#“live free or die” according to WHOM?

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Hi! Apologies if your inbox is a weird place to drop this, but. I have had an animorphs thought haunting me and just absolutely not enough spoons to do anything with it myself, and you're the only animorphs blog I really know...so I guess I thought I'd maybe offer it up here and hopefully it'll resonate with someone? Anyway, the thought. 47 is a WEIRD book...what could a rewrite of it look like? And from there, I've become obsessed with the idea of yeerks find the hork bajir valley, but instead of what happens canonically, the animorphs & Toby arrive at a horrible possible solution: the yeerks will be there too soon for them to just run & nobody wants to give up their home -> if they leave some behind to fight and stall they'll get infested and the yeerks will know to keep looking -> ...but what if the force they leave behind genuinely doesn't know they're being sacrificed? They fight and die or are infested genuinely believing the rest of the valley is right behind them as reinforcements, while in actuality that group is being evacuated (maybe to return to their ellemist-protected home after the yeerks leave, convinced they've put down the free hork bajir, ymmv on that). The dam & the subsequent breaking of it is a cover to create chaos and really distract anyone from wondering about the numbers too much. I just think it could be a perfect opportunity to explore infestation, choices made to prevent it, etc...plus give a lens for talking about betrayal & lies for the "greater good" and via that, actually address the falling out between Jake and Ax from 46...plus maybe foreshadow that Jake is ultimately going to pull something disturbingly similar with the Auximorphs! like I said, I don't have the spoons to do anything substantial with this concept, but yeah, I wanted to set it loose. I absolutely won't be offended if you decide your blog isn't the venue for this, and regardless, love your writing and I hope you're doing well.

I like this idea, because yeeeaaaah, #47 is a hot mess. And a classic case of "you tried to do antiracism but fumbled it so bad you kind of just circled back around to being condescending about race."

But also, I love how this would actually interrogate the idea of "you're better off dead than a controller." Because the series presents that idea as true, basically without question, and basically without proof. The only time I think Animorphs comes close to questioning it is the end of #28, and even then it's in the midst of Cassie and Ax debating a different point.

Because I'm sure being a controller is awful. And I'm sure there are indeed fates worse than death. But just assuming from the outside that someone is better off dead is a slippery fucking slope. One that causes 100s of disabled people every year to get murdered by their caregivers. You don't get to assume from the outside that someone forfeits their right to life just because you think they'd be "better off dead" than poor or disabled or communist or enslaved.

So I'd love to see an Animorphs plotline where several hork-bajir choose to let themselves be captured and infested, knowing that doing so is necessary for the war effort and that the alternative is dying. (IMHO Toby would never do this without the sacrifices' permission — she isn't Jake.) These would be hork-bajir who have been controllers before, hork-bajir who understand better than Jake ever will how precarious their entire species is. If they say "I will let myself be captured in the hope of rescue once we win the war, rather than dying" then I think there's tremendous courage in that. And I'd love to see it explored.

[fj0t0lf]

a pretty interesting take on seung hui cho's use of the number 88, from @.sscc on the columbine forumotion:

My assumption, given Cho's tendency to speak in biblical terms and his family's Christian beliefs, has always been that this was a biblical reference.

I looked at the bible and the only book that even has an 88th chapter, as far as I can tell, is Psalms. This seems like a possibility.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_88 According to Martin Marty, a professor of church history at the University of Chicago, Psalm 88 is "a wintry landscape of unrelieved bleakness." ... Neale and Littledale find it "stands alone in all the Psalter for the unrelieved gloom, the hopeless sorrow of its tone. Even the very saddest of the others, and the Lamentations themselves, admit some variations of key, some strains of hopefulness; here only all is darkness to the close.—Neale and Littledale.

http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-psalm-88.htm After much thought and study of Psalms 88, the typical commentary appraisal is it is entirely negative, totally given to the expression of grief and despair. True (if you haven't already, read it now), it seems to be a picture of un-alleviated misery, seldom found anywhere in the Scriptures. Often, in the book of Psalms, you will be able to find hope even in between statements of despair. In many of the Psalms there is lamentation and negative emotions honestly expressed, yet they are resolved by some statement of hope and trust. Not in Psalms 88, we may immediately conclude. In Psalms 88, from verse 1 to the end of the chapter expresses the emotions of one who is writing from the pit, deep in despair. Even after you grant the writer literary license to use exaggerated poetic language, this poem cannot be lifted to any level of joy it seems. It is a continuous, bitter expression of one living deep in despair, sometimes with language that may seem to border on reproach against God.

I can see why someone like Cho might be drawn to it. The psalm is all about being abandoned by everyone to suffer, including god himself. KJV Psalm 88 wrote:

88 O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: 2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; 3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. 4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: 5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. 6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. 7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. 8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. 9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. 10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. 11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? 12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13 But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. 14 Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? 15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. 16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. 17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. 18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

A more accessible version of the psalm. CEB Psalm 88 wrote:

88 Lord, God of my salvation,     by day I cry out,     even at night, before you— 2     let my prayer reach you! Turn your ear to my outcry 3     because my whole being is filled with distress;     my life is at the very brink of hell. 4 I am considered as one of those plummeting into the pit.     I am like those who are beyond help, 5     drifting among the dead,     lying in the grave, like dead bodies—     those you don’t remember anymore,     those who are cut off from your power. 6 You placed me down in the deepest pit,     in places dark and deep. 7 Your anger smothers me;     you subdue me with it, wave after wave. Selah 8 You’ve made my friends distant.     You’ve made me disgusting to them.     I can’t escape. I’m trapped! 9 My eyes are tired of looking at my suffering.     I’ve been calling out to you every day, Lord—     I’ve had my hands outstretched to you! 10 Do you work wonders for the dead?     Do ghosts rise up and give you thanks? Selah 11 Is your faithful love proclaimed in the grave,     your faithfulness in the underworld? 12 Are your wonders known in the land of darkness,     your righteousness in the land of oblivion? 13 But I cry out to you, Lord!     My prayer meets you first thing in the morning! 14 Why do you reject my very being, Lord?     Why do you hide your face from me? 15 Since I was young I’ve been afflicted, I’ve been dying.     I’ve endured your terrors. I’m lifeless. 16 Your fiery anger has overwhelmed me;     your terrors have destroyed me. 17 They surround me all day long like water;     they engulf me completely. 18 You’ve made my loved ones and companions distant.     My only friend is darkness.

It would be interesting to know if Cho felt some connection to this psalm. His manifesto was full of rage and expressions of righteousness but we know that he was very depressed and alone as well.Could it have been an expression of the deep despair that Cho felt throughout his life? Did he feel abandoned by god?

(Or, assuming that it was relevant to him, could he have been explaining the despair that he hoped to inflict on his victims and the community? Did he want them to wonder where their god was as he was carrying out his massacre? Did he want them to feel that they were abandoned by god?)

Some interpretations say that this psalm is the lament of sinners being punished with the absence of god's mercy. We know that Cho felt that he was attacking "Apostles of Sin." Did he think he was carrying out god's will in destroying them? He certainly seemed to think he was participating in a revolution of the "Weak, Innocent and Defenseless," so was it a holy war in his eyes? Was he acting on behalf of god or was he possibly acting on behalf of a god that had abandoned him and the others like him?

I found this photo of Cho's "88" in the manifesto.

The symbol is the "Number of the Anti-Terrorist." The drawing above it is, I assume based on Langman's transcript, "Seer of Veracity. Seal of the Anti-Terrorist." As you can see, the seal includes a cross, which again suggests religious themes.

If you look at the transcript on Langman's website, it seems that on the page before Cho adds these images, he speaks constantly of Jesus Christ and false Christianity, which he equates to terrorism. This is why Cho called himself a martyr and said he would die like Jesus Christ. He was an Anti-Terrorist, one of the innocents who had experienced brutality at the hands of false Christians (sinners, terrorists, descendants of Satan and spillers of blood), and he was sacrificing himself in the hope that the weak, defenseless and innocent would be inspired to inflict their own wrath on the terrorists who had brutalized them.

