#v. those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

zenithlux · 4 years ago

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Cadence - 32

Catch up on the story here!

Trigger Warning: Slight mention of suicide.

Falling too far, For the fear to embrace me A voice from the past, Ringing on with no end, But I'm a slave to my fight, Am I doomed to repeat this? Again and again and again and again

Return to Oblivion - FFXIV

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They didn’t return to Devil May Cry empty-handed, but the somber mood was difficult to ignore. “A DVD?” Dante said. “That’s all?”

“It’s something,” Vergil said. He tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice, but he was far too tired to care. He could feel Roxy’s exhaustion weighing on the back of his mind, and he knew he’d have to let this form go soon. He might have to retreat to the mindscape altogether, as he hadn’t done that in quite a few days.

“Why didn’t you just fight him?” Dante said. “Who cares if Mundus isn’t happy. The guy killed his brother.” But even as he spoke, Vergil could see his brother’s uncertainty. Maybe it was the fact that they had practically been in the same position. Maybe he was recalling Nelo’s “death” and the thought that he’d killed Vergil himself. Regardless, Vergil didn’t dare bring it up.

“I care,” Roxy said. “If he’s not in control of his actions, then who’s really to blame for Kuro’s…” She trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. Instead, she looked to Dia who had transformed back the moment Raijin had left. “Please tell me I’m not making a mistake.”

“Demons are usually crueler under Mundus’s control,” Dia said. “It’s part of being conscripted to him. They gain his desires. His hatred. His third for revenge, death, and blood.” She looked at Vergil. “Unless Mundus is afraid of them, then he simply takes away everything that makes them who they are.”

A part of him could appreciate her attempt to make him feel better. Most of him, however, didn’t like the constant reminders. “So he was likely forced to kill Kuro, and if he hadn’t retrieved at least the notebook, he would have been killed.” Or worse.

“So you forgive him, Rox?” Nero said.

“I don’t know,” Roxy said. “But Kuro…” She closed her eyes. “When Kuro died, he wasn’t angry. He was… sad. He wished to save his brother, not condemn him. And who am I to take revenge for him when he didn’t even want it?’ She squeezed Vergil’s hand as she spoke. He didn’t even notice her grab it. “But that doesn’t matter. We got the DVD. Mundus is likely on his way, and whatever plan he’s got, we have to be ready. “She looked back to Dia. “What’s in the notebook?”

“Your father’s mos important observations and experiments,” Dia said. “That includes the few successful transplants he managed to do, including your own.”

“What other transplants did he do?”

“Mostly transplants between willing demons,” She said. “Nothing as crazy as implanting a heart.”

“Why didn’t you just keep the notebook?” Roxy said. “Why hide it in the house?”

“Your father believed the best place to put it was in that house,” Dia said. “If he destroyed everything else, nobody would guess he’d hidden it there. And it made sense that he would protect his home with demonic magic, even though he never could have predicted the Qliphoth Tree incident.”

“So it needed me?”

“Kuro,” She said. “So… technically yes. And Raijin knew this.”

“Could he have found a way to break it?”

“Maybe,” Dia said. “Though I think its more likely that Mundus never told him to break in, so he never had to.”

“He might be finding ways to defy him, then,” Dante said.

“I wish I knew for certain,” Dia said.

“Dia,” Roxy said softly. “What happened to my father?”

Dia’s hesitation was physically painful. She flinched back, taking a step away before catching herself and returning to her spot. Vergil shifted a bit closer to Roxy as a sour feeling settled in his stomach. “Now is not the time to keep secrets,” He said.

Dia sighed. “It's not that I’m trying to keep secrets it's just… not a good time.”

“Tell me,” Roxy said.

“Raijin is a good person,” She said. “He had a bright future, and he was the reason he and Kuro escaped Mundus in the first place. He was the one who found you in the first place and pushed Kuro to be your friend. He helped your father’s experiments and genuinely wanted to make up the years he’d lost under Mundus.”

“What are you keeping from me?” Roxy said.

Dia sighed. “When Mundus reclaimed Raijin’s soul, his first order was to kill your father.”

For a brief moment, he thought Roxy might run away. He pulled her just a bit closer, trying to soothe her thoughts. It didn’t work. “Raijin killed my father?”

“No,” Dia said softly. “Your father made sure he didn’t have to.”

A mixture of sadness and rage slammed into Vergil before he was prepared. Roxy blinked rapidly, trying to send the tears away. “Rox…” Nico said.

“Don’t,” She said. “There’s nothing…” She choked on her words, trying her best to keep it together. “There’s nothing to say.” She looked down at the DVD. “This is his right?”

“He recorded the aftermath of many of his experiments,” Dia said. “I believe that is the collection of all of them. You might be able to figure out what Mundus is planning with those alone.”

Roxy stared at the disk, and Vergil could feel the uncertainty in her mind. “What is it?” He said gently.

“I… I don’t know if I’m ready to see him again,” She murmured.

“Let me,” Nico said as she held her hand out. “I take pretty good notes.”

“I can help,” Nero said. “If anything important comes up, we’ll let you know.”

For a moment, Roxy said nothing. But as another tear streamed down her cheek, she handed the DVD over with a small nod. “Go to sleep, Vergil,” She said. “I’ll wake you up in a bit.”

“Are you sure?”

She looked up at him, her eyes red. “I won’t be doing much, and it’s better for both of us if you regain your energy.”

“Roxy…”

“Please!” She snapped, then caught herself and wiped a tear away in frustration. “Please just… I need time.”

Finally, he nodded. “Dante…”

“I’ll keep watch,” Dante said. “Just get some sleep.”

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Vergil woke up hours later, curled up on Roxy’s bed in his shadow form. He yawned, stretching everything he could before looking around. Roxy was missing, but he could feel her close by. Outside? That was his most likely guess. He hopped up onto a chain and peered out the window. Roxy stood by the front door, dressed in the coat Dia and Nico had made. Dante was there, talking with her about something Vergil couldn’t hear. Maybe if he tapped into her senses, but he still wasn’t quite good enough at that to try. He could feel her pulling on a hint of Kuro’s power, but not enough to worry him. Maybe Dante was trying to help her control it? A part of Vergil wished she had waited, but he understood that they didn’t have that kind of time.

He hopped off the chair and slipped out of the room. Dante’s voice echoed through the door as he got closer. “It’s possible,” Vergil heard. “Though I think Verge might know more about that than me.”

“He’d be able to feel it at least,” Roxy agreed.

Vergil shoved the front door open with his snout. “Speak of the devil,” Dante said with a lopsided grin. “How ya feeling sunshine?”

Vergil rolled his eyes as he moved to Roxy’s side. “What’s on your mind?”

“Dante’s been helping me channel some of Kuro’s power,” Roxy said.

"Did you get any rest?”

She nodded. “Some, though I had trouble sleeping.”

That explained why she hadn’t visited him in the mindscape. “What did you need me to look for?”

“Dante thinks I might have something similar to your Devil Triggers,” She said. “Since a demon’s power comes from their heart or something.” She pressed her hand to her chest - a new nervous tick, Vergil noted - and sighed.

