#Suicide in the Orthodox Church

[love-promethea]

and when the guilt consumes you, what will you hold onto

[lalaland-e]

"Time heels all wounds"

Nope, but God does.

[tiramisuwithmascarpone]

Hello! I'm a 15-year-old devotee of both Lord Hermes and Lady Aphrodite who is raised in an extremely Orthodox Christian household, and I would like to share my story with you ⋆˚ʚɞ

Hi! for safety reasons I will not use the name I usually use online for this account, but you can call me Jellyfish. I live in Eastern Europe, more exactly Romania, a country whose population is 98% devoted to Christianity at the time of speaking. My mother is a perfect example. She wholeheartedly believes in God, I grew up with pictures of him and the Holy Mary all over the walls, which I wouldn't escape even at my grandparent's houses. My house always smelled of myrrh, I would carry a picture of God everywhere I went, I would pray to him before bed, go to church on every holiday, but I never felt fulfilled or connected to him in any way. I didn't truly know what I believed in. My mother was telling me all about how should I praise God, but I don't think I ever did it because I wanted to or felt connected to what she was telling me or felt like it was the life I wanted to live. When she would fight with my father, even now, she would threaten that she would run away to a monastery and become a nun. She thinks you cannot change your religion and you can not be Christian if you were born with Christian parents and raised in that environment. I did not have faith in God because I wanted to and felt connected to his message and wanted to worship his divine being, I did it because my mother felt that way. And that destroyed me.

As I grew older, I started believing less and less in God. I was struggling with going through teenagehood, fighting my own inner battles, and dealing with friendship that slowly felt like they were taking away my lifespan, and it wasn't just that I didn't have faith in a divine being (which is completely alright. Please do not believe this monologue is Anti-Christian, I believe everyone is allowed to believe and worship the one who they feel most connected and inclined towards.) I didn't have faith in anything anymore. When my brother reached 15, he hated my parents for their beliefs. I will not get much I detail since his story is not mine to tell, but he had battled with alcohol and substance abuse. And I was his only shoulder for him and my parents to lean and cry on. My mother told me to pray for our family, she would pray to god every day, light up myrrh, take me to churches, and I would feel miserable. I felt like an imposter in that church. I truly wanted to have faith in a god, anyone, but I felt like my only choice was God since that's what my mother taught me. Both my parents trust God so I cannot be different, can I?

How foolish I was. I can only look back to my past self and wish to embrace and hold her till she cries all her sorrow out. She was so confused.

Back in 2022, I had first heard of Aphrodite. My brother was sent to a mental hospital for his substance abuse when they caught him on the verge of overdosing. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder after a suicide attempt, autism and ADHD, but my father (who already couldn't accept the fact that my brother has ADHD) fought with them saying they ,,don't know me well enough" and,,there's nothing wrong with me". And he's right, there's nothing wrong with me. Not even If I am neurodivergent. I was at my lowest, I felt disgusting, I fought with my parents and was their therapist every single day, I stopped going to school, I was a mess. But, I was heavily active on social media because I had tons of online friends. While scrolling on tiktok, I found a video of an Aphrodite devotee. My interest was piqued. I heard about Greek Mythology before but never actually researched it. I liked the video and commented, talking about how gorgeous their faith sounds, and that's when it all started. I started getting more info about Aphrodite, the swans swum by me every time I would go to the lake with my family so we could ,,get some fresh air". I started getting lots of pins on Pinterest with her. I always had a desire for water and the beach was my safe place, where I felt fulfilled and free from all I'm feeling. I had a Dove make itself a nest on a tree next to the window of my classroom which I would always sit by while having lunch (on the rare occasions I would drop by to school). I started researching more about Lady Aphrodite, loving her story, beliefs, ways of worshipping, how it felt like silence was washing over me when I would make a non-physical offering to her. Her tales. The way it felt like she was always there to give me a warm hug and squeeze me while I was crying. I also felt a boost in my confidence! I started loving my features, taking care of myself again, etc. It wasn't always just sun and rainbows, I would still have breakdowns and wish it would all just end and all that, but it was more bearable with her. She made my life more bearable. I love, worship, and adore Lady Aphrodite for that. I worshipped her till this year when I officially felt strong enough to devote myself to her.

This year, actually, I started noticing my strong connection to Hermes. I was always attracted to the kind-hearted, mischievous, kind-hearted, highly intelligent and funny thieves. I always idolized them and wished to be like them. That's how I feel about Lord Hermes. I feel like he was reaching out to me all my life. Everything he is associated with I had an inexplicable obsession with for pretty much all my life. Turtles, golden or silver, travel, learning new languages, astronomy, astrology, everything you could think of. I have been devoted to him since last month, that's when I officially started labeling myself as a Hellenic Pagan, but I am still a beginner, and I need to hide all of this from my mother since I am afraid of what she would do if she were to find out I have another belief since she reacted super badly back when I was an atheist :( I set up the first altar for Lady Aphrodite, and the second one for Lord Hermes. I always had been an artistic soul and loved making my room all pretty randomly so I told my mother this is one of those cases and she believed it. She does not know english and is not at all cultured about any beliefs besides Christians, Muslims, and Jews. They are both hidden in my closet. I feel very bad for not being able to make them a bigger and more obvious altar, I hope I'll have that chance when I move out from my parent's house..

I wanted to ask if Lord Hermes would be mad if my mom kept setting random things on his altar? she even put a picture of the Holy Mary. I moved it to the other side of the closet and made a DIY necklace for him out of orange garnet or beads to apologize to him, and he didn't seem mad, but I'm not sure...I sketched drawings of both of them and rested them on their altars. Everything you see are either offerings I heard they may like or things that reminded me of them! the little notebook on Hermes's altar is specifically made for learning new languages and thought he would enjoy it. Do you guys think any of my offerings are disrespectful? or should be removed? I'm open to any advice! Thank you for listening to my story <3

[techramonic]

Orthodox Gymnasium bombing 2021, Vladislav Struzhenkov.