Considering Psalm 88 in this context, maybe the point would be that only those who have experienced total loss, total despair, without a shred of hope would know to follow in his footsteps of revolution as an Anti-Terrorist. Maybe they hadn't even been abandoned by god but in god's plan, their never-ending despair was intended to help them see the truth ("Seer of Veracity") and like him, become Anti-Terrorist martyrs who, through their own sacrifice, would rid the world of false Christians who torment the innocent. The hedonists were clearly blind to the injustice and abuse so maybe he felt that the despair was the key to seeing the truth. Being subjected to pain so deep would leave no other choice but to inflict the same level of pain on the tormentors in the name of Jesus Christ.

Potentially relevant quotes: Seung-Hui Cho wrote:

As the time approached, I wished for a last minute miracle and discard this mission you’ve given me. Heaven knows I wouldn’t hurt a single leaf of a flower. But when the time came, I did it. I had to. What other choices did you give me? All this time... You never know that a human being is capable of doing until you fuck him to the edge. When you’re raped of everything, you got nothing to lose

By destroying we create. We create the feelings in you of what it is like to be the victim, what it is like to be fucked and destroyed. Because of your annihilations, we create and raise new breeds of Children who will show you fuckers what you have done to us. Like Easter, it will be a day of rebirth. It will be a start of a revolution of the Children that you fucked. You have never felt a single ounce of pain your whole life, thus, by destroying you, by giving you pain, we attempt to show you responsibilities and meanings of other people’s lives.

Only if you could be the victim of your reprehensible and wicked crimes, you Christian Nazis, you would have brute-restrained your animal urges to fuck me. You could be at home right now eating your fucking caviar and your fucking cognac, had you not ravenously raped my soul. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Can you feel the pain that you fucked us in, you Descendants of Satan? Well, can you feel it? All the shit you’ve given me, right back at you with hollow points.

Anyway, that's my muddled theory (or theories or more accurately, my set of questions with no answers).

(And this is completely subjective but when I see the photo of "88" from the manifesto, it reminds me of an abstract drawing of two people embracing. This seems apt for someone who was as alone as Cho was but intending to inspire his "Brothers and Sisters" to follow his lead with this act of mass murder.)

[anghraine]

I've talked a lot about Númenórean aging throughout the Second and Third Ages having its own distinct process. But occasionally I have a fridge horror thought about it with regard to Pharazôn that I've talked about less.

First, the aging context (feel free to ignore if you already know!): according to LOTR, UT, and NOME, Númenórean aging is distinct from (but related to) both Elvish and normal human aging. Like other humans, Númenóreans physically age at a "standard" pace until reaching adulthood. After this, they age more like Elves—very slowly, only showing signs of old age/decay either at the very end of their lives or under enormous strain.

Denethor in LOTR is not an exception to this, but an example of what "something has gone wrong" looks like. Everyone in LOTR thinks it's weird that Denethor, who is clearly not dying (he can still wear armor 24/7 and wield a sword), looks like an old man at the spry age of 89 and started showing these signs in his 60s. It is broadly—and correctly—assumed in Minas Tirith that he's prematurely aged by mental combat with Sauron, although Sauron never does manage to dominate his mind.

Tangent: This is actually important because Tolkien explained (mainly in UT) Gandalf's urgency wrt Minas Tirith in direct relation to Númenórean aging and Denethor. By the time of LOTR, Gandalf knows 1) even contemporary Dúnedain do not ordinarily show signs of physical decay so early, 2) they especially don't in Denethor's family; Gandalf doesn't know the genealogical details but he can tell they're descendants of Elros, making this doubly weird, and 3) the Stewards very likely have the palantír of Minas Tirith in their possession. So Gandalf put the clues together and guessed that Denethor's premature decay was from using the Anor-stone and tangling with Sauron. Gandalf feared that Denethor had essentially pulled a Saruman and been dominated by Sauron, which is part of why he was so anxious on the ride to Minas Tirith. (Even more tangentially: Denethor read this fear in him and apparently found it both deeply offensive and very funny.)

ANYWAY, the point is that this extremely delayed aging process in which physical old age is a sign of impending death still characterizes Númenóreans that late, unless something very strange is going on. It would definitely be the normal process for Númenóreans throughout the entire Second Age, even given the contracting lifespans of the later years.

We also know that one of the factors that led to Pharazôn's disastrous assault on Aman was the onset of old age. This would not simply be a reminder of his mortality for a Númenórean, least of all one from the (honestly rather inbred) line of Elros. It meant he would soon die. If he'd followed the old royal custom of giving up his life when he felt death approach, he might well be dead already. Instead, he's in the "decay" stage and visibly aging.

The point is not that you should feel sorry for Pharazôn. It is very much not that.

No. The point is that Pharazôn was an old man by this time and likely would have looked it.

Meanwhile, here's the Akallabêth's final description of Tar-Míriel, the daughter of the last Faithful king of Númenor and Pharazôn's own first cousin, whom he stripped of hereditary power and forced into marriage:

And last of all the mounting wave, green and cold and plumed with foam, climbing over the land, took to its bosom Tar-Míriel the Queen, fairer than silver or ivory or pearls.

Of course, in Tolkien's treatment, age and beauty do not have to be mutually exclusive. But it really doesn't sound like Míriel was in the final state of decay (and lbr, she didn't have a lot of reason to cling to life beyond the natural end of her lifespan anyway).

Moreover, the shortening of Númenórean lifespans in the Second Age was directly linked to estrangement from Eru/the Valar/their friends among the Elves and hoarding resources and power while developing a paranoid obsession with death. Tolkien said this outright, but also the dates we do have for the Faithful Lords of Andúnië indicate significantly longer lifespans than the later kings of Númenor, their cousins. So if Míriel was privately Faithful, it would be entirely probable for her natural lifespan to far outstrip Pharazôn's.

I do know about the alternate draft Tolkien considered where Míriel was on Team Pharazôn and totally wanted to surrender her power and enter an illegal incestuous marriage, but I agree with Christopher Tolkien that this seems to have been discarded in favor of the purely tragic Míriel of the published Akallabêth. (I also think it's a terrible idea, honestly, that does not fit the overall narrative nearly as well as the Silm's Míriel, tragic as her story is.)

Sometimes I wonder about how the Pharazôn and Míriel of the Akallabêth perceived each other over the years, though. The entire marriage is a nightmare, but I've wondered if he saw her as initially a sort of prize, a possession of great value to adorn his reign—a jewel, even. I've wondered how much Míriel dared, how much she could dare, what the stakes for her really were. And I also wonder what the marriage looked like as Míriel remained delicate, beautiful, and apparently ageless while Pharazôn conspicuously decayed.

The disparity might not have seemed all that significant at first, since Númenórean women typically had longer lifespans than the men anyway (all else being equal). But as time went on and Pharazôn became an old man, obsessed with aging and death, while "fairer than silver" Tar-Míriel remained trapped at his side, I do wonder what the dynamics of that marriage really would have been.

And of course, there'd be Sauron at his other side, notoriously fair and even more truly ageless, willing to exploit any leverage available. I've never envisioned the situation as anything but dreadful, but now I'm like ... yikes.

That said, I'm still fond of the version of Míriel I wrote in 2013:

She firmly puts that and all else out of her mind when Sauron comes to speak with her, eyes frozen and piercing, words honeyed. But the sea is coming and she cannot see beyond it, and Pharazôn is gone with his armies, and that grants her a courage she had thought crushed out of her in all her years of suffering. "I am Tar-Míriel, Queen of Númenórë," she says defiantly, "and you are naught but master of lies and thralls. Step aside or the wrath of the Valar will fall on you once more, and they are in no mood to hear your pleas!" He’s so completely taken aback to be challenged by little Zimraphel that he does take a step back and she runs on ahead to the Meneltarma, laughing. "It shall fall on you still! May you enjoy the fruits of your labours, Tar-Gorthaur!"

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Les Misérables 5.4 - Javert Off the Track

I have to say again how well I think the musical expresses the core of this chapter despite having far fewer lines to work with.

Book: Give up Jean Valjean, that was wrong; leave Jean Valjean free, that was wrong. In the first case, the man of authority would fall lower than the man of the galley; in the second, a convict rose higher than the law and set his foot upon it.