Dante patted her back- earning a small growl from Vergil- and laughed as he mockingly backed away. “I’ll leave ya’ll to it.” He said with a wave as he ducked back inside. Vergil huffed as his tail wrapped protectively around her ankle. She chuckled as she reached down to pat his head. “He’s been very helpful.” She said.

Vergil huffed again. “You should have woken me up.”

“I needed the energy.”

“To expend?”

“I wasn’t using much.” She said scratching behind his ears. He purred, then scowled, earning a quiet laugh. “Well come on, then,” She said, pulling away. “You can’t stay like that and expect me not to pet you.” She pressed her hand on his back and he felt cooling magic seep into his bones. He let her pull on his soul, transforming back into V. She handed him her jacket, and he was grateful this form was a bit skinner as his full self would never be able to fit in something made for her. Then he scowled at her as she patted his very human head. “Much better.” She said with a wink.

“I figured you preferred the cat.”

“I prefer you,” She said simply.

Vergil scoffed. “This isn’t really me.”

“But it is… right?” She said. “I’m not just summoning some random man.”

He hesitated, then sighed. “This is my human form, yes. From when I split myself in two.”

“The Qliphoth thing.”

He nodded. “You likely saw it in my memories.”

"Maybe,” She said. “Though it probably doesn’t matter.” She looked down at her hand and Vergil felt her pull on a strand of her power. A small snowflake hovered in her hand. She flexed her fingers and it turned into a sharp shard and dropped into her hand. “I made these by accident,” She said. “I just… threw them like it was nothing.”

“You had already tapped into your power by then,” He said. “And you haven’t needed to control it before.”

“Kuro’s power,” She said.

“It’s yours now.”

“But it's his heart.”

“It’s your heart,” He pressed. “He gave it to you, Roxy. It and the power it contains are yours. If you wish to control it, then you must acknowledge that,” Again, he took a breath before taking her hand again. He saw her visibly relax, and he might have spent more time thinking about why she was so comfortable with him if they didn’t have more to do. “Do what you did last time. Focus on that power.”

“But what do I do with it?” She said. “Throwing icicles around isn’t exactly intuitive.”

“Remember how you used to summon Kuro?” Vergil said. Roxy nodded, though he could feel her uncertainty. “Try that again.”

“But what’s going to happen?”

“I don’t know,” Vergil said. “But it's worth a shot.” After another long pause, he took her other hand and pulled her closer. “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here.”

Finally, she nodded as she squeezed his hands and took a step back. She held her hand out, whispering “Kuro.” Ice swirled toward her hand, forming a small globe with a snowflake in the center. She raised it slowly, eyes locked on it lifted higher in the sky. Then, she snapped her hand closed. The ice shattered into crystals as fine as fresh snow. The outline of a dragon formed from the snowflakes and for half a second, Vergil thought Kuro would appear.

But then, the snow dove at Roxy. She gasped as it collided with her back, vanishing in a flurry. Her skin turned to ice. Her eyes shifted to a pale blue as her hair turned white. She screamed as a pair of blue dragon wings burst from her back; Kuro’s reformed. Vergil grunted as the flurry threatened to knock him over. But he pushed forward, reaching for her as her panic slammed into him. “Help,” She whispered. “Vergil I’m…”

I’m scared.

The ice sliced through his skin. Blood dropped around his feet. Her eyes turned draconic. Scales appeared on her arms. Vergil pushed harder, reaching for her. Finally, his hand brushed her shirt. He grabbed it and pulled her closer, ignoring the instant chill under his own skin. “I’m here,” He said. “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here.”

Tears froze on her cheeks. “It’s… it’s too much.”

“Then let it go,” He said. “Let it all go.”

“I don’t know what will happen.”

“Don’t be afraid,” He repeated. “I’m right here.”

A pulse of demonic power erupted from her. The glass of Devil May Cry shattered. Ice embedded itself into the concrete around Vergil’s feet. The wings turned to dust. Roxy crumbled as the ice along her body melted, drenching them both. Vergil held on, dropping them both to the ground as he placed her head against his chest. He heard Dante rush outside but ignored whatever his brother was saying. “It’s alright,” Vergil whispered as he brushed through her hair. “You’re alright.”

But Roxy just sobbed into his chest, shaken. And he let her, determined to rescue the woman he felt so dearly for.

#zenni-writes #cadence #update #vergil #vergilxoc #nero #nico #V #dante #dmc #fan fic #only a few chapters left

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mothric · 6 years ago

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scrupulosity

or, A testament to human desperation, Divine strength, and the terror of the Fall.

or, Religious OCD friggin sucks 0/10 do not recommend (but God has kept me, still, somehow, He has kept me)

I remember the moment my world collapsed into endless black.

One stray thought slipped through the cracks

A curse so hateful I dare not repeat it— leveled against (( רוח הקודש )) — flashed across my mind like lightning and in an instant everything in me dried up.

for a second I was dumbstruck

before a barrage of blasphemies flooded my head and gripped me with dread so cold I shook. I spent countless nights thereafter on my knees begging God “please, I didn’t mean it, take me back, I don’t mean it,

Please.”

I thought I was marked for Hell. I was twelve.

ii.

awash with relief at the sound of my father’s voice “dochka, you’re trembling like a leaf.

of course God still loves you those thoughts don’t condemn you you’re His child; you know that,

right?”

for the first time in years, I felt light joy freedom finally, an end.

two days later it was back, and it brought friends.

iii.

What if I’m demon possessed? What if my room is full of evil spirits? What if I open my mouth to speak and the curses piled up against my skull tumble out against my will? What if I don’t really love my neighbour? What if I didn’t really forgive her? What if I sinned too much? didn’t pray right? didn’t pray enough? didn’t repent sincerely enough?

What if it doesn’t matter how much I sin or pray because I was damned from eternity past anyway?

What if I sold my birthright? At least Esau got a bowl of stew but What did I get? A whole Damned buffet of What if What if What if

What

What if this never goes away?

iv.

It’s not OCD— I don’t wash my hands a bunch Or count, touch, arrange, flip lightswitches, Or spin around seven times because I think my mom’s gonna die.

It’s not OCD, I just— Am very particular about how I word my emails. Lots of people double (triple, quadruple, quintuple) check before sending them off (and check again)

I just— Can’t write rough drafts because each line needs to be perfect before I can move on.

I just— Prayed the same prayer eight times because I didn’t quite get it right the first seven.

It’s not OCD, I just— Get stuck on certain thoughts Like my Accuser picked up a megaphone and screamed into a tape recorder and then stuck it on loop 24/7 so I’m never quite sure if I’m going to heaven.

And I have these tics — I have to contain Because I don’t need people to think I’m insane For trying to — un-stick my brain. But it’s — not —

That’s not

— OCD.

well, I’ll be damned, (get it?)

Exposure Response Prevention Therapy I don’t think it’s for me you’re meant to learn how to “accept uncertainty” but how can I Accept Uncertainty about Eternal Security? how can I let myself live with a brain blemished with Blasphemy? I know the thoughts aren’t me I know they don’t condemn me but I don’t want to think them or think about what it means if I don’t fight them.

When the (unlikely but) worst possible outcome is literal Hell, I think I’d rather take the living one.

I just want to know the Living One.

vi.