Russia has seen a rise in attacks on schools in recent years but incidents at religious premises are rare. In October 2018, 18 year-old Vladislav Roslyakov killed 20 people and injured 70 at Kerch polytechnical college in Crimea. In September 2021, 18 year-old law student Timur Bekmansurov killed 6 people and injured 147 others in Perm State University. In May of 2021, a 19-year-old Ilnaz Galyaviev killed 9 people and injured 23 at Kazan school, Tatarstan.

Vladislav Struzhenkov was an 18-year-old graduate and former student of the Orthodox Gymnasium. Vlad was sentenced to 13 years in prison after detonating an IED bomb in the educational facility beside a monastery in Serpukhov, outside Moscow, Russia in December, 2021.

At 08:24 a.m, Vlad entered the premises and attempted to detonate an explosive device. The bomb went off at 08:26 a.m. local time, near the entrance of a school located on the grounds of the 14th-century Vladychny Convent. Several teenagers were injured in the blast. Vlad, who had attempted to blow himself up, wounded ten others, including himself. He was taken to the intensive care unit with traumatic injuries and had to have his leg amputated. While conscious, he informed investigators that he had been planning the attack for three months. It is suspected that he may have had an accomplice who assisted in preparing the explosive device.

ABUSE AND BULLYING

According to the teenager, the religious Orthodox school was considered to be abusive. State news agency TASS, citing a police source, reported that the teenager intended for the device to detonate during morning prayers, but it exploded at the school entrance instead. Authorities are working to determine the motives behind the attack.

However, according to the Interfax news agency, the teenager may have sought revenge for being bullied by nuns at the convent. Vladimir Legoida, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, stated that the church will provide assistance to "all those affected". "Such attacks, wherever they occur, cause the same grief and a strong desire to prevent them in the future," he said in a statement on Telegram.

Since President Vladimir Putin's election, the Russian church has increased its influence over traditionally secular institutions like schools. Introducing more religious lessons and clerics advocating for conservative textbooks.

VERDICT

Commenting on the verdict, a source in the Russian Church told RIA-Novosti: 

"The act committed by Struzhenkov, of course, meets the criteria of a terrorist act, so the punishment is fitting. At the same time, of course, we’d like him to have the opportunity to repent of this crime, and we hope that the prison priests, as far as possible, will be able to help him in this. He’s a young man, and despite the severity of the crime he committed, we believe his life isn’t over, and his fate is better than that of those who committed suicide during such attacks or were eliminated by law enforcement agencies."

Vlad was sentenced 13 years in prison. It is also to note that Vlad's parents also said that recently their son was seen by a psychologist and drank antidepressants before the incident.

picture of vladislav's cane, the words written, "when you know nothing matters the universe is your's :)".

[apilgrimpassingby]

Update On Miriam

Once again, @cheerfullycatholic, @prolifeproliberty, @the-hour-of-our-deaths and @ave-immaculata, please reblog this.

The Good: Miriam is now back in her house.

The Bad: Her mum is threatening suicide, she's going to move out with her stepdad and the stepbrother who got her pregnant and she's urinating blood so she's either got a urinary tract infection or a miscarriage.

Please pray for all involved, for their safety and temporal and eternal salvation.

Jude Thaddeus, Dymphna, Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph, please pray for us

The saint list has gotten shorter because I'm getting increasingly serious about converting to Orthodoxy, and so I'm limiting myself to ones recognised by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Of course, Catholics, feel free to add yours.

[godisarepublican]

Hey, you snot encrusted waste product, three times in the last week, THREE TIMES, the Ukrainians attempted a Weapon of Mass Destruction; a radiological bomb. THREE TIMES they attacked a Russian nuclear reactor with drones, trying to create a breach, render a huge swath of land uninhabitable, slowly murdering everyone exposed with cancer deaths from the radiation. THREE TIMES in the last week!

Here's an incredibly biased piece of anti Russian propaganda from a left wing "news" source. The Ukraine really is trying to spark a nuclear war, and Biden really is so incompetent and senile that he's letting them. <link>

Russia has long ago said that they will respond with nuclear weapons. Long ago. Long BEFORE the Ukraine just did this another THREE TIMES in the last week.

And we're paying for this? You think it's a good idea? You think it makes sense for the American people to spend money we don't even have so that election-cancelling fascists can spark a nuclear war with their terrorist attacks?

This is "Good" foreign policy to you?

You LIKE that Biden is doing this?

Trust me here, and I mean this with all my heart but, if the Ukraine isn't stopped, if they continue with the reckless even INSANE terrorism there will be a nuclear war and, after that, assuming you're alive, there will be nothing you wouldn't give up to roll back the clock and stop it from happening. Once the Ukraine gets the nuclear war started, there will be nothing you wouldn't do to get a second chance to stop them.

Once the Ukraine sparks the nuclear war, assuming you live, you're going to wish bigger than any wish you ever had in your life that you can go back in time and stop Biden's madness.

Our idiotic leaders made assurances, you can even call them "Guarantees" of the Ukraine's independence. But you know what they didn't do? As stupid as our so called "Leaders" are you know what they didn't get mixed up in?

We never made a suicide pact with the Ukraine.

We had an agreement, we made assurances but we didn't form a suicide pact, so any and all agreements were broken, rescinded starting with the very first terrorist attack by the Ukraine.

You have no right to risk nuclear war for another people's country, much less fascist who engage in terrorism.

AND WHAT'S WORSE:

You actually think you're superior for supporting this madness. You think this makes you better than me and everyone else who values the existence of civilization.

The Ukrainian war would be long over, if we had decent leaders who stopped paying for the war the moment the Ukrainians resorted to terrorism.