Musical: Damned if I live in the debt of a thief! Damned if I yield at the end of the chase!

Book: Javert felt that something horrible was penetrating his soul, admiration for a convict. Respect for a galley-slave, can that be possible? He shuddered at it, yet could not shake it off. It was useless to struggle, he was reduced to confess before his own inner tribunal the sublimity of this wretch. That was hateful.

Musical: How can I now allow this man / To hold dominion over me

Book: “This convict, this desperate man, whom I have pursued even to persecution, and who had me beneath his feet and could have avenged himself, and who ought to have done so as well for his revenge as for his security, in granting me my life, in sparing me, what has he done? His duty? No. Something more.

Musical: This desperate man who I have hunted / He gave me his life, he gave me freedom / I should have perished by his hand / It was his right

Book: But also why had he permitted this man to let him live? He had, in that barricade, the right to be killed. He should have availed himself of that right. To have called the other insurgents to hus aid against Jean Valjean, to have secured a shot by force, that would have been better. His supreme anguish was the loss of all certainty.

Musical: It was my right to die as well / Instead I live, but live in hell!

Book: acts of violence committed by pity upon austerity, respect of person, no more final condemnation, no more damnation, the possibility of a tear in the eye of the law, a mysterious justice according to God going counter to justice according to men. [Note: this is one area where I think the musical errs with Javert - it roots his inflexibility in a (rather Calvinist, for a majority Catholic nation) view of Christianity. That is not the case in the book, where Javert’s religion is the law, the state, order, and in the end that worldview breaks upon the rocks of Christianity.]

Musical: Shall his sins be forgiven? Shall his crimes be reprieved?

Book: He saw before him two roads, both equally straight; but he saw two; and that terrified him - him, who had never in his life known but one straight line.

Musical: And must I now begin to doubt? / Who never doubted all those years

Book: To be granite, and to doubt! to be the statue of penalty cast in a single piece in the mould of the law, and to suddenly percieve that you have under your breast of bronze something preposterous and disobedient which almost resembles a heart!

Musical: My heart is stone and yet it trembles!

Book: To have the unknown over his head, he was not accustomed to that…Now Javert was thrown over backward, and he was abruptly startled by this monstrous apparaition: a gulf on high…

The darkness was complete…A ceiling of cloud concealed the stars. The sky was only an ominous depth

Musical: The world I have known is lost in shadow!…I am reaching, but I fall / And the stars are black and cold / As I stare into the void / Of a world that cannot hold

Book: But how to manage to send in his resignation to God?…

Unnatural state, if ever there was one. There were only two ways to get out of it. One, to go resolutely to Jean Valjean, and to return the man if the galleys to the dungeon. The other –

Musical: I’ll escape now from that world / From the world of Jean Valjean

Book: Could that be endurable? No.

Musical: There is nowhere I can turn / There is no way to go on!

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Deliverance from Bondage

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Our Victory in Christ

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8 | New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 3:17; Genesis 5:29; Deuteronomy 14:1; 2 Samuel 16:12; 1 Kings 8:57; 2 Chronicles 31:5; Job 37:19; Psalm 139:1; Isaiah 50:8; Jeremiah 12:4; Jeremiah 12:11; Hosea 1:10; Matthew 5:9; Matthew 7:11; Matthew 28:10; Mark 14:36; Mark 16:19; Luke 8:15; Luke 20:36; John 1:12; John 3:16; John 17:22; Acts 3:21; Acts 20:32; Romans 4:18; Romans 5:16; Romans 6:14; Romans 6:21; Romans 6:23; Romans 7:5; Romans 7:18; Romans 8:23; Romans 9:23-24; Romans 11:29; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 2 Corinthians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:17; Galatians 5:19; Colossians 2:18; Colossians 3:5; Philippians 3:10; James 4:4; 1 John 2:1

Commentary on Romans 8 by Matthew Henry

Key Passages in Romans 8

1. Paul is sorry for the Jews. 7. All of Abraham not of the promise. 18. God's sovereignty. 25. The calling of the Gentiles and rejecting of the Jews, foretold. 32. The cause of their stumbling.

[santmat]

The Karmic Law of the Vegetarian Diet, by Huzur Baba Sawan Singh

Sawan Singh: “I must point out that animal food, even if a single particle is eaten, is detrimental to spiritual progress.” (Spiritual Gems, Letter 21)

“A human being cannot comprehend the existence of God and His creation until he has succeeded in getting his soul free from the bondage of the five Tattwas, the twenty-five Prakritis, the three Gunas, Maya and Mind — all of which are enveloping it here — until he has emancipated his soul from every one of these errors and taken it beyond the sphere of mind and intellect, and opened his internal vision. Only then is the soul able to know itself and understand what it is made of.

“After that, it becomes fit to seek its Creator and to find out the ocean from which it originally descended, as well as the means to regain it. Consequently, before a disciple has succeeded in getting rid of these chains, it shall be sufficient for him to know that this world can be divided into two parts, land and water.

“The creatures of water live upon each other. Nature has not provided them with any other means of subsistence. Big fish are eating the little ones, etc. The same holds true of the land. Lions and tigers eat up wolves and jackals. The latter subsist on the meat of sheep, goats, etc. They, in turn, eat plants. Hawks eat smaller birds. Birds eat insects, and men eat most every form of life, so far as climate and special circumstances of their own countries permit.

“Every grain, every plant, has life in it. Hindu philosophy has acknowledged this fact since very ancient times. Dr. Bose has demonstrated this fact to the European world by his experiments, showing that plants feel and breathe, and have souls. If a ray of light is allowed to penetrate a dark room, the microscope reveals numberless germs floating in the air of that room. The whole room seems to be full of this germ life. When we breathe, these tiny creatures go inside of us and die. When we walk, numberless creatures are killed by contact with us, and countless others are crushed beneath our feet. The same is true when we drink water. The microscope reveals myriads of tiny creatures in a tumbler of water; and these we drink to their death every day. Souls would appear to be literally packed together in all space in our world. If we put down a needle point on the earth, countless germs may be found beneath its point.

“And so, in our world, life is everywhere destroying life. In such a world where one creature is eating up another, it is impossible to expect either justice or peace of mind. (There is no rest or security anymore.) Therefore, when the ancient sages found that in this world creatures were destroying each other, they decided it was better to give up the world. They found that in such a world there could be no peace of mind, and it was impossible to attain bliss until and unless the soul breaks away from the bonds which have kept it enchained; and that it was folly to regard the pleasures of this world as a means to happiness, because they lead to hell and further bind the soul with Karma and dirt.

“They determined that it was impossible to find peace of mind in any worldly object, and that happiness lies within man himself and that ocean of which he is a drop. Therefore, the Sages thought, as long as they were confined in the prison of this world, they would adopt the course which was the least harmful; they would subsist on creatures the killing of which was the least sinful. They discovered that all living beings of this world could be divided into classes as regards the composition of their bodies and the number of elements they contain. By elements they did not mean the ninety or so elements discovered by modern scientists, but the main conditions or divisions of matter.

“There are five such classes of substances. According to their classification, under class one, came all of those creatures in whom all five of these substances are active, that is, man. In the next class came those in which only four substances are active and one dormant, and that is quadrupeds. In them there is no sense of discrimination, because in them the Akash Tattwa is dormant. In the third class fell creatures in which only three substances are active, namely air, water, and fire. They are birds. They lack earth and Akash. The fourth class is made up of insects, in which only two substances are active, air and fire. Then comes the last class, the fifth, in which only one element or substance is active, that is, the vegetable world. In them, water is the only active element. Experts have proved that, in many vegetables, there is as much as ninety-five percent water. When the creatures of the other four classes are killed or injured, they cry out in pain, but not so the vegetables, though they have life. So the Sages concluded that the eating of vegetables was the least sinful, (the least burdened with karma). Although the eating of vegetables produced some karma, yet it was of a light nature, which could be easily worked off by spiritual exercises. They thus chose the course of least resistance, and so abstained from the killing of other forms of life.