How do you cope?

therapy. friends. breathing. prayer (not the manic kind (as much))

So you still believe?

well yeah what choice do i have?

What do you mean?

i mean i’m only here because of Him i mean i can’t trust myself, my feelings, my intentions, my thoughts my anything but His thoughts aren’t my thoughts and He says Whoever believes will be saved. and He says Nothing can separate you from the love that is in Christ Jesus. (i assume that includes mental illness)

And how do you know that to be true?

i don’t know How I know. that bit of uncertainty I can accept. but

they’re His words, not mine.

((And Lord, to whom would I go? You have the words of eternal life.))

Who else can I trust?

#ocd #religious ocd #actuallyocd #scrupulosity #christian #my writing #my poetry #my testimony #may 2019 #tw intrusive thoughts #tw blasphemy (I do not spell it out but it could be a trigger nonetheless)#tw hell #cogs and wires

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scanlonblogs · 5 years ago

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Three Effective Ways to Maintain Self Control When Provoked or Agitated

Despite what people might think in the moment, getting angry at someone you dislike, being violent, or showing hostility does more harm than good. We've all been there, a situation where we become so angry or annoyed that we just want to lash out. Subconsciously we think, "this is the right thing to do," and our anger takes over. I want you to remember a time this has happened and how it panned out. I am sure there are instances where it is justifiable to lash out, but more often than not people regret their actions almost immediately. We are left feeling foolish and our reputation takes a hit, the severity being dependent on the situation and the size of the blowup. Due to the consequences, people tell themselves they will be more aware and prevent similar occurrences from happening again. Unfortunately, not everybody learns from their mistakes. We forget our past actions far too quickly and often repeat mistakes. To raise awareness, tonight's blog is about maintaining self control through three effective methods. The hope is that you will take this information and use it to prevent further mistakes and to help control your anger when feeling provoked or agitated.

1. Deep and Controlled Breathing

Simple, yet effective, controlling your breathing is one of the least demanding ways to calm yourself down. You can do this at any point to make yourself feel better and it requires only a couple minutes of your time. In my opinion, there are two reasons why this is effective at maintaining self-control. First, when regulating your breathing, your heart rate will begin to lower. When we are anxious, angry, or stressed, our heart rate increases and adds to the problem, so returning your heart rate to normal levels is important when it comes to self-control. Second, and perhaps the most important, regulating our breathing requires our full attention, meaning we will stop thinking about what is bothering us. Even if it is only for a brief moment, getting your mind off of the situation will work wonders. It is like a brief vacation from reality, where, upon returning, we feel better equipped to handle the situation.

2. Make an Excuse to Walk Away

If a situation becomes too hot to handle and you are on the verge of exploding, make an excuse to leave the area. Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away from the situation to gather your thoughts, calm down, and return with a plan of action. You do not have to make a big scene when leaving either. All you have to do is say you need to use the rest room, feel light headed, or any other simple excuse. As a result, the people involved will most likely not be aware of your inner meltdown, and you can do whatever you can in secret to regain composure and control. Getting away from a situation is always a good idea when stressed, anxious, or angry.

3. Remember Past Actions

In the words of Winston Churchill, "Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it." We must be aware of our past actions in order to prevent similar actions from occurring. When you are provoked or agitated, one of the first things you should do is remember how you handled similar situations, their outcome, and how you felt. Keep these findings in mind. These reminders will go a long way in effecting your behavior throughout. While doing so, you will be training your brain to instinctively think of your past actions when similar situations occur. This means you will be less likely to blow up in the future because you will always be keeping in mind prior outcomes. Remember, the only way we can grow as people is by learning from our mistakes.

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Today’s Song of the Blog is ’You Dropped A Bomb On Me’ by The Gap Band!

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surv1vor · 5 months ago

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"shall i call upon you, during your calling hours?" she'd likely intended it innocently, but now benji cannot help but question what might happen, should be truly throw his hat into the ring. would the underlying connection they already possessed have an opportunity to flourish, or would he be robbing her of true opportunity elsewhere? "perhaps we ought consider ourselves lucky your mother would not speak ill of either of us, for i doubt any conversation we might have during such time would be considered typical. we are well beyond the stilted discussion that often greets sitting rooms this time of year." he chuckles. "i, however, would not wish to take from any suitors you might find interest in so if i am not wanted, i implore you to be honest with me."

felicity did love her family, but to think that her father had made bad decisions by resting hope that his daughter would marry well confounded her mother. meaning it added to a stress of her mother to sneak around and try to manipulate situations, (which felicity would need to overlook, meaning different men to dance with, and chat with during calling hours). It was all to much but at the same time expected, she knew what she needed to say, how to act, and always knew this day would come. (she could appreciate his compliment though, to know that someone had thought of her as a diamond did give her confidence. "of course you could take the time to come during calling hour, but then our conversations would be listened to by my mother," she said with a laugh. "it would be a condition of anyone i would wed, to continue contact with you."

#oppulcnce #oppulcnce 001 #chats ⸻ benjamin & felicity #chats ⸻ benjamin #⸻ i saved queue #v. those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it

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rdcharny · 5 years ago

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I’m told I’m not PC!

Why, because I believe in V-J day. Victory Over Japan Day is August 12, or September 2, 2019, depending on who you believe. V-J Day marks the anniversary of the Allies` victory over Japan during World War II.

I was thinking about all of my family that went to war or supported the war effort during WWII, which was pretty much all of them.

So to honor them, I want to celebrate V-J Day. However, I am reading how non politically correct it is to want to celebrate this day. Why, because it might offend some people. A quote from one source tells me " At one point in time, VJ Day celebrations were prevalent across the United States. However, many of them have now fallen out of favor due to the perception that these celebrations might be offensive to Japan – who is now an ally of the United States – or to Japanese Americans. There are places, however, where parades and other activities are still held every year on this date. This includes Rhode Island, Connecticut and parts of the Midwest. It is also actively celebrated in parts of the United Kingdom." (Source, Holidays Calendar)

I in no way want to offend anyone, so if you find this offensive, I apologize. But I believe we have to remember history. It's a lot like removing all the statues around the country because it offends people. Doesn't it also remind us not to repeat a wrong?

I do worry about the rise in antisemitism in our county and the non-holocaust believers. The very reason the concentration camps in Poland are being preserved. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." a quote from professor Santayana. According to Santayana's philosophy, history repeats. The phrasing itself certainly is catchy. It's a big one, not only because it is so common, but also because if it is true and if history, driven by human nature, is ugly (hint: it is), then this saying ought to guide our public and private policy.

I got a bit off-topic, sorry. Anyway, Happy V-J Day!