There was a fascist coup that overthrew the elected government of the Ukraine in 2013. Yes, your precious media will tell you that the fascists weren't fascist, or they all moved to Brazil starting the moment they won but, even the so called "Democratic" government in charge right now cancelled elections. And they're persecuting the Orthodox Church as thought criminals. And there was never a time when they weren't attacking the ethnic Russians of the western fringes and Crimea.

End this madness. And the only way to do that is to end the Biden administration. He simply can not and will not see his policies for the insanity that they are.

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 1 - Side B

Propaganda below ⬇️

Valery

tw unreality skip to eddie

His feet are washed in a scene very reminiscient of Saint Peter being washed by Jesus, his leitmotiv is stronger than ever in the scene in front of the church, and his whole arc is about forgiving those who sinned against him.

I'm pretty sure he's actually russian orthodox but rules say that's allowed. His conversation with Katya Jesus told them to turn his cheek literally made me cry ahhh greatest mafia movie of all time

Eddie (tw mentions of suicide)

He meets Venom (the alien goo parasite that inhabits his body) in a church. Eddie is depressed and about to end his life and just before he does it goes to church and prays to God to forgive him because suicide is… y’know, a sin. Anyway Venom possesses him and saves his life and they have a crazy relationship/love story and the stained glass window in that church becomes important symbolism for them <3 He is the most catholic man ever

Admittedly, most of Eddie's insanity has little to do with Catholicism, he's just a deranged weirdo (affectionate) but he was suicidal once and went to a church to ask forgiveness before killing himself. That's where he met the symbiote and their relationship has parallels to both marriage and religion.

Listen listen he is the epitome of Catholic trauma. He’s got the angst. The repression. The je ne sais quoi. His whole story is basically very dependant on churches if that makes any sense. Like he tried to kill himself in a church and that’s when he bonded with the symbiote. They stopped a symbiote invasion by fu̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ crying out in agony in a church. EDDIE AND VENOM GOT MARRIED IN CANON IN THE CHURCH WHERE THEY MET. He also has so many breakdowns in churches and we love that for him.

He meets Venom in a church and has a lot of religious moments connected to Venom. They also sort of get married in the church they met at? It's gay. Eddie is catholic and in a committed relationship with an alien and it's gay.

(Cw suicide mention) He's canonically Catholic and has such a funky (read: kinda fucked up) relationship with it. When his life fell apart he went to a church to pray for forgiveness for the sin of committing suicide and to ask God to kill spiderman i think but then before he could actually do anything an alien came down and connected with him (in a gay way) and he was like "are you an angel". Also his sense of morality is totally fucked, its like "if you've done something bad once you deserve to die" and I like to think that's related to the specific brand of Catholicism

killed a cop in church (amazing spider-man 1963 comic, issue 300), had a homoerotic rebonding moment with his symbiote in church (venom: planet of the symbiotes comic), asked jesus to carry out a hit on former coworker peter parker (spider-man 3 movie)

more here

[stephensmithuk]

The Retired Colourman

Published in 1926, this was placed last in the Case-book compilation, although it was not the last Holmes story Doyle published. That is "Shoscombe Old Place", which we have yet to cover.

A colourman is someone who makes and sell paint. The term is very little used these days.

Lewisham is a London suburb located six miles from Charing Cross; it had transferred from Kent to London in the 1889 creation of the London County Council and today forms its own London Borough.

The Coptic Pope at the time was Cyril V, who reigned from 1874 to 1927, the longest serving head of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

The Theatre Royal Haymarket was opened in 1720 and remains in use today as a theatre. It's currently running a production of Noises Off and next year will play host to The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is going to see Sarah Snook play all 26 roles.

Blackheath is a suburban station today served by electric trains operated by Southeastern from Victoria, Charing Cross and Cannon Street.

Lothario dates back to Don Quixote as a name, but its use for a serial seducer of women comes from the 1703 Nicholas Rowe play The Fair Penitent.

Crockford's Clerical Directory is a book listing clergy in the UK and Ireland.

Little Purlington is fictitous, but Frinton is real. Now Frinton-on-Sea, it is located on the Essex coast and by 1927 was attracting regular high society visitors. Former residents of note include Deborah Watling, who played Victoria Waterfield in Doctor Who. Due to its reputation as a place to retire to, it became the subject of a common joke "Harwich for the Continent, Frinton for the incontinent", the former being an LNER advertising slogan. Probably not a good idea to make that gag locally though.

Third Class trains had originally been ones with wooden seating, but by this time, Second Class had been abolished and the former passengers were now generally in upholstered carriages. Third Class became Second Class in 1956 on British Railways and is now Standard Class.

I have been unable to find when cyanide pills became a thing. Doing a search for them gives you the number of a suicide prevention line first, which is quite reasonable.

Broadmoor is a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire, completed in 1863. Notable patients have included Ronald 'Ronnie' Kray, 'Yorkshire Ripper' Peter Sutcliffe and Edward Oxford, a barman who tried to kill Queen Victoria. Until 2018, it maintained sirens to be used in case of an escape.

[rins-diary-entries]

Diary Entry #3 - November 10th, 2024

Day rating: 5/10

I managed to take a shower in the morning, I washed my hair, face and brushed my teeth. I'm proud.

Today we had family photos though. Honestly it was kinda okay. I'm very tired of my family. Then right after we had to go to my great uncle's parastas which is this Romanian Orthodox memorial thing. But then traffic was bad so we missed the ceremony and my mom was super upset.

The people at that church are really racist, and since I'm half Chinese they really dislike me and my family.

Finally though, we could leave and now I'm home doing math class. I feel stupid.

My friends are calling and even the thought of talking to them makes me feel suicidal so that's nice.

Monday is Remembrance day and at my school we have a really big ceremony because a lot of our students died in the war.

Tuesday I have an orthodontist appointment and I'm very stressed about it.

Wednesday is my school's awards shows and I know I'm not winning anything so love that for me.

Thursday we have a casual day which is nice I guess, and Friday I have no school.