“The method of practice of the Sound Current is the only method by which to escape this jail into which we are born. This method is natural, and it was not designed by man. It is as old as the beginning of creation. The Creator is ONE, and therefore the Way to reach Him is ONE, and it is in the interior of every human being. It is incapable of alteration, modification, addition, or improvement. Man is to reach the ocean of his Origin by means of ascending the Sound Current, irrespective of any caste, creed, nationality, or sex. It is a practice for the awakening of powers within us. By slow degrees, our souls will emerge from the grave of the body or vacate it. In the body there are nine openings through which the soul communicates with this world, and these the soul learns to close and to fix its attention at the back of the eyes. Then it begins to traverse higher planes. When it attains Turya Pad (astral), it will acquire control over the mind, senses, lust, anger, avarice, attachment, and egotism. At present the soul is under the control of mind, which itself is under the control of the senses. When we gain the astral, after leaving the material, the soul gains control over the mind. When we get beyond the astral and the heavens and hells which are within the astral, all of these are left behind. The soul will then hold these in contempt, and then it will go to Brahm Lok, or the Causal plane, which contains Mukti, or Salvation planes.

“Brahm is also the servant of Par-Brahm. Therefore, leaving Brahm, the soul should go to the ParBrahm, where it will be freed from all its shackles. On reaching Par-Brahm, all the material, astral, and causative coverings of mind and matter that envelope the soul are removed. Then the soul is pure spirit. This is self-realization. Here there is no form, no cover, no shape, no youth nor old age — only the soul, shining in its pure radiance — a drop of existence, knowledge, and bliss, capable of comprehending the Great Ocean, its Creator. Now the drop tries to reach and mingle with the Ocean.

“So, it is here, in Par-Brahm, that one begins to realize the full significance of Sant Mat. Hence, the only medicine for all of our ailments is the practice of the Holy Sound together with the Master’s spiritual help and guidance. The Master is not a body only. He is the Power which guides and helps us at every stage and in every region during our inward spiritual journey. When we are in the physical body, He instructs us in His physical form. When we go inward to the Astral Planes, He is in the Astral Form, and, as we proceed further, He assumes the form of each region all the way up to Sach Khand (our true home).”

— Huzur Baba Sawan Singh — Published by Ruhani Satsang

Also See: The Karmic Law of the Vegetarian Diet Podcast @ Youtube: 

https://youtu.be/jqJkO_sxbxI

Sant Mat Radhasoami Blog Archive: 

https://SantMatRadhasoami.blogspot.com

Blog Archive RSS Feed: 

https://SantMatRadhasoami.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

[crybabysunflower]

Thinking about Neil Perry

I watched Dead Poets Society last December and I cannot get that movie out of my head. It is consuming me like a rat getting consumed by a snake. It is constantly in my head and I desperately need to talk about this movie which has grown so dear to me.

Before watching Dead Poets Society, I was aware of some spoilers regarding the movie. I knew Neil Perry is going to take his own life because of his overbearing parents who do not respect his autonomy, his true passion and his real self.

Because I was aware of this spoiler I felt funny whenever I saw Robert Sean Leonard (the actor who played as Neil) in HouseMD (back in December when I watched Dead Poets Society I often got Shorts of HouseMD on my Youtube's for you page). I mean of course he is an actor he is supposed to play different characters. Perhaps because I did not know him well enough (I barely even knew his name and only saw him as the "Neil Perry Actor") I mainly associated him with his character in Dead Poets Society. Whenever I saw Dr Wilson I could not help but keep thinking this would have been Neil if he did not die that night. I am not well versed with the character of Dr Wilson but I imagine in that life Neil would have been unhappy with his life, feeling trapped forever, first in the clutches of his parents and now by the demanding job he performs, even more traumatised than he already has been because he likely would have to watch people die every single day, he would be a living zombie. His dad says he "would be free to do anything" after he pursues his goals of becoming a doctor but I highly doubt if he would have any time for himself at all. The only thing he would crave is few moments of silence which would have become a rare treasure. While I dont endorse suicide I dont blame him for choosing to not exist instead of barely existing at all because death truly feels kinder than the life which was to be ahead of him after the incident.

I knew this was to come and thats why whenever the topic of him acting was mentioned anywhere in the movie I could not help but get apprehensive because I knew this was eventually not going to end well. However I also couldnt help but bask in Neil's joy in getting his role and letting myself hoping for good. Hoping that his father does not appear during the play like Neil expected and everything goes smoothly according to the plan.

Eventually due to my own living situation where I too feel trapped by the worst possible outcome I cant help but seek comfort in Neil's character. Yet his tragic fate discomforts me. Like him I too have considered that death is kinder than what lays ahead of me but....I am instinctively afraid of death, I simply want to be free from my circumstances. I am pretty sure Neil wanted to live too I see his act of taking his own life as a way of self preservation, saving himself from becoming a shell of his former self.

I keep on thinking why did Mr Perry even go to watch the play on the first place. Especially when he thinks stuff like that are mere waste of time, why is HE allowed to waste his time while his son doesnt. And if he went there to perhaps simply support any of his colleague's children. It makes my blood boil. How can he be willing to support the passion of other's children but not of his own son.

Also, in the beginning when Mr Perry reminds Neil of his duty, he talks about how his mother too wanted him to become a doctor, and the way he talks about his wife I assumed that Neil has a dead mother. And while she was technically alive, she was as better as dead mother could be, barely providing her son with an ounce of comfort.

I also think about how Neil doesnt address his father as "dad" but as "sir" and when he does address his father as "dad" after hearing whatever his father tells him...it just shows how distant they are from each other. He doesnt see Mr Perry as his father but simply as an authorative figure for whom he had to perform his expected duties

[mariacallous]

One of Nemtsov’s killers is now freed from prison and living comfortably in occupied Mariupol

Journalists at Novaya Gazeta Europe report that Temirlan Eskerkhanov — one of the five men from Chechnya convicted of organizing opposition leader Boris Nemtsov’s assassination in February 2015 — has been stationed comfortably and safely in the occupied city of Mariupol. On August 9, Russia’s state media revealed Eskerkhanov’s release from prison and pardon for enlisting with the Russian military. He reportedly went free in March 2024, supposedly to join dangerous combat operations with an assault unit in the Donbas. 

The Defense Ministry reportedly changed policies earlier this year and began enlisting Chechen prisoners, whom they’d previously avoided freeing from prison to fight in Ukraine. Unlike Eskerkhanov, many released Chechen prisoners quickly die in battle. Sources told Novaya Gazeta that these soldiers’ relatives are pressured to sign documents falsifying their cause of death, which denies their families veterans’ benefits and subsidized military burials.

Novaya Gazeta reports that Eskerkhanov left prison and was immediately assigned to serve under Vakha “Ranger” Geremeyev, an adviser to Ramzan Kadyrov and the brother of Federation Council Senator Suleiman Geremeyev. “Ranger” and his men allegedly control Mariupol’s illegal scrap metal business, looting the factories destroyed and abandoned in Russia’s capture of the city. Eskerkhanov regularly travels back and forth to his hometown in Chechnya where he’s “greeted like a hero.” According to Novaya Gazeta, the Kadyrov regime is now lobbying to secure a similar release for Zaur Dadaev, the gunman who actually shot and killed Nemtsov.

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for April 29, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 15:10-12(KJV): 10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. 11 Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more than the hearts of the children of men? 12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. Proverbs 15:10-12(Amp): 10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes God's way, and he who hates reproof will die (physically, morally, and spiritually). 11 Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the final place of the accuser Satan) both are before the Lord; how much more than the hearts of the children of men? 12 A scorner has no love for one who rebukes him, neither will he go to the wise (for counsel).

Thought for the Day

Verse 10 - Correction and reproof keep a man on the path of life. Just as a child requires correction to learn the things that will help him grow and mature properly, we all need the correction of our heavenly Father to avoid the things that can destroy us. Notice that the death spoken of is physical, moral, and spiritual. All who are without Christ are spiritually dead, though they do not know it. Only with Christ and by His guidance can we safely journey through this life.

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" (Ephesians 2:1-6).

Verse 11 - If hell and the place of the dead are visible to God, how much more are men's hearts visible to Him? We may be able to deceive people into thinking that we are good Christians, but God sees our hearts. If we are not walking in the truth, He knows it. We will reap what we sow. If we belong to Christ, our lives should show it.