Rob

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grumpyhedgehogs · 6 years ago

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nobody asked me for my take on the liam neeson thing but i feel like tumblr is a temporary construct so fuck it imma say something;

i do not forgive him. what he said he was willing to do was 100% a racist act. it is correct for pocs to be angry and upset with him and it is important for white people like myself to not rush to excuse his behavior.

however, i do not think that this one racist act makes him, as a whole, racist- the fact that he admits this act was shameful and expressed regret is important because it is indicative of the fact that neeson knew this type of thinking was unacceptable and he found his own actions reprehensible. terry crews said it best when he asserted on twitter that neesons interview displayed the fork in the road neeson faced; that he could either have completed the act of violence he wished on a black man and descend into white supremacy or he could have turned away.

that neeson turned away, sought counseling and admitted that he was ashamed of himself for years is just as important to acknowledge as the fact that what he wanted to do was a racist act. by saying neeson is “canceled” and condemning him outright, i fear that we cut off the lesson that young white kids (especially males) can learn from this; that racism is something to be ashamed of, but that you can find the inner strength to turn away from it. that neeson admitted that he disliked that part of himself means that whites with the beginnings of a racist outlook (those standing “at the fork” of white supremacy or human decency, as crews put it) can look to this white man as an example for themselves; unfortunately, youths with racist leanings will probably be more inclined to listen to an older white man say racism is bad than any pocs. But they could still learn from neeson; the shame and guilt he felt were good things; things that stopped him from descending into the thinking that he could get away with such violence against pocs, things that stopped him and could stop anyone who learned from neeson that they SHOULD listen to those emotions of guilt and shame. trevor noah said something along the lines of neesons actions being better presented not as an interview but as a conversation; if he had been on a show like oprah, noah said, then he would be admitting to some past fault that then could be a conversation starter. i think that he’s right about that; neesons interview can be a conversation starter that is desperately needed for white youths with racist leanings.

noah also addressed the fact that neeson is making things worse by asserting that he is not racist after the interview; i agree with this too. Noah was right when he said that neesons actions were racist and that neeson should stick to own that, as he did when he admitted his shame- if neeson had, instead of repeatedly defending himself against allegations of racism, agreed that the act itself was racist in nature and repeated that he was ashamed of it, he could have stimulated a conversation about how to turn from racism to counseling. by going out now and spouting that he’s ‘not racist’ neeson is invalidating any good he could do with his admission; he could call on other whites in hollywood, america, and the world as a whole to examine their own actions and especially their thinking for inherent racism. Racism is a learned trait; it can be unlearned with good counseling and leadership, which neeson had the chance to fulfill; his poor handling of the backlash stripped him of any potential good he could have done.

still, for any white youths out there who want to defend neesons actions, or take his ‘not racist’ defense as him saying his actions were actually okay- take the lesson from the actual interview to heart. be ashamed and guilty of those thoughts, as neeson was. get help, like neeson did. hell, admitting to your faults like neeson did can be a good thing- sometimes you have to admit your wrongs and take your lumps like neeson is (reluctantly and not at all gracefully) doing now.

there’s a feeling among white ppl, especially the young or/and famous, that you cannot admit to any racist thought or action; that being pc is the most important thing and that you have to burn down any suggestion that you could have committed a racist act. thats what neeson is doing now- lashing out bc he knows racism is disgusting and hes afraid that he could be labelled as a racist because then HE would be disgusting. but that absolute, all-or-nothing, either youre completely innocent of racism or completely guilty of being a racist thinking then turns into white people not admitting to themselves or others when they experience racist thoughts or urges (inherent or otherwise) in fear of the social retribution that they could face. thus, they never face their own faults and so never become better people, only better at hiding from parts of themselves they dont like. by admitting to these racist thoughts/urges, white people can learn from them, deal with them, and avoid committing or thinking racist acts in the future.

but thats a hard process and when whites are taking those lumps in the form of social disgrace and feel themselves becoming defensive like neeson is now, its best to remember trevor noah’s advice for neeson; sometimes you gotta sit down and shut the fuck up.

Sources:

neeson interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nm8ibv9yJ4

terry crews article about his tweets on neeson interview: https://www.etonline.com/terry-crews-clarifies-his-comments-about-liam-neeson-i-was-not-defending-him-exclusive-119174

trevor noah’s take on neeson interview: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/02/09/it-was-great-he-was-ashamed-trevor-noah-liam-neeson-missed-conversation-about-racism/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3081d3b076b4

#liam neeson #this is one of the first times ive spoken out like this #on tumblr or any other platform #idk if this makes sense #but i felt that there is something for whites to learn from neesons experience #and it could be bogged down in the canceled culture stuff #i get not liking him or hatign him for what hes done #youre allowed to #but i think its important to try to show how racists can reform without violence #idk i think it could prevent other white men from doign the same #if they saw how ashamed they should be of these actions like neeson was/is #theres a conversation about inherent racism and how to turn away from it here #that i think we need to examine #white ppl need to accept when an action is racist #learn from it #never commit it again

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pamphletstoinspire · 6 years ago

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BOOK OF JOB - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 36

The Book of Job shows how human affairs are ruled by Divine Providence using probable arguments.

"Although you hide these things in your heart, I know that you still remember everything." - (Job speaking to God)

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INTRODUCTION. This Book takes its name from the holy man, of whom it treats; who, according to the more probable opinion, was of the race of Esau, and the same as Jobab, king of Edom, mentioned Gen. xxxvi. 33. It is uncertain who was the writer of it. Some attribute it to Job himself; others to Moses, or some one of the prophets. In the Hebrew it is written in verse, from the beginning of the third chapter to the forty-second chapter. Ch. --- The beginning and conclusion are historical, and in prose. Some have divided this work into a kind of tragedy, the first act extending to C. xv., the second to C. xxii., the third to C. xxxviii., where God appears, and the plot is unfolded. They suppose that the sentiments of the speakers are expressed, though not their own words. This may be very probable: but the opinion of those who look upon the work as a mere allegory, must be rejected with horror. The sacred writers speak of Job as of a personage who had really existed, (C.) and set the most noble pattern of virtue, and particularly of patience. Tob. ii. 12. Ezec. xiv. 14. Jam. v. 11. Philo and Josephus pass over this history, as they do those of Tobias, Judith, &c. H. --- The time when Job lived is not clearly ascertained. Some have supposed (C.) that he was a contemporary with Esther; (D. Thalmud) on which supposition, the work is here placed in its chronological order. But Job more probably live during the period when the Hebrews groaned under the Egyptian bondage, (H.) or sojourned in the wilderness. Num. xiv. 9. The Syrians place the book at the head of the Scriptures. C. --- Its situation has often varied, and is of no great importance. The subject which is here treated, is of far more; as it is intended to shew that the wicked sometimes prosper, while the good are afflicted. H. --- This had seldom been witnessed before the days of Abraham: but as God had now selected his family to be witnesses and guardians of religion, a new order of things was beginning to appear. This greatly perplexed Job himself; who, therefore, confesses that he had not sufficiently understood the ways of God, till he had deigned to explain them in the parable of the two great beasts. C. xlii. 3. We cannot condemn the sentiments expressed by Job, since God has declared that they were right, (ib. v. 8) and reprimands Elihu, (C. xxxviii. 2.) and the other three friends of Job, for maintaining a false opinion, though, from the history of past times, they had judge it to be true. This remark may excupate them from the stain of wilful lying, and vain declamation. Houbigant. --- However, as they assert what was false, their words of themselves are of no authority; and they are even considered as the forerunners of heretics. S. Greg. S. Aug. &c. T. --- Job refutes them by sound logic. S. Jerom. --- We may discover in this book the sum of Christian morality, (W.) for which purpose it has been chiefly explained by S. Gregory. The style is very poetical, (H.) though at the same time simple, like that of Moses. D. --- It is interspersed with many Arabic and Chaldaic idioms; (S. Jer.) whence some have concluded, that it was written originally by Job and his friends (H.) in Arabic, and translated into Heb. by Moses, for the consolation of his brethren. W. --- The Heb. text is in many places incorrect; (Houbig.) and the Sept. seem to have omitted several verses. Orig. --- S. Jerom says almost eight hundred, (C.) each consisting of about six words. H. --- Shultens, in 1747, expressed his dissatisfaction with the labours of all preceding commentators. To explain this book may not therefore be an easy task: but we must be as short as possible. H. --- Those who desire farther information, may consult Pineda, (W.) whose voluminous work, in two folios, will nearly (H.) give all necessary information. C.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 36

Eliu proceeds in setting forth the justice and power of God.