I'm feeling really tired and like, empty I guess. But I don't know my emotions are all over the place at this point.

It's only 2:50 pm as I finish this so maybe I'll add more later in the day.

[brookston]

Holidays 10.22

Holidays

Apple Day (French Republic)

Chulalongkorn Day observed (Thailand)

Clean Up the Earth Day

Dassain (Bhutan)

Feast of Fools

Fechner Day (Psychophysicists)

Festival of the House of Mercy

Gormanudr (Start of Innards Month; Iceland)

Half-Earth Day

Highway Beautification Day

iPod Day

INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY (also 6.28)

International Day of Oscillation

International Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Awareness Day

International Stuttering Awareness Day

Kof Awareness Day

National Anna Day

National Barber’s Day

National Color Day

National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression & Criminalization of a Generation

National Diego Day

National Knee Day

National Kristopher NaJee Roebuck Day

National Lauren Day

National Love Your Melon Day

National Make a Dog’s Day

National Ruger Day

National Santri Day (Indonesia)

National Scar Appreciation Day

National Suicide Mouse Day

National Teen Arrive Alive Day

National Transfer Student Day

Parachute Day

Peniamina Gospel Day (Niue)

Post Polio Syndrome Day (UK)

Smart is Cool Day

Toastmasters Day

Ventiane (Boat Racing Festival; Laos)

Wombat Day (Australia)

World Energy Day

World Phage Day

World Planting Day

World’s End Day (Millers)

World Uveitis Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Austrian Sekt (Sparkling Wine) Day

Eat a Pretzel Day

National Nut Day

National Tavern-Style Pizza Day

National Tex Mex Day

Independence & Related Days

Laos (from France, 1953)

Russian Empire (Declared, 1721)

4th Tuesday in October

Bruery's Black Tuesday Release Day [4th Tuesday]

Information Overload Awareness Day [4th Tuesday]

Pink Tuesday [Tuesday of Last Full Week]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tell the Truth Tuesday [4th Tuesday of Each Month]

Textiles Tuesday (Canada) [4th Tuesday]

Thai Tuesday [4th Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 22 (3rd Full Week of October)

Hard Pretzel Week (thru 10.31) [Last 10 Days]

Festivals Beginning October 22, 2024

Baker County Fair (Macclenny, Florida) [thru 10.27]

Bourbon Festival at Belmont (Elmont, New York)

NH Pumpkin Festival (Laconia, New Hampshire) [thru 10.27]

Roots’Ergue Festival (Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, France) [thru 10.26]

Taste of Texarkana (Texarkana, Arkansas)

Taste of the Town (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

TEDNext (Atlanta, Georgia) thru 10.24]

Feast Days

Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church)

Abercius of Hieropolis (Christian; Saint)

Abu Simbel Festival (Ancient Egypt; also 2.22)

Baphomet’s Day (Pagan)

Bertharius (Christian; Saint)

Catherine de Medici Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Cordula (Christian; Saint)

Dashain (Nepal)

Day of the Crossroads (Pagan)

A Day Sacred To All Deities of the Crossroads

Donatus of Fiesole (Christian; Saint)

Doris Lessing (Writerism)

Dussehra (a.k.a. Durga Ashtami; India)

Edmund Dulac (Artology)

Eusebius (Christian; Saint)

Grotius (Positivist; Saint)

Hermes of Heraclea (Christian; Saint)

Intergalactic Peeing Competition Day (Pastafarian)

Ivan Bunin (Writerism)

Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Eras; Kyoto, Japan)

John Paul II, Pope (Christian; Saint)

José Escobar Saliente (Artology)

Kristjan Raud (Artology)

Maha Asthami [8th Day of Dashain]

Marcus of Jerusalem (Christian; Saint)

Marjorie Flack (Artology)

Mary Salome (Christian; Saint)

Mellonius (a.k.a. Mello) of Rouen (Christian; Saint)

N. C. Wyeth (Artology)

Nunilo and Alodia (Christian; Martyrs)

Philip, Bishop of Heraclea (Christian; Saint)

Robert Rauschenberg (Artology)

Salarrué (Artology)

Seek the King Week (Shamanism)

Severus (Christian; Saint)

Sleaze Brothers (Muppetism)

Theodoret of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Timothy Leary Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 20 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [20 of 24]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [44 of 53]

Premieres

Aladdin’s Lamp (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1943)

Bosky the Drawback (WB LT Cartoon; 1932)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, by Ian Fleming (Novel; 1964)

Destination Moon, by Hergé (Graphic Novel; 1953) [Tintin #16]

Dune (Film; 2021)

The Eiger Sanction, by Trevanian (Novel; 1972)

First Blood (Film; 1982)

The First Family, recorded by Vaughan Meader (Comedy Album; 1962)

Fun and Fancy Free (Disney Animated Film; 1947)

The Golden Notebook, by Doris Lessing (Novel; 1962)

Hold That Rock (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1956)

Inside Job (Animated TV Series; 2021)

Jerry’s Diary (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1949)

Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

Jolene, by Dolly Parton (Song; 1973)

Just in Case, Parts 3 & 4 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 9 & 10; 1966)

The Last Picture (Film; 1971)

Led Zeppelin II, by Led Zeppelin (Album; 1969)

New Rose, by The Damned (Song; 1976) [1st Punk Single]

Night Moves, by Bob Seger (Album; 1976)

Now, Voyager (Film; 1942)

One, No One and One Hundred Thousand, by Luigi Pirandello (Novel; 1926)

One Note Tony (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1947)

Painting Theft, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 223; 1963)

Red, by Taylor Swift (Album; 2012)

The Red Shoes (Film; 1948)

R is for Rocket, by Ray Bradbury (Novel; 1962)

Ron’s Gone Wrong (Animated Film; 2021)

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (Film; 1949)

Sky Larks (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1934)

The Song Remains the Same, by Led Zeppelin (Live Album; 1976)

