkanós) was a Hasmonean (Maccabean) leader and Jewish high priest of the 2nd century BCE (born 164 BCE, reigned from 134 BCE until his death in 104 BCE). In rabbinic literature he is often referred to as Yoḥanan Cohen Gadol (יוחנן כהן גדול), "John the High Priest".[1]
Name
Josephus explains in The Jewish War that John was also known as "Hyrcanus", but does not explain the reason behind this name. The only other primary sources — the Books of the Maccabees — never used this name with respect to John. The single occurrence of the name Hyrcanus in 2 Maccabees 3:11 refers to a man to whom some of the money in the Temple belonged during the c. 178 BCE visit of Heliodorus.[2]
The reason for the name is disputed amongst biblical scholars, with a variety of reasons proposed:
Familial origin in the region of Hyrcania on the Caspian Sea[3]
A Greek regnal name, which would have represented closer ties with the Hellenistic culture against which the Maccabees had revolted under Seleucid rule. However, the region of Hyrcania had been conquered by Mithridates I of Parthia in 141–139 BCE
Given the name by the Seleucids after he fought in the region alongside Antiochus VII Sidetes against Phraates II of Parthia in 130–129 BCE, a campaign which resulted in the release of Antiochus' brother Demetrius II Nicator from captivity in Hyrcania
Life and work
He was the son of Simon Thassi and hence the nephew of Judas Maccabaeus, Jonathan Apphus and their siblings, whose story is told in the deuterocanonical books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, in the Talmud, and in Josephus. John was not present at a banquet at which his father and his two brothers were murdered, by John's brother-in-law, Ptolemy, son of Abubus. He attained to his father's former offices, that of high priest and ethnarch (national leader)—but not king.[4] Josephus said that John Hyrcanus had five sons but named only four in his histories: Judah Aristobulus I, Antigonus I, Alexander Jannai, and Absalom. It is this fifth brother who is said to have unsuccessfully sought the throne at the death of Aristobulus I.[5]
Siege of Jerusalem
During the first year of John Hyrcanus's reign, he faced a serious challenge to independent Judean rule from the Seleucid Empire. Antiochus VII Sidetes marched into Judea, pillaged the countryside and laid a year-long siege on Jerusalem. The prolonged siege caused Hyrcanus to remove any Judean from the city who could not assist with the defence effort (Antiquities 13.240). These refugees were not allowed to pass through Antiochus’ lines, becoming trapped in the middle of a chaotic siege. With a humanitarian crisis on his hands, Hyrcanus re-admitted his estranged Jerusalemites when the festival of Sukkot arrived. Afterwards, due to food shortages in Jerusalem, Hyrcanus negotiated a truce with Antiochus.[6]
The terms of the truce consisted of three thousand talents of silver as payment for Antiochus, breaking down the walls of Jerusalem, Judean participation in the Seleucid war against the Parthians, and once again Judean recognition of Seleucid control (Antiquities 13.245). These terms were a harsh blow to Hyrcanus, who had to loot the tomb of David to pay the 3,000 talents (The Wars of the Jews I 2:5).
Under Seleucid control (133–128 BCE)
Following the Seleucid siege, Judea faced tough economic times which were magnified by taxes to the Seleucids enforced by Antiochus. Furthermore, Hyrcanus was forced to accompany Antiochus on his eastern campaign in 130 BCE. Hyrcanus probably functioned as the military commander of a Jewish company in the campaign.[7] It is reported that Antiochus, out of consideration for the religion of his Jewish allies, at one point ordered a two days' halt of the entire army to allow them to avoid breaking the Sabbath and Festival of Weeks.[8]
This enforced absence probably caused a loss of support for the inexperienced Hyrcanus among the Judean population.[9] Judeans in the countryside were especially disillusioned with Hyrcanus after Antiochus’ army plundered their land. Furthermore, John Hyrcanus's driving out the non-military population of Jerusalem during the siege also probably caused resentment against him. The action of looting the Tomb of David violated his obligations as High Priest, which would have offended the religious leadership.[10]
Therefore, at a very early point in his thirty-one year reign of Judea, Hyrcanus had lost the support of Judeans in various cultural sectors. The Jerusalemites, the countryside Judeans and the religious leadership probably doubted the future of Judea under Hyrcanus. However, in 128 BCE Antiochus VII was killed in battle against Parthia. What followed was an era of conquest led by Hyrcanus that marked the high point of Judea as the most significant power in the Levant.[11]
Conquests
John Hyrcanus was able to take advantage of unrest in the Seleucid Empire to assert Judean independence and conquer new territories. In 130 BCE Demetrius II, the former Seleucid king, returned from exile in Hyrcania to take back control of his empire. However, transition of power made it difficult for Demetrius to assert control over Judea.[12] Furthermore, the Seleucid Empire itself fell apart into smaller principalities. The Ituraeans of Lebanon, the Ammonites of the Transjordan, and the Arabian Nabateans represented independent principalities that broke away from Seleucid control.[13] Hyrcanus was determined to take advantage of the dissipating Seleucid Empire to increase the Judean State.