[1] Eliu also proceeded, and said:

Addens quoque Eliu, haec locutus est :

[2] Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee: for I have yet somewhat to speak in God's behalf.

Sustine me paululum, et indicabo tibi : adhuc enim habeo quod pro Deo loquar.

[3] I will repeat my knowledge from the beginning, and I will prove my Maker just.

Repetam scientiam meam a principio, et operatorem meum probabo justum.

[4] For indeed my words are without a lie, and perfect knowledge shall be proved to thee.

Vere enim absque mendacio sermones mei, et perfecta scientia probabitur tibi.

[5] God doth not cast away the mighty, whereas he himself also is mighty.

Deus potentes non abjicit, cum et ipse sit potens :

[6] But he saveth not the wicked, and he giveth judgment to the poor.

sed non salvat impios, et judicium pauperibus tribuit.

[7] He will not take away his eyes from the just, and he placeth kings on the throne for ever, and they are exalted.

Non auferet a justo oculos suos, et reges in solio collocat in perpetuum, et illi eriguntur.

[8] And if they shall be in chains, and be bound with the cords of poverty:

Et si fuerint in catenis, et vinciantur funibus paupertatis,

[9] He shall shew them their works, and their wicked deeds, because they have been violent.

indicabit eis opera eorum, et scelera eorum, quia violenti fuerunt.

[10] He also shall open their ear, to correct them: and shall speak, that they may return from iniquity.

Revelabit quoque aurem eorum, ut corripiat : et loquetur, ut revertantur ab iniquitate.

[11] If they shall hear and observe, they shall accomplish their days in good, and their years in glory.

Si audierint et observaverint, complebunt dies suos in bono, et annos suos in gloria :

[12] But if they hear not, they shall pass by the sword, and shall be consumed in folly.

si autem non audierint, transibunt per gladium, et consumentur in stultitia.

[13] Dissemblers and crafty men prove the wrath of God, neither shall they cry when they are bound.

Simulatores et callidi provocant iram Dei, neque clamabunt cum vincti fuerint.

[14] Their soul shall die in a storm, and their life among the effeminate.

Morietur in tempestate anima eorum, et vita eorum inter effeminatos.

[15] He shall deliver the poor out of his distress, and shall open his ear in affliction.

Eripiet de angustia sua pauperem, et revelabit in tribulatione aurem ejus.

[16] Therefore he shall set thee at large out of the narrow mouth, and which hath no foundation under it: and the rest of thy table shall be full of fatness.

Igitur salvabit te de ore angusto latissime, et non habente fundamentum subter se : requies autem mensae tuae erit plena pinguedine.

[17] Thy cause hath been judged as that of the wicked, cause and judgment thou shalt recover.

Causa tua quasi impii judicata est : causam judiciumque recipies.

[18] Therefore let not anger overcome thee to oppress any man: neither let multitude of gifts turn thee aside.

Non te ergo superet ira ut aliquem opprimas : nec multitudo donorum inclinet te.

[19] Lay down thy greatness without tribulation, and all the mighty of strength.

Depone magnitudinem tuam absque tribulatione, et omnes robustos fortitudine.

[20] Prolong not the night that people may come up for them.

Ne protrahas noctem, ut ascendant populi pro eis.

[21] Beware thou turn not aside to iniquity: for this thou hast begun to follow after misery.

Cave ne declines ad iniquitatem : hanc enim coepisti sequi post miseriam.

[22] Behold, God is high in his strength, and none is like him among the lawgivers.

Ecce Deus excelsus in fortitudine sua, et nullus ei similis in legislatoribus.

[23] Who can search out his ways? or who can say to him: Thou has wrought iniquity?

Quis poterit scrutari vias ejus? aut quis potest ei dicere : Operatus es iniquitatem?

[24] Remember that thou knowest not his work, concerning which men have sung.

Memento quod ignores opus ejus, de quo cecinerunt viri.

[25] All men see him, every one beholdeth afar off.

Omnes homines vident eum : unusquisque intuetur procul.

[26] Behold, God is great, exceeding our knowledge: the number of his years is inestimable.

Ecce Deus magnus vincens scientiam nostram : numerus annorum ejus inaestimabilis.

[27] He lifteth up the drops of rain, and poureth out showers like floods:

Qui aufert stillas pluviae, et effundit imbres ad instar gurgitum,

[28] Which flow from the clouds that cover all above.

qui de nubibus fluunt, quae praetexunt cuncta desuper.

[29] If he will spread out clouds as his tent,

Si voluerit extendere nubes quasi tentorium suum,

[30] And lighten with his light from above, he shall cover also the ends of the sea.

et fulgurare lumine suo desuper, cardines quoque maris operiet.

[31] For by these he judgeth people, and giveth food to many mortals.

Per haec enim judicat populos, et dat escas multis mortalibus.

[32] In his hands he hideth the light, and commandeth it to come again.

In manibus abscondit lucem, et praecepit ei ut rursus adveniat.

[33] He sheweth his friend concerning it, that it is his possession, and that he may come up to it.

Annuntiat de ea amico suo, quod possessio ejus sit, et ad eam possit ascendere.

Commentary:

Ver. 3. Beginning. Heb. "afar" from that God, who is ancient, and not of human invention; (Jer. xxiii. 23.) or from the consideration of the heavens. Nothing could be more magnificent than the descriptions which conclude this fourth part of the discourse. C.

Ver. 4. Lie. Every orator will promise to speak the truth, and will do so sometimes to gain credit. W. --- Shall be. Heb. "is with thee." Thou art not devoid of sense, and thou wilt (C.) surely approve my reasons, which are suggested by the God of all knowledge. H.

Ver. 5. God. Sept. "Know that the Lord will not cast away the innocent." Theod. continues to v. 12: "The mighty, in strength of heart, (Wisd. vi.) will not make the impious live, and will render judgment to the poor." H. --- They seem to have read Thom, which is now wanting in Heb. C. --- "Behold God is mighty, and despiseth not any: mighty in strength and wisdom." Prot. H. --- Eliu begins to prove that God administers justice to all equally. C.

Ver. 7. Just. Heb. Syr. &c. "the just man, he will place him with kings on the throne." C. --- Exalted, or "extolled" for ever, if they have done well. W. --- He always disposes of kingdoms. M.

Ver. 9. Violent, while in power and on the throne, or because even in a private station, their will has risen up in rebellion against God. H. --- Poverty and afflictions are scourges, which are often inflicted by mercy, to bring us to a sense of duty. C.