The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway (Novel; 1926)

Transatlantic Chicken or Hens Across the Sea (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 224; 1963)

Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (WB Animated Film; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Cordula, Ingbert, Kordula, Salome (Austria)

Filip, Marija, Marko (Croatia)

Sabina (Czech Republic)

Cordula (Denmark)

Anno, Annus, Hanno, Hannus, Ihan, Ihanus, Jaano, Jaanus (Estonia)

Anette, Anita, Anitta, Anja, Anniina, Nita (Finland)

Élodie, Salomé, Sara (France)

Cordula, Ingbert, Salome (Germany)

Averkios (Greece)

Előd (Hungary)

Donato (Italy)

Irida, Irisa, Salome (Latvia)

Aliodija, Mingedė, Severinas, Viltaras (Lithuania)

Karianne, Karine, Kine (Norway)

Abercjusz, Filip, Halka, Kordelia, Kordula, Przybysława, Sewer (Poland)

Averchie (Romania)

Sergej (Slovakia)

Juan, Pablo, Salomé (Spain)

Marika, Marita (Sweden)

Max, Maximillian (Ukraine)

Cordelia, Cordell, Cordella, Delia, Delilah (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 296 of 2024; 70 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of Week 43 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 24 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 20 (Ji-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 20 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 18 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 26 Orange; Fryday [26 of 30]

Julian: 9 October 2024

Moon: 67%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 16 Descartes (11th Month) [Maupertuis / Fontenelle]

Runic Half Month: Wyn (Joy) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 31 of 90)

Week: 3rd Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 30 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Wyn (Joy) [Half-Month 20 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 10.25)

[unnervinglyferal]

I'm coming to the conclusion that the key difference between catholics and protestants is that protestants look at suicide the same way that catholics look at abortion. Being in this terrible situation where you are desperate to do anything to make it stop is a sin. Doing anything to prevent this situation from happening is also a sin because not getting 100% of your emotional fulfillment from the church is a sin. And doing anything to get yourself out of the situation is a sin.

I have no idea what the orthodox christians are weird about. But from my experience of other types of christian and of orthodox jews, I'm going to guess that they're doing both of the above and also a secret third thing.

[quodnonnecatemunit]

Non-Catholic Cemetery, Rome, Italy. It is near Porta San Paolo and adjacent to the Pyramid of Cestius, a small-scale Egyptian-style pyramid built between 18 and 12 BCE as a tomb and later incorporated into the section of the Aurelian Walls that borders the cemetery. It has Mediterranean cypress, pomegranate and other trees, and a grassy meadow. It is the final resting place of non-Catholics including but not exclusive to Protestants or British people. The earliest known burial is that of a Dr Arthur, a Protestant medical doctor hailing from Edinburgh, in 1716. The English poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as Russian painter Karl Briullov and Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci are buried there. Since the norms of the Catholic Church forbade burying on consecrated ground non-Catholics – including Protestants, Jews and Orthodox – as well as suicides (these, after death, were "expelled" by the Christian community and buried outside the walls or at the extreme edge of the same), burials occurred at night to avoid manifestations of religious fanaticism and to preserve the safety of those who participated in the funeral rites.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 11.23

Holidays

Arethusa Asteroid Day

Armed Forces Day (Lithuania)

Asian Corpsetwt Day [Every 23rd]

Big Help Day

Can You Find Your Old Rubik’s Cube and Still Work It Day

Chicory Day (French Republic)

Color Photos Day

Cutty Sark Day

Doctor Who Day

Do What the Heck You Want Day (Oklahoma)

Family Volunteer Day

Felt Day

Fibonacci Day

Flag Day (Niger)

Flipbook Day

Giorgoba (St. George's Day; Georgia)

Hadakambo Festival (Japan)

International Day of the Word

International Day to End Impunity

International Image Consultant Day

International Polyamory Day

Jukebox Day

Kinrō Kansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day; Japan)

Life Magazine Day

Madison Beer Day (New York)

Monkey Banquet (Thailand)

National Adoption Day

National Day to Combat Child & Youth Cancer (Brazil)

National Margaret Day

National Polyamory Day (Canada)

National Survivors of Suicide Loss Day

Nursing Support Workers Day (UK)

Old Clem’s Night (Blacksmith Festival)

One Cup of Tea Day (Japan)

Paranoia Day

Pencil Sharpener Day

Repudiation Day (Maryland)

Rudolf Maister Day (Slovenia)

Seng Kut Snem (Meghalaya, India)

TARDIS Day (Dr. Who)

Thankful For My Dog Day

Thespius' Day (Greek Mischief Ghost)

Traffic Police Day (Kazakhstan)

Virtual Reality Day

Wolfenoot

World Watercolor Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Eat a Cranberry Day

National Bar Day

National Cashew Day

National Espresso Day

Independence & Related Days

Luxembourg (Separated from Netherlands; 1890)

St. Charlie (Declared; 2008) [unrecognized]

4th Saturday in November

Holodomor Remembrance Day (Ukraine) [4th Saturday]

International Aura Awareness Day [4th Saturday]

Salacious Saturday [4th Saturday of Each Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sausage Saturday [4th Saturday of Each Month]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning November 23 (3rd Full Week of November)

Sherlock Holmes Wekend (thru 11.24)

Festivals Beginning November 23, 2024

Burbank Winter Wine Walk (Burbank, California)

Cheese and Chocolate Weekend (Chisago City, Minnesota) [thru 11.24]

Cheese & Meat Festival (Portland, Oregon)

Festival of Trees (Methuen, Massachusetts) [thru 12.7]

Holiday Celebration and Winter Market (Rapid City, South Dakota)

Holiday Fineries at the Wineries (New Paltz, New York) [thru 11.24]

Holiday Light Parade (Baraboo, Wisconsin)

Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour (Jackson, New Hampshire) [thru 12.22]

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival (Chicago, Illinois)