Hyrcanus also raised a new mercenary army that strongly contrasted with the Judean forces that were defeated by Antiochus VII (Ant.13.249). The Judean population was probably still recovering from the attack of Antiochus, and therefore could not provide enough able men for a Hyrcanus-led army.[12] John Hyrcanus's army was supported by the Judean State once again by funds that Hyrcanus removed from the Tomb of David.[14]
Beginning in 113 BCE, Hyrcanus began an extensive military campaign against Samaria. Hyrcanus placed his sons Antigonus and Aristobulus in charge of the siege of Samaria. The Samaritans called for help and eventually received 6,000 troops from Antiochus IX Cyzicenus. Although the siege lasted for a long, difficult year, Hyrcanus was unwilling to give up. Ultimately, Samaria was overrun and totally destroyed. Cyzicenus' mercenary army was defeated and the city of Scythopolis seems to have been occupied by Hyrcanus as well.[15] The inhabitants of Samaria were then put into slavery. Upon conquering the former Seleucid regions Hyrcanus embarked on a policy of forcing the non-Jewish populations to adopt Jewish customs.[16][17]
John Hyrcanus's first conquest was an invasion of the Transjordan in 110 BCE.[18] John Hyrcanus's mercenary army laid siege to the city of Medeba and took it after a six-month siege. After these victories, Hyrcanus went north towards Shechem and Mount Gerizim. The city of Shechem was reduced to a village and the Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim was destroyed.[16] This military action against Shechem has been dated archaeologically around 111–110 BCE.[19] Destroying the Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim helped ameliorate John Hyrcanus's status among religious elite and common Jews who detested any temple to Yahweh outside of Jerusalem.
Hyrcanus also initiated a military campaign against the Idumeans (Edomites). During this campaign Hyrcanus conquered Adora, Maresha and other Idumean towns (Ant.13.257). Hyrcanus then instituted forced conversions on the Idumeans to Judaism.[20] This was an unprecedented move for a Judean ruler; it was the first instance of forced conversion perpetrated by Jews in recorded history.[21] However, some scholars dispute the narrative of forced conversion and believe that the Edomites peacefully assimilated in Judean society.[22]
Economy, foreign relations, and religion
After the siege of Jerusalem, Hyrcanus faced a serious economic crisis in Judea, although the economic difficulties probably subsided after the death of Antiochus VII, since Hyrcanus no longer had to pay taxes or tributes to a weaker Seleucid Empire.[23] The economic situation eventually improved enough for Hyrcanus to issue his own coinage (see below). On top of that, Hyrcanus initiated vital building projects in Judea. Hyrcanus re-built the walls destroyed by Antiochus. He also built a fortress north of the Temple called the Baris and possibly also the fortress Hyrcania.[24]
Moreover, out of desperation, Hyrcanus sought for good relations with the surrounding Gentile powers, especially the growing Roman Republic. Two decrees were passed in the Roman Senate that established a treaty of friendship with Judea.[25] Although it is difficult to specifically date these resolutions, they represent efforts made between Hyrcanus and Rome to maintain stable relations. Also, an embassy sent by Hyrcanus received Roman confirmation of Hasmonean independence.[26] Hyrcanus was an excellent case of a ruler backed by Roman support.