Verse 12 - Fools despise correction and their pride keeps them from coming to the wise ones for guidance. Their lusts and desires lead them. If they do not repent and turn to Jesus, their end will be hell. The Lord does not desire that anyone should perish, but because He has given each of us the gift of free will, we choose whom we serve, either God or Satan. We may think we can choose to serve ourselves, but this is not an option. If we serve ourselves, we are serving Satan. God has given us, His children, the task of sharing the Gospel with those around us so that they will have the opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior and escape hell (2 Peter 3:9). May we welcome the Lord's correction so that we will not open the door for Satan to attack us through our rebellion and sin. May we also pray for and witness to the lost so that they may be saved and escape the torments of hell.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Father God, thank you that You are a good Father to me. Deliver me of any rebellion that would cause me to ignore Your leading in my life. Strengthen and help me, so that I will always be an obedient child. I do appreciate Your patience toward me. Give me patience with those around me who do not know You. Let me share the gospel in love with each of them. Thank you, for delivering me from hell. I am grateful for the promise of Your presence with me in this life and the promise of heaven to come. Lord, watch over all of Your children and keep us from evil. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. From: Steven P. Miller @ParkermillerQ,  gatekeeperwatchman.org Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups, Sunday, April 28, 2024, Jacksonville, Florida., USA.  X ... @ParkermillerQ #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller, #Eldermiller1981 GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sparkermiller.JAX.FL.USA

[stoicbreviary]

Xenophon, Memorabilia of Socrates 31 

Socrates had two ways of dealing with the difficulties of his friends: where ignorance was the cause, he tried to meet the trouble by a dose of common sense; or where want and poverty were to blame, by lessoning them that they should assist one another according to their ability.

And here I may mention certain incidents which occurred within my own knowledge. How, for instance, he chanced upon Aristarchus wearing the look of one who suffered from a fit of the "sullens," and thus accosted him. 

Socrates: "You seem to have some trouble on your mind, Aristarchus; if so, you should share it with your friends. Perhaps together we might lighten the weight of it a little." 

Aristarchus answered: "Yes, Socrates, I am in sore straits indeed. Ever since the party strife declared itself in the city, what with the rush of people to Piraeus, and the wholesale banishments, I have been fairly at the mercy of my poor deserted female relatives. Sisters, nieces, cousins, they have all come flocking to me for protection. I have fourteen freeborn souls, I tell you, under my single roof, and how are we to live? 

"We can get nothing out of the soil—that is in the hands of the enemy; nothing from my house property, for there is scarcely a living soul left in the city; my furniture? no one will buy it; money? there is none to be borrowed—you would have a better chance to find it by looking for it on the road than to borrow it from a banker. 

"Yes, Socrates, to stand by and see one's relatives die of hunger is hard indeed, and yet to feed so many at such a pinch impossible."

After he listened to the story, Socrates asked: "How comes it that Ceramon, with so many mouths to feed, not only contrives to furnish himself and them with the necessaries of life, but to realize a handsome surplus, whilst you being in like plight are afraid you will one and all perish of starvation for want of the necessaries of life?" 

Aristarchus: "Why, bless your soul, do you not see he has only slaves and I have freeborn souls to feed?" 

Socrates: "And which should you say were the better human beings, the freeborn members of your household or Ceramon's slaves?" 

Aristarchus: "The free souls under my roof without a doubt."

Socrates: "Is it not a shame, then, that he with his baser folk to back him should be in easy circumstances, while you and your far superior household are in difficulties?" 

Aristarchus: "To be sure it is, when he has only a set of handicraftsmen to feed, and I my liberally-educated household." 

Socrates: "What is a handicraftsman? Does not the term apply to all who can make any sort of useful product or commodity?" 

Aristarchus: "Certainly." 

Socrates: "Barley meal is a useful product, is it not?" 

Aristarchus: "Preeminently so." 

Socrates: "And loaves of bread?" 

Aristarchus: "No less." 

Socrates: "Well, and what do you say to cloaks for men and for women—tunics, mantles, vests?" 

Aristarchus: "Yes, they are all highly useful commodities." 

Socrates: "Then your household do not know how to make any of these?" 

Aristarchus: "On the contrary, I believe they can make them all." 

Socrates: "Then you are not aware that by means of the manufacture of one of these alone—his barley meal store—Nausicydes not only maintains himself and his domestics, but many pigs and cattle besides, and realizes such large profits that he frequently contributes to the state benevolences; while there is Cyrebus, again, who, out of a bread factory, more than maintains the whole of his establishment, and lives in the lap of luxury; and Demeas of Collytus gets a livelihood out of a cloak business, and Menon as a mantua-maker, and so, again, more than half the Megarians by the making of vests." 

Aristarchus: "Bless me, yes! They have got a set of barbarian fellows, whom they purchase and keep, to manufacture by forced labor whatever takes their fancy. My kinswomen, I need not tell you, are freeborn ladies." 

Socrates: "Then, on the ground that they are freeborn and your kinswomen, you think that they ought to do nothing but eat and sleep? Or is it your opinion that people who live in this way—I speak of freeborn people in general—lead happier lives, and are more to be congratulated, than those who give their time and attention to such useful arts of life as they are skilled in? 

"Is this what you see in the world, that for the purpose of learning what it is well to know, and of recollecting the lessons taught, or with a view to health and strength of body, or for the sake of acquiring and preserving all that gives life its charm, idleness and inattention are found to be helpful, whilst work and study are simply a dead loss? 

"Pray, when those relatives of yours were taught what you tell me they know, did they learn it as barren information which they would never turn to practical account, or, on the contrary, as something with which they were to be seriously concerned some day, and from which they were to reap advantage? Do human beings in general attain to well-tempered manhood by a course of idling, or by carefully attending to what will be of use? Which will help a man the more to grow in justice and uprightness, to be up and doing, or to sit with folded hands revolving the ways and means of existence? 

"As things now stand, if I am not mistaken, there is no love lost between you. You cannot help feeling that they are costly to you, and they must see that you find them a burden? This is a perilous state of affairs, in which hatred and bitterness have every prospect of increasing, whilst the preexisting bond of affection is likely to be snapped.

"But now, if only you allow them free scope for their energies, when you come to see how useful they can be, you will grow quite fond of them, and they, when they perceive that they can please you, will cling to their benefactor warmly. 

"Thus, with the memory of former kindnesses made sweeter, you will increase the grace which flows from kindnesses tenfold; you will in consequence be knit in closer bonds of love and domesticity. If, indeed, they were called upon to do any shameful work, let them choose death rather than that; but now they know, it would seem, the very arts and accomplishments which are regarded as the loveliest and the most suitable for women; and the things which we know, any of us, are just those which we can best perform, that is to say, with ease and expedition; it is a joy to do them, and the result is beautiful. 

"Do not hesitate, then, to initiate your friends in what will bring advantage to them and you alike; probably they will gladly respond to your summons." 

"Well, upon my word," Aristarchus answered, "I like so well what you say, Socrates, that though hitherto I have not been disposed to borrow, knowing that when I had spent what I got I should not be in a condition to repay, I think I can now bring myself to do so in order to raise a fund for these works."

Thereupon a capital was provided; wools were purchased; the good man's relatives set to work, and even whilst they breakfasted they worked, and on and on till work was ended and they supped. 

Smiles took the place of frowns; they no longer looked askance with suspicion, but full into each other's eyes with happiness. They loved their kinsman for his kindness to them. He became attached to them as helpmates; and the end of it all was, he came to Socrates and told him with delight how matters fared; "and now," he added, "they tax me with being the only drone in the house, who sit and eat the bread of idleness." 

To which Socrates: "Why do not you tell them the fable of the dog? Once on a time, so goes the story, when beasts could speak, the sheep said to her master, 'What a marvel is this, master, that to us, your own sheep, who provide you with fleeces and lambs and cheese, you give nothing, save only what we may nibble off earth's bosom; but with this dog of yours, who provides you with nothing of the sort, you share the very meat out of your mouth.'