Ver. 10. Ear, by secret inspirations, or by the admonition of pastors. C. --- Afflictions will also speak louder to them than any orator. H.

Ver. 12. Folly. Heb. "without knowledge." He speaks of princes, (C.) and of all the wicked, who have not known the day of their visitation. H. --- They shall suffer the punishment prepared for fools or wicked men. M.

Ver. 13. Bound, in misery and evil habits. They will not have recourse to God by humble prayer, though they perceive his displeasure, and design in punishing them.

Ver. 14. Storm. Heb. and Sept. "in youth," (H.) being suddenly cut off, without having deplored the sins of their youth. C. --- Effeminate. Heb. "the consecrated" to prostitution. Eliu compares those who will not attend unto God, to the most infamous characters. C. --- Sept. "and let their life be taken away by the angels" (H.) of death. C. xxxiii. 23. C. --- He may allude to the impure Sodomites. M.

Ver. 16. He shall. He would have prevented thee from falling into this irremediable distress, if thou hadst imitated the poor who trust in Him. C. --- Yea, he will still restore thee to favour, if thou wilt repent. H. --- He will fill thee with joy and plenty. M. --- Foundation. Hebrew, where there is not straitness. Prot. He would have rescued thee from distress, and set thee at large. H. --- The psalmist often speaks in the same language. C.

Ver. 17. Recover. Thou shalt be treated as thou hast treated others. Heb. is not well understood. It may be, "Thou hast spoken like the impious; but judgment and justice rule. (18) Beware lest wrath overtake thee, so that thy prayers may not avert it. (19) Will He regard thy cries, thy riches, gold or strength?" C.

Ver. 19. Without, or before thou be forced by tribulation. M. --- Lay aside all sentiments of pride, (S. Greg.) or keep in awe the mighty, who administer justice in thy name. M. --- Prot. "Will he esteem thy riches? No, not gold, nor all the forces of strength." Sept. "Let not a willing mind incline thee unjustly to the prayer of the needy in distress." H.

Ver. 20. Prolong not the night, &c. Prolong not causes that are brought before thee, but dispatch, by early rising, the business of them that come up to thee. Ch. --- Sept. "and all the men of power do not withdraw in the night," from just punishment. Theod. adds, "that the people may come up against them," to demand vengeance. Do strict justice both to the rich and to the poor, without pity or fear. H. --- This text is very obscure; and the Heb. may have different meanings, which do not, however, seem well connected with the rest. "Plant not after night, when people retire home;" (C.) or Prot. "are cut off in their place." H. --- Delay not to banish temptations, or they will increase. S. Greg. xxvi. 38. W.

Ver. 21. Iniquity, or blaspheming, (C. xxxiv. 37. M.) and murmurs, to which alone thou hast given way since thy fall. C.

Ver. 22. Lawgivers. Heb. more, "a master." In Chal. "a sovereign." Grot. Sept. "what potentate is against him?" H. --- What art thou, to dare thus to resist him? C. --- S. Gregory (xxvii. 1.) explains this as a prediction of Christ, "or singular lawgiver." God is most able to punish transgressors, and willing to reward those who obey his laws. W.

Ver. 24. Not, is omitted in Heb. and Sept. "Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold;" Prot. (H.) or "thou hast magnified," formerly. Do so again. --- Sung. The memory of great exploits was commonly preserved by canticles. C.

Ver. 25. All. The rest of this chapter, and the five first verses of the next, seem to be inserted in the Sept. from Theodotion. "Every man sees in himself how many mortals are wounded," &c. --- Off, in the stars, &c. or in ancient times, what wonders God has performed. C. --- The works of God are like a ladder, by which we may ascend to the knowledge of him. M. Wisd. xiii. H.

Ver. 27. Floods. God causes the water on the earth to evaporate, (C.) to form the clouds, (H.) which afterwards fall in torrents. M. --- Theod. "the drops of rain are numbered by him," &c. C. xxvi. 8.

Ver. 29. If. Heb. "Also can any understand the spreading out of the clouds, the elevation or noise of his pavilion?" H. --- What could be more magnificent that the throne of God! C.

Ver. 30. Ends. Lit. "the hinges," or poles, cardines. H. --- Heb. "roots;" Aristotle (Meteor. ii. 1.) and Hesoid (Theog. 727,) use the same term, (C.) to denote the fountains which supply the sea. H. --- Who ever discovered these deep recesses? Eliu describes a thunder-storm, when the sea is covered with darkness. He intimates that the pavilion of God, though hidden from us by the clouds, is not destitute of light. C. --- God inhabits light inaccessible. H.

Ver. 31. Mortals. Heb. "in abundance." H. --- By thunder he overwhelms many nations, while by moderate rains, he causes the earth ot fructify (C.) and nourish mankind. M.

Ver. 32. Hands, or clouds, which are compared to a hand. 3 K. xviii. 44. He opens his hand, and light appears. This expression denotes the utmost facility with which a very surprising thing is effected. --- To come. Heb. "by this obstacle." He alludes to the sun's eclipse, as if God's hand covered its disk. C. --- Prot. "He... commandeth it not to shine, by the cloud that cometh betwixt."

Ver. 33. To it. The tabernacle of God is designed for his friends. Heb. is very obscure. "Thunder announces the rain, and the very animals know it;" (Virgil describes their signs, Geor. i.) or "His thunder announces from above the clouds his wrath to men." C. - "The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour."

#book of job

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isolatednights · 5 months ago

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a sharp laugh escapes her at the statement. no, perhaps she was not in the position to make demands. not when her fate hung within the balance, but ultimately, "what more do i possibly have to lose?" the question is voiced aloud with an arched brow.

teeth grit at his response, dark hues flickering over his face. "then throw me into the fire. i did not ask for your mercy." as much as he might claim otherwise, actions had already proven that some part of him cared. "do not make such vague statements and offer nothing to support such claims." the words are snapped ⸻ vicious ( because he's right ; she's grown wanting for nothing ⸻ yet her father had been nothing but a saint to his family ). "you're right. i do not understand. so explain it to me. why is he a monster? a criminal?"

"if you will not provide me a name, fine." she would find it out on her own. it would take time, but camila could be patient. her revenge could be served in due time ⸻ well after she rebuilt her life and people around her. "my other condition remains. the decision is left to you, senator."

Upon realizing the hole he had dug himself in, the Senator bit the inside of his cheek. A sigh escaped him, his hand went over his face as he thought of what to do. The man who helped him track down all members of the conspiracy was a man by the name of Lepidus, a senator wanting to get rid of the competition within the senate itself. Claudius was younger and more blood thirsty when the plan was made between the two of them, but now he was wiser. "Not in the position to make demands, don't you think?"

He would need to get rid of Lepidus sooner or later. But now was not the time.

Claudius stepped closer. "You should be grateful that I don't throw you in the fire with the rest of your family. Whatever choice you make, I don't care. You just say the word and we will act accordingly." Anger clouded his judgement now, and Claudius could throw venom just as well as she had. "Camila, your father was one of the worst criminals this side of the coast. You think he was a perfect man, but to a lot of people he was a monster. I wouldn't expect you, with your silver spoons and gold cups to understand though."