Maine Harvest Festival (Bangor, Maine) [thru 11.24]

Monkey Buffet Festival (Lopburi, Thailand) [thru 11.24]

Mount Clemens Santa Parade (Mount Clemens, Michigan)

Natchitoches Christmas Festival (Natchitoches, Louisiana) [1.6.2025]

New York Craft Brewers Festival (Syracuse, New York)

Serbian Food Festival & Bazaar (Lenexa, Kansas)

Stockholm Christmas Market (Stockholm, Sweden) [12.23]

Tokyo Filmex (Tokyo, Japan) [thru 12.1]

Wi-Does Wine Walk (Eagle River, Wisconsin)

Yankeetown Art, Crafts & Seafood Festival (Yankeetown, Florida) [thru 11.24]

Feast Days

Alexander Nevsky (Repose, Russian Orthodox Church)

Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium (Christian; Saint)

Chiron’s Day (Pagan)

Clement I, Pope (Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church)

Columbanus (Christian; Saint)

Daniel (Christian; Saint)

D'Aranda (Positivist; Saint)

Derek Walcott (Writerism)

Erté (Artology)

Feast of Qawl (Speech; Baha'i)

Feast of the Wizard-Blacksmith (Saxon; Everyday Wicca)

Felicitas of Rome (a.k.a. Felicity; Christian; Saint)

Fountain of Riddles (Muppetism)

Frederick Nietzsche Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Fred Wah (Writerism)

General Debauchery Day (Pastafarian)

Gregory of Girgenti (Christian; Saint)

José Clemente Orozco (Artology)

Konstantin Korovin (Artology)

Marc Simont (Artology)

Mary Brewster Hazelton (Artology)

Miguel Agustín Pro, Blessed (One of Saints of the Cristero War; Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church)

Niiname-Sai (Japanese Grain Festival)

Paulinus of Wales (Christian; Saint)

Shinjosai Festival (Rice Harvest; Celebrating Granddaughter Goddess of Solar Deity Amaterasu; Japan)

Stendahl (Writerism)

Trudo (a.k.a. Trond or Troll; Christian; Saint)

Wilfetrudis (a.k.a. Vulfetrude; Christian; Saint)

Woofenoot (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [64 of 71]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Against the Grain, by Bad Religion (Album; 1990)

Areopagitica, by John Milton (Pamphlet; 1644)

Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2), by Pink Floyd (Song; 1979)

Arthur Christmas (Animated Film; 2011)

The Artist (Film; 2011)

The Atrocity Exhibition, by J.G. Ballard (Novel; 1970)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl (Novel; UK 1964)

Chinese Democracy, by Guns ’N’ Roses (Album; 2008)

The Dance Contest (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1934)

Devotion (Film; 2022)

Doctor Who (UK TV Series; 1963)

Doggystyle, by Snoop Doggy Dogg (Album; 1993)

The Expanse (TV Series; 2015)

The Exterminator (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1945)

The Favourite (Film; 2018)

Fish and Chips (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1962)

Flying Colours, by C.S. Forester (Novel; 1938)

For Those About To Rock We Salute You, by AC/DC (Album; 1981)

G.I. Blues (Film; 1960) [Elvis Presley #5]

Glass Onion (Film; 2022)

Hugo (Film; 2011)

Inner Workings (Disney Cartoon; 2016)

It’s Only a Flesh Wound or Better Lead Than Dead (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 322; 1964)

Just Friends (Film; 2005)

The Lonesome Stranger (MGM Cartoon; 1940)

Love in a Cold Climate, by Nancy Mitford (Novel; 1949)

Moana (Animated Disney Film; 2016)

Mouse Trouble (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1944)

The Muppets (Film; 2011)

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (Film; 1994)

My Sweet Lord, by George Harrison (Song; 1970)

No Smoking (Disney Cartoon; 1951)

Pretty Peaches (Adult Film; 1978)

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Novel; 1937)

Pride & Prejudice (Film; 2015)

Scrooged (Film; 1988)

Small Fry (Pixar Cartoon; 2011)

Strange World (Animated Disney Film; 2022)

Tampopo (Film; 2016)

Tea For The Tillerman, by Cat Stevens (Album; 1970)

The Ten Commandments (Film; 1923)

Terms of Endearment (Film; 1983)

The Three Musketeers (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1973)

Tito’s Guitar (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1942)

Wednesday (TV Series; 2022)

The Worrying’ of the Green or The Look of the Irish (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 321; 1964)

Today’s Name Days

Clemens, Columban, Detlef (Austria)

Aleko, Aleksandar, Aleksandra (Bulgaria)

Klement, Kolumban, Lukrecija (Croatia)

Klement (Czech Republic)

Clemens (Denmark)

Kleement, Leemet, Leemo (Estonia)

Ismo (Finland)

Clément (France)

Clemens, Columbia, Detlef, Salvator (Germany)

Amfilohios, Elenos (Greece)

Kelemen, Klementina (Hungary)

Clemente, Colombano (Italy)

Zigfrīda, Zigrīda, Zigrids (Latvia)

Adelė, Doviltas, Klemensas, Liubartė (Lithuania)

Klaus, Klement (Norway)

Adela, Erast, Felicyta, Klemens, Klementyn, Orestes, Przedwoj (Poland)

Antonie (Romania)

Klement (Slovakia)

Clemente, Lucrecia (Spain)

Klemens (Sweden)

Augusta, Augustina (Ukraine)

Clem, Clemence, Clement, Clementina, Clementine, Crecia, Lucrecia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 328 of 2024; 38 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 47 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 28 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Yi-Hai), Day 23 (Xin-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 22 Heshvan 5785

Islamic: 21 Jumada I 1446

J Cal: 28 Wood; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 10 November 2024

Moon: 43%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 20 Frederic (12th Month) [Campomanes / Turgot]

Runic Half Month: Is (Stasis) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 62 of 90)

Week: 3rd Full Week of November

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 2 of 30)

[traumacatholic]

why do you want to leave Catholicism?