"When the dog heard these words, he answered promptly, 'Ay, in good sooth, for is it not I who keep you safe and sound, you sheep, so that you are not stolen by man nor harried by wolves; since, if I did not keep watch over you, you would not be able so much as to graze afield, fearing to be destroyed.' 

"And so, says the tale, the sheep had to admit that the dog was rightly preferred to themselves in honor. And so do you tell your flock yonder that like the dog in the fable you are their guardian and overseer, and it is thanks to you that they are protected from evil and evildoers, so that they work their work and live their lives in blissful security." 

—from Xenophon, Memorabilia 2.7 

IMAGE: Anton Mauve, Shepherd and Sheep (c. 1880) 

[mariana-oconnor]

The Boscombe Valley Mystery pt 3

So, we're looking for a man with a limp and a blunt pen knife... Surely there can't be many of them in the countryside!

"Look here, Watson," he said when the cloth was cleared "just sit down in this chair and let me preach to you for a little. I don't know quite what to do, and I should value your advice. Light a cigar and let me expound."

Just sit there and let me talk at you, Watson. There's a good chap.

Odd to see Holmes actually asking for advice, though. Usually he only does this to try to get Watson to work through his method and come to the right conclusion - at least that we've seen so far. And he stated at the end of the last section that he had the solution. So what does he need advice for? Does he think that the murderer should go free again?

Or is the murderer the guy who is dying?

Clearly James McCarthy, Ken extraordinaire, shouldn't be hanged for a crime he didn't commit, though. And if the man is already dying then is the death penalty really a penalty to him?

"One was the fact that his father should, according to his account, cry 'Cooee!' before seeing him. The other was his singular dying reference to a rat."

Ah yes, my theory did not explain the rat.

Hmmmmmm...

"But 'Cooee' is a distinctly Australian cry, and one which is used between Australians. There is a strong presumption that the person whom McCarthy expected to meet him at Boscombe Pool was someone who had been in Australia."

Check.

This is a map of the Colony of Victoria," he said. "I wired to Bristol for it last night." He put his hand over part of the map. "What do you read?" "ARAT," I read. "And now?" He raised his hand. "BALLARAT."

Aha, a place name... now I read it, I do remember that... unless I'm remembering something from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Yeah, I think they go to Ballarat in that.

But, more importantly, my theory is still valid and has yet to be disproved.

Less likely it's Turner, though, because why would he specify Ballarat when the son knows Mr Turner well?

"By an examination of the ground I gained the trifling details which I gave to that imbecile Lestrade, as to the personality of the criminal."

OK, now that's just mean. This story is giving me whiplash about his and Lestrade's relationship. Are they friends or do they hate each other? Although with Holmes, calling someone an imbecile might not even be an insult. But it does seem particularly insulting here.

"Holmes," I said, "you have drawn a net round this man from which he cannot escape, and you have saved an innocent human life as truly as if you had cut the cord which was hanging him. I see the direction in which all this points. The culprit is—" "Mr John Turner," cried the hotel waiter, opening the door of our sitting-room, and ushering in a visitor.

I mean, I'd argue that all Holmes' evidence is circumstantial and couldn't stand up in court. There could be any number of people in the country that smoke cigars with a holder, haven't sharpened their pen knife in a while and who had a limp on that particular day. And the reference to Ballarat doesn't even have to be the name of the murderer. The guy was struck from behind. Are we even sure he saw his murderer? We need more than that.

But mostly I quoted this bit because I love the dramatic cut with Watson about to say the name and then DUN DUN DUUUUUN the person the audience must assume the evidence points to is right here! It's very cinematic, not that that would have been a thing at the time. But it seems very cinematic now.

"I am a dying man," said old Turner. "I have had diabetes for years. My doctor says it is a question whether I shall live a month. Yet I would rather die under my own roof than in a jail."

OK, fine, so it was Turner. The old woman was innocent.

Still think she was up to no good, though.

It's really jarring to see diabetes here as a definite death sentence, even though I know that before insulin, and then synthetic insulin, it essentially was. It's just... We're all so used to the use of insulin that it feels strange to see it written about like death is a certain thing. I don't think about my friends who have diabetes as being particularly sick, because they have the tools to manage their condition.

I looked up the timeline of insulin and it was first manufactured in 1922 and it was the 1923 Nobel Prize for Medicine that was awarded for the discovery of its use. Synthetic insulin didn't come around until the 60s. At the time of this story the only treatments were diet and exercise. I assume, because of his age, he has type 2 diabetes, not type 1. Either way, it's strange thinking how far medicine has come in just over 100 years.

(Of course, access to insulin is another thing entirely... I'm over here in the UK with free healthcare and cheap medicine, so there's that.)

"I was a young chap then, hot-blooded and reckless, ready to turn my hand at anything; I got among bad companions, took to drink, had no luck with my claim, took to the bush, and in a word became what you would call over here a highway robber. There were six of us, and we had a wild, free life of it, sticking up a station from time to time, or stopping the wagons on the road to the diggings. Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under, and our party is still remembered in the colony as the Ballarat Gang."

I'm not feeling particularly sympathetic for Mr Turner so far. 'Oh, I got in with bad companions and I was drunk.' This does seem a little bit like you're making excuses for your choices. And then the end of this little description doesn't exactly scream 'remorseful'.

"There were six troopers and six of us, so it was a close thing, but we emptied four of their saddles at the first volley."

Yeah... that's still murder, my dude.

"There I parted from my old pals and determined to settle down to a quiet and respectable life. I bought this estate, which chanced to be in the market, and I set myself to do a little good with my money, to make up for the way in which I had earned it."

I mean, great. But still... from your story it sounds like you killed a lot of people before him and then went on to live a comfortable life with the money you stole from them. I mean... it is all a little 'kill the billionaires' with the gold and stuff, but that was only one of the highway robberies you committed. And it seems like that was the Big Score, so before that you were just robbing and killing anyone who looked like they might have something you wanted?

So glad you chose to turn over a new leaf. Very happy that you were aiming for a redemption arc. I'm just not sure that murdering a man, even if he is a blackmailer, is the best sort of redemption arc to have.

"But there I was firm. I would not have his cursed stock mixed with mine; not that I had any dislike to the lad, but his blood was in him, and that was enough."

And that's all a bit mean to poor James, and a little bit eugenicist. It's not James's fault his father was a blackmailer. And if you believe in that sort of genetic predisposition, then what does it say about Alice being your daughter, given the crimes you committed? Murderers in glass houses, you know...

"He was urging his son to marry my daughter with as little regard for what she might think as if she were a slut from off the streets."

See, this is what I meant when I said the conversation could definitely have been relevant to the murder. Because clearly it was.

"Well, it is not for me to judge you," said Holmes as the old man signed the statement which had been drawn out. "I pray that we may never be exposed to such a temptation."

Can you judge him just a little bit for being hypocritical? Just a little bit?

"...if McCarthy is condemned I shall be forced to use it. If not, it shall never be seen by mortal eye; and your secret, whether you be alive or dead, shall be safe with us."

Holmes really doesn't like blackmailers. That's fair. And he clearly believes in second chances. I'm still a bit struck by how Mr Turner started off his entire story by refusing to acknowledge his own culpability in things. Sure, he says he tried to make up for it by doing a 'little good', but this is such a weird story.

On the one hand, yes, second chances are important and Mr Turner does appear to have made the most of his.

On the other hand, he doesn't seem to have taken responsibility for his actions and he went on to live happily with the money he got by killing people.

And also he's like 'Alice is perfect' but 'James is cursed'...

Eh... I'm not sure he deserves to get off for this one. Mr McCarthy was a terrible person, but the thing he was blackmailing Mr Turner about was literal murder. Multiple counts of it. But then I don't agree with the death penalty at all.

I just... this is weird. I am in a quandary. From a purely fictional perceptive, good for him killing McCarthy, who seems to have been terrible and good for him for turning his back on his life of crime and becoming a better person. Which is what we really want from the justice system, tbf. So I guess I'm talking myself into being on his side.

I just... I'm not fully on his side. I just can't quite commit to it. Guy says he was trying to make up for how he earned his money, but it just doesn't quite ring true to me.

"Why does fate play such tricks with poor, helpless worms? I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words, and say, 'There, but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes.'"