Claudius stepped back. "As for the name, you shall not hear it from me. You have until tomorrow morning to make your decision."

#cxnsiglixrx 002 #cxnsiglixrx #chats ⸻ camila & claudius #chats ⸻ camila #//the two of them are just going to snap at one another apparently #//poor lepidus when the time comes and they both turn their attention on him #⸻ i saved queue #v. those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it

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aiaalalv · 4 years ago

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(June 20) How to navigate COVID-19 stress & crisis (Christi Garner) A HISTORY OF ROCK (John Halchak)

A HISTORY OF ROCKETRY by John Halchak, RS-68, Space Launch System (SLS), V-2, Peenemunde, Robert Goddard Jun 20, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM (PT) RSVP and Information: https://conta.cc/3f38EK1 Volunteers are needed for all AIAA activities, please contact [email protected] e-Town Hall Meeting June 20, 2020, 1 PM - 3:30 PM (Add to Calendar) 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM Building Resilience: How to navigate stress and crisis of COVID-19 by Christi Garner LMFT , Trauma Therapist and Educator www.traumaeducator.com 1 PM - 3:30 PM A HISTORY OF ROCKETRY by John Halchak, Senior Fellow Engineering department of Rocketdyne (now named Aerojet Rocketdyne) RSVP and Information: https://conta.cc/3f38EK1 Upcoming events on aiaa-lalv.org/events Event Calendar Join Mailing List https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/FnG0zoy Join AIAA Membership https://aiaa.org/membership ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A HISTORY OF ROCKETRY “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is the famous quotation of the philosopher George Santayana. For the engineer, knowing the mistakes of the past, including why they occurred, is a necessity to avoid repeating them. However, it also is important to know and understand past successes so that they may be stepping stones for future advances. Studying history also gives us a perspective of the present, helping us to understand why things are the way they are today and can point towards a path for change. This talk will be a broad overview of the history of rocketry, with some emphasis on the importance of materials in the development of the technology. The American rocket pioneer, Dr. Robert H. Goddard, used some surprisingly advanced materials concepts for his rockets, combining metals and ceramics to achieve performance goals. Unfortunately, Goddard’s paranoia combined with his inability to work with others, destroyed his legacy. In their V-2 ballistic missile of World War II, the Germans used a variety of materials, with wartime shortages necessitating some creative materials selections. The V-2, although ineffective as a weapon, had profound long-term consequences, as it jump started ballistic missiles and space exploration. The first American and Soviet rockets were essentially improvements on the German designs that also incorporated higher strength materials to reduce overall weight and increase performance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Halchak John Halchak is a retired Senior Fellow in the Engineering department of Rocketdyne (now named Aerojet Rocketdyne), located in Canoga Park, California. For 13 years, he was the director of the Rocketdyne materials engineering department. With over 51 years of experience in rocket engine materials and processes, he has worked on virtually every major program for that company, including such programs as the Atlas, Gemini, Saturn V- Apollo, Minuteman, Delta, Peacekeeper, Space Shuttle Main Engine, Waterjets, Aerospike, Space Station, NASP, RS-68, X-33, MB-60, and J-2X programs. In the course of his work, he has been a witness to, and a participant in, many of the historical events in the space program. He has had opportunities to accumulate information from many of the pioneers in rocket development, including some of the original German Peenemunde engineers. John has given presentations on the history of rocketry at professional societies, conferences, and universities throughout the United States. He is a graduate of Penn State's metallurgical engineering department, a registered professional engineer, a member of the Air Force Association, a Fellow of the ASM, and a recipient of the Apollo Achievement Award, the NASA Astronauts’ Personal Achievement Award, the Penn State David Ford McFarland Distinguished Alumni Award, a NASA Group Achievement Award (1995), the San Fernando Valley Engineers’ Council 2006 Distinguished Engineering Achievement Award, and the Rotary National Stellar Award for Achievement in Space Flight. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Building Resilience: How to navigate stress and crisis of COVID-19 Navigating stress and crisis are no longer topics only for first responders and front liners. We have all been impacted this year by pandemics, chaos, and uncertainty. In this presentation we will learn tools for building resilience in times of stress, mindful hacks to feel better today, stress busting techniques to use daily at home or at work to increase your ability to focus and recover from crisis and even tips on how to get better sleep. Practical tools and a place to ask questions while you learn about your body’s innate ability to heal, even in times like these. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christi Garner LMFT Christi Garner LMFT is a Trauma Therapist and Educator working closely with first responders and organizations in crisis response for 20 years. Christi provides you the skills that regulate the nervous system to help you restore balance in the face of stress and crisis. Tools to support you as well as to navigate the stress of crisis, to build resilience, to de-escalate, de-stress and recover so you can respond better in the moment and for the long haul. Being a leader in the field requires fortitude, together we will discover the tools to help you get there AND bring your team with you. www.traumaeducator.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions : [email protected] | 949.426.8175 | aiaa-lalv.org Read the full article

#Aerospace #AIAA #ChristiGarner.#COVID-19 #Crisis #History #LasVegas #LosAngeles #Nviagte #Peenemunde #RobertGoddard #Rocketry #RS-68 #SLS #Space #SpaceLaunchSystem #Stress #Therapist #V-2

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patroklxs · 7 years ago

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the son of peleus, patroclus knows without question by the time he is thirteen, is an insufferable ass.

pretty and golden and used to getting what he wants. his mother a goddess who adores him and his father a king who doesn’t need to adore him to give him anything he asks for. his father’s servants too scared of thetis’ retribution to raise their voice at him. even when patroclus had been a prince, the same as him, he had had more discipline. menoetius had a stricter hand. the people who served him knew that were patroclus deserving, his father wouldn’t condemn them for reprimanding him.

he resents ten-year-old achilles’ easy freedom. if he killed a boy, his mother would bring down the house before she would allow him to be sent away. patroclus had no such intervention.

“leave her alone,” says patroclus, when his little golden hand has tugged five too many times on the cook’s girdle.

achilles rounds on him, all wounded pride at the reprimand. “i can do whatever i want,” he says indignantly. “did i ask you here, patroclus?”

“if you had i would have said the same thing.”

“get out.”

“i won’t.”

i won’t was as good as make me to achilles, in those days.

ii.

“i’ll race you to the top of the hill,” achilles tells him. everything is a race with him. everything is a game, or a competition. patroclus loses every time. at first it hurt him not to win. now he accepts it as a fact of life.

sometimes, you lose. the sword arm that can’t best achilles bests nearly everyone else. there’s no more shame in failing to defeat him.

“no,” he says.

the look on achilles’ face at his refusal is probably a thing he got from his godly mother. patroclus has heard thetis described as having the temper of the sea in a storm; her son imitates her with a look that would chill a grown man. “what do you mean, no?”

“i mean no,” patroclus repeats, and when achilles looks over his shoulder to see if anyone else is hearing this insubordination---as he’d known he would---he takes off up the hill, giving himself a few seconds’ head start.

achilles beats him anyway.

it doesn’t matter. he doesn’t play to win anymore; he plays because it’s fun.

iii.

the third day after they kiss for the first time, achilles asks him for a kiss and patroclus kisses his chin.