In addition to Rome, Hyrcanus was able to maintain steady relations with Ptolemaic Egypt. This was probably made possible due to various Jews living in Egypt who had connections with the Ptolemaic Court (Ant. 13.284–287). Finally, the cities of Athens and Pergamon even showed honor to Hyrcanus in an effort to appease Rome.[27]
Furthermore, the minting of coins by Hyrcanus demonstrates John Hyrcanus's willingness to delegate power. Sixty-three coins found near Bethlehem bear the inscription, "Yohanan the High Priest." The reserve side of the coins contains the phrase, "The Assembly of the Jews." This seems to suggest that during his reign, Hyrcanus was not an absolute ruler. Instead, Hyrcanus had to submit at times to an assembly of Jews that had a certain amount of minority power.[28] The coins lack any depictions of animals or humans. This suggests that Hyrcanus strictly followed the Jewish prohibition against graven images. The coins also seem to suggest that Hyrcanus considered himself to be primarily the High Priest of Judea, and his rule of Judea was shared with the Assembly.[29]
In Judea, religious issues were a core aspect of domestic policy. Josephus only reports one specific conflict between Hyrcanus and the Pharisees, who asked him to relinquish the position of High Priest (Ant. 13.288–296).[30] After this falling-out, Hyrcanus sided with the rivals of the Pharisees, the Sadducees. However, elsewhere Josephus reports that the Pharisees did not grow to power until the reign of Queen Salome Alexandra (JW.1.110) The coins minted under Hyrcanus suggest that Hyrcanus did not have complete secular authority. Furthermore, this account may represent a piece of Pharisaic apologetics due to Josephus's Pharisaic background.[31] Regardless, there were probably tensions because of the religious and secular leadership roles held by Hyrcanus.
Ultimately, one of the final acts of John Hyrcanus's life was an act that solved any kind of dispute over his role as High Priest and ethnarch. In the will of Hyrcanus, he provisioned for the division of the high priesthood from secular authority. John Hyrcanus's widow was given control of civil authority after his death, and his son Judas Aristobulus was given the role of High Priest. This action represented John Hyrcanus's willingness to compromise over the issue of secular and religious authority.[32] (However, Aristobulus was not satisfied with this arrangement, so he cast his mother into prison and let her starve.)
Legacy
John Hyrcanus the High Priest is remembered in rabbinic literature as having made several outstanding enactments and deeds worthy of memorial, one of which being that he cancelled the requirement of saying the avowal mentioned in Deuteronomy 26:12–15 once in every three years, since he saw that in Israel they had ceased to separate the First Tithe in its proper manner and which, by making the avowal, and saying "I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that you have commanded me," he makes himself dishonest before his Maker and liable to God's wrath.[33] In his days, the First Tithe, which was meant to be given unto the Levites, was given instead to the priests of Aaron's lineage, after Ezra had fined the Levites for not returning in full force to the Land of Israel. By not being able to give the First Tithe unto the Levites, as originally commanded by God, this made the avowal null and void.[34] In addition, John Hyrcanus is remembered for having cancelled the reading of Psalm 44:23, formerly chanted daily by the Levites in the Temple precincts, and which words, "Awake! Why do you sleep, O Lord?, etc.", seemed inappropriate, as if they were imposing their own will over God's, or that God was actually sleeping.[35] In similar fashion, the High Priest cancelled an ill-practice had by the people to cause bleeding near the eyes of sacrificial calves by beating their heads so as to stun them, prior to their being bound and slaughtered, since by beating the animal in such a way they ran the risk of causing a blemish in the animal's membrane lining its brain.[36] To prevent this from happening, the High Priest made rings in the ground of the Temple court for helping to secure the animals before slaughter.
Before John Hyrcanus officiated as Israel's High Priest, the people had it as a practice to do manual work on the intermediate days of the Jewish holidays, and one could hear in Jerusalem the hammer pounding against the anvil. The High Priest passed an edict restricting such labours on those days, thinking it inappropriate to do servile work on the Hol ha-Moed, until after the Feast (Yom Tov). It had also been a custom in Israel, since the days that the Hasmoneans defeated the Grecians who prevented them from mentioning the name of God in heaven, to inscribe the name of God in their ordinary contracts, bills of sale and promissory notes. They would write, for example, "In the year such and such of Yohanan, the High Priest of the Most High God." But when the Sages of Israel became sensible of the fact that such ordinary contracts were often discarded in the rubbish after reimbursement, it was deemed improper to show disrespect to God's name by doing so. Therefore, on the 3rd day of the lunar month Tishri, the practice of writing God's name in ordinary contracts was cancelled altogether, while the date of such cancellation was declared a day of rejoicing, and inscribed in the Scroll of Fasting.[37]
The Mishnah (Parah 3:4[5]) also relates that during the tenure of John Hyrcanus as High Priesthood, he had prepared the ashes of two Red heifers used in purifying those who had contracted corpse uncleanness.[38]
In what is seen as yet another one of John Hyrcanus's accomplishments, during his days any commoner or rustic could be trusted in what concerns Demai-produce (that is, if a doubt arose over whether or not such produce bought from him had been correctly divested of its tithes), since even the common folk in Israel were careful to separate the Terumah-offering given to the priests. Still, such produce required its buyer to separate the First and Second Tithes.[39] Some view this as also being a discredit unto the High Priest, seeing that the commoners refused to separate these latter tithes because of being intimidated by bullies, who took these tithes from the public treasuries by force, while John Hyrcanus refused to censure such bad conduct.[40]
In the later years of his life, John Hyrcanus abandoned the sect of the Pharisees and joined the Sadducees. This prompted the famous rabbinic dictum: "Do not believe in yourself until your dying day."[41] At his death, a monument (Hebrew: נפשיה דיוחנן כהן גדול) was built in his honour and where his bones were interred. The monument was located in what was outside the walls of the city at that time, but by Josephus' time was between the second[a] and third[b] walls of Jerusalem, and where the Romans had built a bank of earthworks to break into the newer third wall encompassing the upper city, directly opposite John's monument.[42]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hyrcanus
Capital of Judah (930-586)
Main Jerusalem Timeline > Zion > Capital of Judah
Jewish tradition refers to this period (c. 950-586) as the First Temple Period, referring to the Jerusalemite royal shrine, built by King Solomon, which is said to have housed the Ark of the Covenant, connecting this golden age of the polity with the Laws of Moses. Tradition also makes the kings of Judah, who ruled from Jerusalem until the destruction of the city by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E., the descendents of David. The existence of such a House of David was recently confirmed by the find of a victory stele from Tel Dan.