What the fuck kind of dark secrets lurk in Holmes' past that he thinks he could be blackmailed about? Has Holmes murdered people? Seriously... there's a direct comparison here between a man who confessed to being in a highway gang that robbed and killed people and Holmes, made by Holmes himself. 👀

James McCarthy was acquitted at the Assizes on the strength of a number of objections which had been drawn out by Holmes and submitted to the defending counsel. Old Turner lived for seven months after our interview, but he is now dead; and there is every prospect that the son and daughter may come to live happily together in ignorance of the black cloud which rests upon their past.

Oh, a happy ending! James and Alice are happy together, in spite of the fact that Turner really didn't want that to happen (ha!). BUT, Watson... Watson... You have once again published the secret thing for all the world to read. Watson, they might read this. Watson?

[theprayerfulword]

June 18

1 John 5:4 Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose

John 17:9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

2 Corinthians 3:17 …and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Though you may fear for your life when the enemy threatens, may God provide you strength and meet with you in a quiet place, hearing you and giving you wisdom, understanding, and direction, not allowing you to be distracted by outside events. 1 Kings 19

May you know with certainty that honest work and hard labor does not disqualify you from God's calling, for if your heart is open to Him, you will recognize His voice when He speaks to you, so seek Him daily, draw near through His Word and pray without ceasing lest you be distracted and inattentive when the moment comes. 1 Kings 19

May you be willing to accept the call and anointing of God when it comes, embracing the changes and counting the cost as not being worthy to be compared to the glory which is soon to be manifested in you. 1 Kings 19, Romans 8

May you be confident in the Lord, trusting His care and provision, accepting His will and purpose for you, even when circumstances constrain you, for through the grace of the Father and the prayers of the saints, you will be brought out into a broad and open place where you can stand firm in the Lord and be about the Lord's business. Acts 12

My child, I have opened the way for you to come before the Father. The separating walls have been removed, the obscuring veil has been rent, the forbidding statutes have been fulfilled, that you may approach the mercy seat and find grace to help in times of need, joy to strengthen in times of fellowship, and authority to overcome in times of battle. Do not back off or be reticent to approach, for you are fully accepted in Me, the Beloved of the Father. You are clothed in My righteousness, which is not of obedience to the law, but of faith in Me; you are right that you have not earned it, but only pride would insist that you must. Humble yourself as a servant, acknowledge you own nothing of worth and possess nothing of value, and that the only things you have which are of any use come from your Lord and Master; then realize that because all which you have has come from Me, the salvation, the redemption, the sanctification, the faith, the fruit of the Spirit, the righteousness, the armor and weapons, the wisdom and understanding, you have the best, the strongest, the most efficacious there is in heaven and earth and under the earth. There is no place for proud refusal or false modesty, simply honest acceptance and obedient progress. Just as the moon willingly uses the light of the sun to have dominion over the night, so My Body, and each member individually, faithfully stewards the light of My grace with those in need, and the radiance of My glory to push back the works of darkness, not claiming it as your own, or trying to hold on it for later, for the sun has no shortage of light. My love for you, My child, is not based on performance. You are of Me, My precious one, created in My heart, shaped by My hands, ever in My thoughts. Even if a mother could forget her child, still I could not forget you or stop caring for you. Trust Me for My promises toward you, even as you have accepted My works for you. I do not change, and My compassion for you will never die. All that I am, king, priest, prophet, shepherd, captain, physician, even man, is for you and to your benefit. Do not hesitate to call on Me for all you need, and keep calling as often as you need, for there is no one who cares for you as I do.

May you give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever. Psalm 136

May you give honor to the God of gods and the Lord of lords, Who alone does great wonders and, by His understanding, has made the heavens and spread out the earth upon the waters, placing the sun and moon to govern the day and night. Psalm 136

May you humbly revere and respectfully obey the One who destroyed the strength of the world's system in your life and redeemed you out of it with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, making a way where there was no way and leading you through it, closing off and cutting free all ties with the enemy which tried to reclaim you. Psalm 136

May you joyfully and gratefully follow your Commander, the Captain of the hosts of heaven, into battle as He trains you in the desert, striking down great powers and disarming mighty principalities, giving you His victory as your inheritance, making you more than a conqueror. Psalm 136

May you walk in the temperance and self-control of the Spirit, demonstrating the meekness and humility of a child of God about his Father's business, for against the fruit of the Spirit there is no law. Proverbs 17:14

May you walk in agreement with the judgment of God, for two cannot walk together except they be agreed. Proverbs 17:15

[grokebaby]

EVIL ARTEFACTS

Chalice of perishment - a small, innocuous looking chalice that is a pure, matte black color. It has the ability to make liquids into powerful potions - or poisons. It only works on bodily fluids such as tears or blood. It needs to come from a living source, since the Chalice uses the emotions and life source to power it's effects. The reason for it's name containing perishment is due to the fact that, at the cost of making, the Chalice will start slowly draining whoever it receives it's liquids from, which can result in severe bodily corruption or even death. There's a catch to this, however, as the person who donated the liquid to the Chalice, has the most success using the resulting potion or poison - thus making the use of living sacrifices undesirable. Simple potions still remain some potency when used by someone else, but for anything serious, it either loses most effect or may even result in disaster if used by someone other than the source person. [Was in the possession of and briefly used by Dark lord Evilicus, currently confiscated by the Galactic alliance of public safety]

Golgon('s) sword - A large ancient sword forged by and for an ancient demonic ruler by the name of Golgon. The sword's handle is decorated by mysterious patterns that resemble pawprints to the untrained eye, and it has a huge white gem at the base of the blade. If, when hit by the sword, it pierces flesh, a terrible ailment is inflicted on the injured person. It causes the flesh of the victim to begin drying up in painful, charred blisters beginning from the infection site, and eventually spreading onto the whole body. There is currently very few known antidotes. Once the infection has taken over the entire body there are two possible outcomes that are affected by the victims mental state upon the final moments of infection. If the victim has been able to come to terms with their terrible fate, and is at peace with death, they simply die in a pile of ash. However in the case of the opposite, where the victim attempts to fight their ailment and feels fear of it, they turn into a mindless entity, a metaphorical shadow of their former self who will only obey the sword's wielder. It is theoretically possible to free the victim of their state after this, however any known instances of this have not been recorded with tangible proof of the method and thus it remains debated. To prevent the sword from rapidly changing wielders, when found by someone whom it deems worthy, it attaches itself to the wielders arm and forms a sort of semi symbiotic relationship with them. It is very difficult to detach the sword from it's wielder, and the prospect of it becomes more risky the longer the sword and wielder are connected together. Depending on the length of time, potential side effects of detachment include short to long term nerve damage, rashes, burn scars, sensitivity to sunlight or necrosis. [Was in the possession and use of the Dark lord Evilicus, confiscated later by the galactic alliance of public safety]

(X) Null's hideout key - A mysterious key that is said to open the hatch to Nulls hideout. Null, known by many names (all of which include the word Null somewhere), is a cryptic entity who's known to wield strange unexplainable powers. Though it is possible to make a deal with it, x will most of the time still do however it pleases, and has been known to become unreliable or unpredictable. It's powers aren't necessarily solely destructive nor creative, and thus it's freedom tends to split opinions. X is a surreal lifeform who operates beyond the concepts of logic or physics and is thus difficult - but not impossible to challenge. According to various nursery rhymes, Null is said to suck out all whimsy and "imagination" from anything x touches, which manifests in various ways depending on subject, however vast majority of the time it's powers are transformative and don't significantly harm the subject of it's tricks.

Most info of Null originates from old children's tales or nursery rhymes and thus are the only consistent source on x. According to a story, a group of heroes sealed Null away to protect all the fun and beauty of the world, and placed a spell on the key to cause it to be constantly playing hide n seek. There exist no clues as to where the key is, and according to the story, the only way to find it is to start randomly counting down from 10, while looking for it. This is said to work regardless of location, person, or amount of participants. The chances of finding it still seem slim, so many seekers have been left to count down over and over again to no avail. Due to all this, Null's existence is heavily debated.