It was never about wanting to leave Catholicism, I didn't, and in a lot of ways I still don't. There was a time in the past, when I considered Orthodoxy and I kind of pushed it to the side. Because it wasn't something I wanted to do. I guess it's hard to explain, maybe someone on a similar path of converting from one denomination to another or from one faith to another might be able to relate in some ways.

[I'm going to put this under a readmore because it's long]

Catholicism was and is very dear to me. When I was in the Intensive Care Unit, it was a Catholic Priest delivering the Last Rites to someone across from me that really got me seriously thinking about the faith. I remember one night when I watched my first ever Mass which was being streamed, crying at the Sermon the Priest gave about how no matter where we are, we are never alone or isolated because the Body of Christ is always there for us. That no matter where we are, no matter our situation, that people are praying for us. That we never pray in isolation.

And when I first started attending Mass, it was like my first time I ever really felt happy. The year prior, I had been struggling intensely with depression and suicidal thoughts. I spent most nights of the week getting myself black out drunk, depressed and alone in my bedroom. I was sexually assaulted. I lost what little friends I had. And then in my second year of university, when I started attending the Mass I felt light. All of those burdens were taken off of me. It felt meaningful that the first Church I would start attending would be dedicated to Saint Raphael - the Medicine of God.

But the longer I was in the faith, the more I clashed with it. My experience in RCIA wasn't positive. I was the only person there that wasn't brought up in the Catholic faith, so everything was geared towards those that had been in the faith. My questions were often overlooked or just brushed away. Whenever I expressed difficulties I was having, these would also be brushed away. This wasn't helped by the fact that I was in an abusive relationship with someone that hated God and Christianity. Over the time of the relationship, I grew more and more anxious about attending Church. To the point I stopped attending, stopped praying. What little interactions I had with God I felt intensely guilty over. I eventually left that relationship. But that time away from the Church really hurt me. And trying to reconnect with the faith was difficult too. I reached out to Priests (I was living in a new area now, so I couldn't attend my old Church). And I was largely ignored when I asked for help or guidance in returning to the faith. The one Priest that did speak to me, downplayed a lot of my experiences and struggles.

Every time I attended the Mass, I was just feeling empty inside. I was overwhelmed with anxieties about everything. But it was the hollowness that was the hardest to grapple with. I struggled for a long time feeling like God had closed the doors to me because I had abandoned Him to remain in the abusive relationship. I reached out to nuns for advice, because they were easier to get in contact with than any of the local Priests. But they couldn't be of much support to me either, it wasn't their role - I don't hold it against them. But by and large the advice was always just 'go to Mass and things will get better eventually'. But the more I did manage to attend Mass, the hollower and more anxious about the faith I became.

My time with this blog led me to reading more about the faith, and this led to me reading about the Church Fathers and the early Church. And every time I read about the early Church, I felt like I was reading about the Orthodox faith. And as I encountered Orthodox theological arguments, I felt a resonation with them. And I also felt deeply guilty about it. I felt like I was betraying the faith, I felt like I was betraying God, the Saints, and I pushed it away. I tried focusing on other aspects of Catholicism, but I always felt a deep anxiety about what I was doing. That I could never really grapple with. I went to Mass and would pray for God to guide me. But I didn't know how to actually open myself up to that guidance. I would leave the Mass feeling hollow. I was intensely anxious about everything.

I attended a Ukrainian Catholic Divine Liturgy with a friend from Twitter, hoping that perhaps I could find some relief in the Eastern Rite. But I didn't. I still felt empty, and so very distant from God. He was an Orthodox Christian, and he began attending Church regularly again. Meanwhile I kind of just spiralled. I wasn't in a great place mentally, I didn't have the energy to grapple with these things. I kind of went back to a weird place where I'd attend a Mass here and there, my prayer life would fluctuate. Sometimes I was completely dead to the faith.

Then when I moved to the new city that I'm in just now. All of those feelings about Orthodoxy came back in an almost suffocating way. I couldn't not see things about Orthodoxy, I couldn't not see arguments for the Orthodox Church. I couldn't deny that I kept feeling like I was being pulled towards the Orthodox Church. When I spoke about considering Orthodoxy, the guy that I attended the Ukrainian Catholic Liturgy with reached out to me - we hadn't spoken in years by this point. He lives close to the city I'm in, and attends the Orthodox Church here. In a lot of ways I accidentally arranged for there to be someone to welcome me into the Orthodox Church. Well, not my doing, but God's plan. In a lot of ways, it's this bit that really speaks to me a lot. All it took was one night of me feeling completely hopeless, and just firing off a twitter dm to a complete stranger at that point, and it really impacted me in the future when I needed it to.

All I can really describe is that first Orthodox Liturgy I attended felt like the fulfilment of everything I had been searching for. Everything I had been grappling for. And this feeling doesn't go away for me. In so many Sermons, it feels like the Priest has somehow written his Sermon just for me. How much it resonates with me, how much it comforts and strengthens me and speaks to the position I'm at in life. I feel the closeness and the comfort of Orthodox Saints in my life. I would be much worse off if it weren't for the help of people at the Orthodox Church I attend, that so freely gave me a spare room, or some money, or their prayers. I have a Priest that will actually answer emails, that is involved in the community. That there is a Church community that I never experienced at any of the Catholic Churches I attended.

I don't think my answer is going to be particularly satisfying for other people. I didn't wake up one day with a theological disagreement with X or Y aspect of the Church. Overtime, I just became more and more filled with the feeling that this was not where I was meant to be. I was so lost and miserable and lonely and in pain as a Catholic and the more I tried to reach out for guidance and support, the lonelier and more miserable I became. And while I do still feel these things in the Orthodox Church, what I can say is that I feel like this is where God has led me to be. That everything in my life exploded as soon as I began attending the Orthodox Church, but there was something empowering about the Liturgy that held me even through those days and nights where everything was so painful and hopeless. That as much as I would cry myself to sleep with pains about being homeless, the breakdown of a relationship, I always found myself going to the Liturgy. And feeling strengthened by it, even for a moment.