Between 930 (the approximate date of Pharaoh Sheshonq's campaign through Canaan) and 722 (the date of the destruction of Samaria by the Assyrians), Jerusalem played a subordinate role in the region, eclipsed by its more powerful northern neighbor, the Kingdom of Israel.
Judah's independence and Jerusalem's rise to prominence begin in 722 when the Northern State is destroyed by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V (d. 722) and his general Sargon (Sargon II, 722-705). Many Israelites flee south, enhancing the Judahite state which thrives under Sargon II, and the city of Jerusalem is considerably expanded and fortified, to survive Sennacherib's siege of 701. King Hezekiah of Judah (726-697/96) and his chief prophet, Isaiah of Jerusalem, attribute the victory to YHWH. A general purging of cults and sacrificial places throughout Judah prefigures the reforms conducted by the king's great-grandson, Josiah (639/40-609), in 622. Jerusalem is now the only legitimate place of worship, and YHWH the only God to be worshiped.
The history of early Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, ends with the destruction of the city in 586 by the Neo-Babylonians under Nebuchadrezzar. Henceforth, the "House of David" appears as the symbol of a golden age, glorified in the literary imagination of Judahite historians and prophets, and of its restoration in a "messianic" future.
https://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-2.htm
Israel and Judah fight each other
1 Kings 15:1-8 Rehoboam is succeeded by his son Abijah as King of Judah (from c.914 to c.912BC). Throughout his reign, Judah is at war with Israel.
1 Kings 15:9-16 Abijah’s son Asa becomes King of Judah in c.912BC. He burns the idols and cuts down the ‘Asherah poles’. He is constantly at war with Israel.
1 Kings 15:17-34 Jeroboam’s son, Nadab, is killed by Baasha who becomes King of Israel in c.910BC. Baasha fortifies Ramah (c.5 miles / 8 km north of Jerusalem, the capital of Judah) (see Map 50) to protect himself from the people of Judah. King Asa of Judah then forges an alliance with Ben-Hadad, the King of Aram (based at Damascus in Syria), who conquers the northern parts of Israel around Dan and Kinnereth (the Sea of Galilee). So King Baasha of Israel abandons Ramah and retreats north to Tirzah, where he builds a new capital in the hill country of Ephraim north east of Shechem.
The people of Judah occupy the land immediately north of Jerusalem, and use the stone and timber from Ramah to fortify Geba and Mizpah (see Map 54). In fulfilment of Ahijah’s prophesy (see 1 Kings 14:10), Baasha destroys the whole of Jeroboam’s family.
Tirzah
Tirzah (meaning ‘she is my delight’) was a city in the central hills of Samaria, north east of Shechem. It was originally a Canaanite city-state whose king was killed when the Israelites conquered Canaan in c.1406 BC (see Joshua 12:24).
In the poetry of Solomon, the lover’s partner is said to be “as beautiful as the city of Tirzah” (Song of Solomon 6:4). After the collapse of the United Monarchy of Israel and Judah on the death of King Solomon in c.931 BC, his successor Jeroboam built a royal residence at Tirzah (see 1 Kings 14:17). King Baasha moved the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel to Tirzah in c.910 BC.