Void ores - a type of metal that is largely found in shadow dimensions and various underworlds. It's a popular - Though hard to find material for demonic entities to forge armor or weapons out of. Information around It's functions are closely guarded from humans or "Overworld" entities In fear of exposing vulnerabilities. Once subtracted, forged and fine-crafted, any piece of armor made from this ore becomes stronger each time it's exposed to blood - anyone's blood. The metal is considered intelligent in ways that inanimate objects often aren't (or shouldn't be), and it seems to cooperate with it's so called "Master" in (most) everything they do. It can be worn over long periods of times - even a lifetime, as it forms a sort of exoskeleton around it's master and grows and adapts with them. The metal is considered highly risky however, since any attempt to separate it from it's master causes it to act in dangerous ways and harm any living matter it touches, thus making removal near impossible and sometimes even fatal. Thus, it is advised that one make armor out of it only if they are fully willing to make a lifetime commitment, because you can't be guaranteed a safe removal. Methods of forgery seem to vary too much for there to be any one reliable source, so it is suspected that each demonic lifeform has their own, closely guarded method. [Notable example of an armor like this is the one currently worn by The Dark lord Evilicus]

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

18th May >> Fr. Martin's Reflections / Homilies on Today's Mass Readings (Inc. John 21:20-25) for Saturday, Seventh Week of Eastertide: ‘What about him, Lord?’.

Saturday, Seventh Week of Eastertide

Gospel (Except USA) John 21:20-25 This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and we know that his testimony is true.

Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them – the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper and had said to him, ‘Lord, who is it that will betray you?’ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.’ The rumour then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, ‘He will not die’, but, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come.’

This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true. There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.

Gospel (USA) John 21:20-25 This is the disciple who has written these things and his testimony is true.

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?”

It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

Reflections (3)

(i) Saturday, Seventh Week of Easter

The final verses of the Acts of the Apostles, from which we have been reading for the seven weeks of Easter, portrays Paul under house arrest in Rome. The one who had been travelling thousands of miles to preach the gospel since his call on the road to Damascus is now confined for two years. Yet, even in these restricted circumstances, he remains true to his vocation, ‘proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ’. Whether a free man or a prisoner of Rome, Paul remained true to his deepest identity. The circumstances of our own lives may not be all we desire them to be, but we can still remain true to what is deepest and best in us, to the Lord’s call, ‘Follow me’, in the words of today’s gospel reading. Just prior to our gospel reading, Jesus had commissioned Peter to shepherd his flock. This was how Peter was to follow Jesus. In the gospel reading, Peter seems preoccupied by the Lord’s plans for the beloved disciple, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus had to bring Peter back to basics, ‘Follow me’. The beloved disciple’s way of following Jesus would be different to Peter’s way. The preaching and teaching of this disciple would become the basic source of the gospel that we now know as John’s gospel. ‘This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down’, or has caused them to be written down. We are each called to follow the Lord in accordance with our own unique temperament and set of gifts and limitations. We spend our lives trying to be true to that calling, no matter how unfavourable the circumstances of our lives, declaring with Saint Paul, ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me’ (Phil 4:13)

And/Or

(ii) Saturday, Seventh Week of Easter

This is the final weekday of the Easter season. The season of Easter concludes with tomorrow’s feast of Pentecost. We are back to Ordinary Time on Monday. As we conclude the Easter Season the two readings of today’s Mass are also conclusions. The first reading is the conclusion of the Acts of the Apostles from which we have been reading since Easter Sunday. It speaks of the arrival of Paul in Rome as a prisoner of the Roman authorities. Yet, even while under house arrest, Luke describes him as continuing to do what he had been doing since his meeting with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, ‘proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ’. The gospel reading is the conclusion of John’s gospel, from which we have also been reading since Easter Sunday. Two other key figures in the early church feature in that conclusion, Peter and the beloved disciple. Peter has just been given his work by the risen Lord of shepherding the Lord’s flock. It just remains for the work of the beloved disciple to be clarified. His work was causing the gospel to be written that we have come to know as the gospel of John. This gospel is his legacy to the church. These three very different figures were key people in the Lord’s work in the world. Yet, we all have a part to play in that work, in accordance with our gifts and our abilities. To each of us, Jesus says what he said to Peter in today’s gospel reading, ‘You are to follow me’.

And/Or

(iii) Saturday, Seventh Week of Easter

There are three characters in this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus, Peter and the beloved disciple. Jesus had just given Peter an important role in the church, ‘Feed my lambs, feedmy sheep’. Peter then asks Jesus about the beloved disciple, ‘What about him, Lord?’ he said. In reply Jesus seems to say, ‘Look I have other plans for him. You follow me, in keeping with the role I have just given you’. Peter and the beloved disciple each had their own particular calling, and they were quite different. Peter was the chief shepherd of the church who gave his life for Jesus in the city of Rome where he was martyred. The beloved disciple inspired the writing of the fourth gospel and seems to have lived to an old age. The Lord had a different calling for each of them, just as his call to each of us is unique to each of us. There is something each of us can do for the Lord that no one else can do. Rather than looking over our shoulders at others, as Peter was inclined to do in today’s gospel reading, we have to try and discern the particular calling the Lord has given us and then be as faithful and as generous in our response to that call as we can. We cannot be someone else; we can only be ourselves. The Lord wants us to be ourselves because he has a unique role in his work for each one of us. There is some task that we alone can do for the Lord that no one else can.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[hoztthespunkieball]

The Court of Thorns and Roses: Chapter 4 Recap (Spoilers)

This is when the story gets really good. It's the moment Feyre goes on an adventure and leaves her family behind.

My takes:

The beast (Fae) is looking for the one who killed the wolf, as it turns out they were friends and it was a Fae in a wolf form. You know, the one Feyre gutted and sold to the Big Muscle Mommy? Yeah, that's the one.

Nesta and Elain are rightfully terrified, because they are pussies whom never learnt how to fight and relied on Feyre's survival skills their entire lives. *Alexa play Bad Idea by Girl in Red.*

The father firstly is like 'Fuck dude, what do I do?'. But then when Feyre confesses to killing the wolf he finally decides to grow a pair and bravely says 'It's me you're looking for. I killed the wolf.' The beast looks at him, then at his crippled leg, then back at him and shots him a side- eye before turning back to Feyre.

The beast gives Feyre two options: 1. She'll be brutally gutted right here, right now. And 2. Feyre will go with the beast to the Fae land and face the High Fae Court for her crime. If she survives then she can live there with the beast.

Confused Feyre asks the beast why he showed her mercy, he didn't reply. Which is an important later on, because Fae can NOT lie. They are obligated to tell the truth, however they are allowed to choose how much information they reveal, because apparently not sharing information is not the same as lying. (It's an opinion for sure.)

Feyre is understandably confused as fuck and not sure what to do. If she goes her family will survive, but she has no idea what is going to happen to her, she can not trust the beast that just tried to kill her. OR she can die right here and now in front of her family.

During her existential crisis her father chimes in and offers the beast money in exchange for his daughter's life. The beast politely asks 'How much is your daughter's life worth according to you then?' And he couldn't answer his question. He would have to borrow money from other people and spend the rest of his lifetime paying off his debt. Alternatively he could name a low price he could pay, inevitably insulting Feyre. So he did the next best thing (according to him). He very dramatically grabbed Feyre and said 'Go my daughter, save yourself. And if you manage to escape never come back, live your life, be free.' Which basically translates to 'I don't want to see you being ripped to shreds right now, so go, so I can say that I gave you up in order to save you. Also, I told you not to come back because your chances of survival are lower than my self- esteem and not knowing how you're doing is better than having your death on my consciousness.'' Asshole.

Not having much choice Feyre agreed to go. Before she left though she told her fam that if they need help they should go to Isaac (the fuck buddy) since she taught him how to hunt one year prior. And told Nesta NOT to marry Tomas. His dad regularly practices MMA on his wife and their GROWN bitch ass sons never do anything about it. So, unless Nesta wants to become next Kenny (Southpark) she shouldn't marry this dude.

Then Feyre and the beast took off.

Once again, I love the pacing. The chapters are fairly short and easy to follow (I'm just kinda stupid sometimes). In chapter five some shit is about to go down.

[hiswordsarekisses]

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬-‭23‬