In short, I feel happier in Orthodoxy than I ever did in the Catholic faith. And I feel like my faith is connected to my neighbours in a way that it never was in Catholicism. That there is actual community for me here. That the faith is alive for me here in a way in which it wasn't in Catholicism.

[mariacallous]

Southeast Europe and Hungary have seen an alarming rise in digital rights violations, particularly during periods of domestic political turbulence, elections, and regional and international upheaval, according to the latest annual report by BIRN.

The Digital Rights Violations report 2022-2023, presented in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on Tuesday, covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

Monitoring the period September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023, BIRN registered 1,427 cases of digital rights violations, almost double the previous tally of 782.

The report reflects the complex nature of digital rights challenges in the region, highlighting the role of governments, the weakness of legislation, and the targeting of vulnerable groups.

Most violations involved hate speech, discrimination, digital manipulation, and computer fraud.

“Domestic, regional and international political developments had a direct impact on digital rights violations,” the report states. “During domestic crises and elections, digital rights violations spiked, as they did at times of regional and international tensions.”

Surge in disinformation

Individuals were among the most common victims and perpetrators, committing more than 500 violations during the monitoring period, followed by anonymous perpetrators hiding behind fake identities.

However, BIRN also registered numerous violations committed by online media, public figures, and politicians. State institutions were more often victims, sometimes of severe data breaches such as that perpetrated by a hacker group operating under the name Homeland Justice and targeting Albania’s parliament in late 2022 and early 2023.

BIRN editor Ivana Jeremic highlighted the concerning trend of gender-based violence in the digital space, citing in particular the murder in Bosnia of a woman by her husband, who live-streamed the killing on Instagram.

“Not only did the video remain online for hours, but people interacted with it, some even showing support, which was devastating for the family of the woman,” Jeremic said.

A research paper by Anes Cerkez, looking at youth-specific digital rights violations and also presented by BIRN on Tuesday, highlights a number of distressing cases, including one of cyber-bullying that led to the suicide of a 22-year-old man in Bosnia in October 2022. There were also instances of child pornography, underscoring the need for enhanced media literacy education for young people as well as their parents.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, disinformation campaigns have surged globally. Among the targets was Romania’s army, with the defence ministry warning in March this year of false posts on TikTok and Instagram about men being mobilised.

In the Serb-majority north of Kosovo, ethnically-charged incidents over the summer heightened tensions. Attacks on journalists critical of Serbia’s ruling party or the Orthodox Church increased, fuelled by violent confrontations between local Serbs and NATO-led peacekeepers.

North Macedonia witnessed continued ethnically-motivated hate speech as well as discriminatory statements targeting the LGBT community. This included hate speech spread by TV host Milenko Nedelkovski on Facebook concerning a journalist of Albanian origin.

In Montenegro, minority groups, primarily Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church, experienced targeted online hate speech in over half of the 26 registered cases. Bosniaks and Muslims also faced ethnic intolerance, with incidents involving the public, media outlets, and public figures amplifying discriminatory narratives.

AI ‘deep fakes’

Jeremic also highlighted the “numerous violations” following a May 2023 mass shooting at a Belgrade elementary school, when police disclosed the identity of the 13-year-old perpetrator and the personal data of his parents. There were also numerous examples of fake news following the shooting.

A new trend identified by BIRN involved the use of artificial intelligence to create ‘deep fakes’ and generate fake news. “The lack of regulation in the region leaves it to readers and platforms to deal with this kind of content,” Jeremic said.

Legislation that should protect digital rights remains inadequate in many of the countries monitored, while some government utilised new laws to target critics and independent media.

Cyber violence against women persisted due to legal gaps and data collection shortcomings.

The cases and data on them can be found in BIRN’s database, established in 2020 in partnership with the SHARE Foundation.

[godisarepublican]

How DANGEROUS and SENILE is Biden? The rest of the planet is so convinced they can see what Biden has planned that Poland announced that we can position nuclear weapons within their border

Here's a Newsweek article. Poland is saying that "NATO" can station nuclear weapons on their soil, along the border with the Ukraine. Because, you know, there isn't a nuclear war coming...

The Ukraine doesn't want peace. Google it: One of their conditions for peace, and this is the Ukraine I'm talking about, is that Putin and the rest of the Russian leadership has to all surrender for war crimes trials. The war can't end until that happens, according to Zelensky.

Does THAT sound like a reasonable, rational person who wants the war to end?

Then there's the terrorism. No, not just the recent Moscow terrorist attack where an "Iranian backed group" is infuriated with Russia for their excellent relations & trade partnership with Iran. Besides that. There have been terrorist bombings inside of Russia and even a fairly recent train derailment. And then there's the radiological bombs.

The Ukraine keeps trying to bust open nuclear reactors, spew their radiation everywhere, render vast treks of land uninhabitable while condemning all the contaminated people to a slow cancer death. There's been lots of such attempts, including attacks on one particular reactor THREE DAYS IN A ROW. When? Last week. But they weren't the only such attempts.

Biden insists that the United States is in a suicide pact with the Ukraine. And the Ukraine is doing everything it can to bring about that suicide.

End this. Stop it. If there's no other way then give all the aid to Russia, let them solve our problem for us.

The Ukraine crisis is very much like the situation in Gaza, where a genuine solution requires reasonable, rational people. Hamas isn't reasonable, isn't rational. If they were and honestly cared for the Palestinian people, they would have surrendered months ago, ending all the death & destruction. And the Ukraine isn't governed by reasonable, rational people. They're terrorists who are desperately trying to raise the stakes, provoke a nuclear war. They're also fascists who cancelled elections and persecute thought criminals, such as the Orthodox Church.