Tirzah continued to flourish during the reigns of Baasha, Elah and Zimri (see 1 Kings 15:33, 16:6, 8, 15 & 23), but Omri virtually destroyed the city when deposing Zimri in c.886BC, and transferred the capital to Samaria in c.881 BC (see 1 Kings 16:24). Later, Menahem used Tirzah as a base from which to attack and assassinate King Shallum of Israel at Samaria in 740BC (see 2 Kings 15:13-14). Tirzah was finally destroyed by King Shalmaneser V of Assyria in 523BC (see 2 Kings 17:5).
The site of Tirzah has been identified as Tell el-Farah (North) near modern-day Al-Jiftlik in the Wadi Farah between Shechem (modern-day Nablus) and Adam (in the Jordan Valley). Excavations have revealed remains of houses and streets from the time when Tirzah was capital of Israel. Clear signs of the destruction by Omri, and the subsequent abandonment of the city, are accompanied by evidence of re-building during the reign of Jeroboam II (782-741 BC). Opulent stone dwellings surrounded by lowly hovels reflect the social inequalities of the day condemned by the prophet Amos (see Amos 5:11-13).
https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/32-the-divided-kingdom-amp-journey-into-exile/israel-and-judah-fight-each-other/
Amos 5
1599 Geneva Bible
5 A lamentation for the captivity of Israel.
1 Hear ye this word, which I lift up upon you, even a lamentation of the house of Israel.
2 The [a]virgin Israel is fallen, and shall no more rise: she is left upon her land, and there is none to raise her up.
3 For thus saith the Lord God, The city which went out by a thousand, shall leave [b]an hundred: and that which went forth by an hundred, shall leave ten to the house of Israel.
4 For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.
5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into [c]Gilgal, and go not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
6 Seek the Lord, and ye shall live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
7 They turn [d]judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth.
8 He [e]maketh Pleiades, and Orion, and he turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and he maketh the day dark as night: he calleth the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the open earth: the Lord is his Name.
9 He strengtheneth the destroyer against the mighty, and the destroyer shall come against the fortress.
10 They have hated him [f]that rebuked in the gate: and they abhorred him that speaketh uprightly.
11 Forasmuch then as your treading is upon the poor, and [g]ye take from him burdens of wheat, ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them: ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
12 For I know your manifold transgressions, and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take rewards, and they oppress the poor in the gate.
13 Therefore [h]the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil, that ye may live: and the Lord God of hosts shall be with you, as you have spoken.
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be merciful unto the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts, the Lord saith thus, Mourning shall be in all streets: and they shall say in all the high ways, Alas, alas: and they shall call the [i]husbandman to lamentation, and such as can mourn, to mourning.
17 And in all the vines shall be lamentation: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord.
18 Woe unto you, that [j]desire the day of the Lord: what have you to do with it? the day of the Lord is darkness and not light,
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him: or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light, even darkness and no light in it?
21 I hate and abhor your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and meat offerings, [k]I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
23 Take thou away from me the multitude of thy songs (for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.)
24 And let judgment run down as [l]waters, and righteousness as a mighty river.
25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 But you have born [m]Sikkuth your king, and Chiun your images, and the star of your gods which you made to yourselves.
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose Name is the God of hosts.
Footnotes
Amos 5:2 He so calleth them, because they so boasted of themselves or because they were given to wantonness and daintiness.
Amos 5:3 Meaning, that the tenth part should scarcely be saved.
Amos 5:5 In those places they worshipped new idols, which aforetime served for the true honor of God: therefore he saith that these shall not save them.
Amos 5:7 Instead of judgment and equity they execute cruelty and oppression.
Amos 5:8 He describeth the power of God, Job 9:9.
Amos 5:10 They hate the Prophets, which reprove them in the open assemblies.
Amos 5:11 Ye take both his money and also his food, wherewith he should live.
Amos 5:13 God will so plague them that they shall not suffer the godly once to open their mouths to admonish them of their faults.
Amos 5:16 So that all degrees shall have matter of lamentation for the great plagues.
Amos 5:18 Thus he speaketh, because the wicked and hypocrites said they were content to abide God’s judgments, whereas the godly tremble and fear, Jer. 30:7; Joel 2:2, 11; Zeph. 1:15.
Amos 5:22 Because ye have corrupted my true service, and remain obstinate in your vices, Isa. 1:11; Jer. 6:10.
Amos 5:24 Do your duty to God, and to your neighbor, and so ye shall feel his grace plentifully, if you show your abundant affections according to God’s word.
Amos 5:26 That idol which you esteemed as your king, and carried about as you did Chiun, in which images you thought that there was a certain divinity.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%205&version=GNV
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