“no,” he says, “you know what i mean.”

patroclus bends towards him again and kisses the bridge of his nose. “haven’t i kissed you?”

“patroclus,” achilles warns, and grabs him by the shoulder.

“yes?”

“stop.”

“all right,” he says, and pulls back, sitting back on his hands and smiling.

“---no, not like that!”

“you should be more clear.”

“how much clearer can i be than telling you to kiss me?”

patroclus twists forwards again and kisses his forehead.

achilles punches him in the arm.

iv.

patroclus wakes with his hand over achilles’ heart, his face pressed into the bend of his shoulder. the beat beneath his fingers is steady, but not so slow as to make him think he has somehow miraculously woken first.

“patroclus?” he murmurs, and patroclus realizes achilles doesn’t know if he’s awake or not.

he decides to play along, and stays motionless, waiting for---

achilles sighs heavily, and he gives himself away instantly by grinning at the sound.

“good morning,” he says, knowing the jig is up.

“i’ve been awake for two hours.” he can hear the frown in achilles’ voice, just as easily as he can see the line of his collarbone sliding into the notch below his throat. he can imagine the stormy eyes perfectly, the thin pinched line of his brow.

“maybe they’ll write a tragedy about you,” he says.

“you make a very pretty girl, achilles.”

he doesn’t mean it sarcastically. the truth is that the prince of phthia, the leader of the myrmidons, is beautiful as a woman, the same as he is as a man. achilles is beautiful, and like all other beauties, deadly. the only difference now is that he wears his hair longer, tumbling down around his shoulders. the rest of the illusion is just clothes and jewelry. patroclus had recognized him almost at once, but had had the good sense to hold his tongue until clever odysseus gave it away.

he means the compliment entirely.

achilles makes a rude gesture at him anyway.

vi.

because they are at war and because patroclus is fully mortal, he sometimes bleeds for greece. never much and never often, but even the best of warriors --- even the most vicious and battle-hungry myrmidons --- fall sometimes, or are felled. the score across his bicep from the spear bleeds freely down patroclus’ arm, the red dripping from his fingertips, and achilles decides that this wound, which would be hardly a scratch if patroclus had had a mother to dip him in immortality, requires his full attention.

“you’re reckless, patroclus,” he says, tightening the bandage, patroclus thinks, with unnecessary vehemence.

“i was only following you, achilles.”

“you aren’t me!”

“i’m not. i bleed; someday i’ll die.” achilles tells him every morning: come back safely. he doesn’t return the sentiment because he doesn’t want the unkeepable promise. achilles would say yes and they would both know it wasn’t up to them; and he prefers a brutal unspoken truth to a comforting lie. they’re different that way. “i won’t stay in your tent and wait for you to come back every day to prevent that.”

achilles ties off the bandage and takes his chin between his fingers. patroclus feels his own blood smearing his jaw. “you make me angry enough when you’re breathing, patroclus. let’s not find out how furious i’ll be when you aren’t.”

vii.

patroclus wakes up to achilles slipping into bed behind him, and blearily moves forward to make room, before he bumps into iphis and remembers her presence. she stirs, slightly, and achilles’ hand finds his waist.

“the bed is full,” he says, and turns his head to look at achilles in the dark.

achilles is smiling, in good humour as he drops back to the floor of the tent. “are you replacing me, then?”

“i’m looking into the possibility.”

the fine, royal mouth grows thin. achilles can start a joke, but he can’t bear to let patroclus finish it. beside him, iphis turns over and presses her face into his chest. “don’t look too hard.”

viii.

sparring has lost its charm for most in years of war, but achilles is born to fight and patroclus is born to let him. his rule is: there is honour on the field of battle, but none when he and achilles are roughhousing in the surf.

achilles knocks him off balance with a hard, glancing blow. he goes down on purpose and comes up with his foot hooked around one of his ankles. he memorizes what few weak spots achilles has and exploits them mercilessly. he still always loses.

“you don’t play fair,” achilles complains once, staring up at him from where he’s lying on the ground for a brief moment before he leaps up and wrestles him down into the water. “do my men know that?”

patroclus draws him into a kiss and uses his distraction to get the high ground back, shoving a knee hard into his hip to slam him down into the sand. “there is no fair with you, achilles.”

ix.

“briseis sounds more and more like you every day,” achilles tells him, ducking past him into the tent.

“oh?” patroclus says, continuing to clean his armour. trojan blood washes off the metal easily enough, but sinks into the leather, if he leaves it on too long.

“she talks back now---do you know you’re the only person who does that?”

patroclus smiles at the sand, thinking of her dark eyes narrowed in reproach. she may have only started talking back to achilles, but she certainly hasn’t been silent on the subject in their conversations for all this time. “well, now i’m one of two.”

“if not for the love i bear you, patroclus, i’d have killed you a long time ago.”

“then how extraordinarily fortunate i am to be loved.”

it’s been a good long time since he lost his temper with achilles --- years maybe, with so much practice under his belt to keep him calm. so many dead greeks will do it. the myrmidon camp standing still with the anger of the son of peleus parts silently as he makes his way to the tent. every day he asks: the kings told me to tell you again that they need you. will you come? and every day achilles says no.

“why are you crying?” achilles asks.

such a rage rises in his heart at the question, but of course it can never match the sort of anger that muses will sing about after the two of them are gone.

“give me your armour.”

#a drabble abt making achilles' life hell to get back into this Voice #*MUSE.#V : C

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surv1vor · 6 months ago

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the man had hoped that with his marriage would come a period of peace ( a lull where he might have the opportunity to get to know the woman he now called wife and queen ). instead, there had been an entire new array of paperwork ⸻ discussions of trade and travel with a kingdom that was now one of their strongest allies. it appeared promising at first glance but require meticulous hours going over with a fine tooth comb ⸻ leaving silas endlessly distracted and having to offer unspoken apologies to his new bride by supplying her with servants and guards that might keep him company in his absence. their evening meals were, at least, one of the few times a day the newly wed couple saw one another and that evening he'd wrapped up his duties early ( taking to the gardens with a heavy goblet of wine ).

the approach of the woman was undoubtedly attention drawing ( dark hues trailing her figure as a brow arched ). "you do not need to excuse your presence within the gardens, helena, they are now just as much yours as they are mine. in fact, i might fault you for ignoring them ⸻ the weather is too fine to remain indoors." the question causes him to chuckle. "more so than previous days. i believe we are making progress with establishing trade routes. perhaps i might get your opinion after we've eaten? i will not keep you long ⸻ but you know far more of your home than i and i wish to ensure the deal we strike benefits your former and current kingdom both."

status: open to m 25+ plot: Helena is a princess given in arranged marriage to your muse in order to strengthen the alliances between two kingdoms; what he doesn’t know is that she was trained her whole life to infiltrate his country and destroy it from the inside out but once actually married to him, she starts to suspect that maybe not everything she had been taught is as it seems; what confuses Helena even more is that he’s seemingly way nicer to her than she expects; !! note: please, do not like my starters & make sure to read the rules in the source <3

Despite that it had been more than a month after her wedding, Helena still found the place she was supposed to call a home difficult to navigate, even if all of her free time was thrown into learning every turn and dark hallway. She knew learning her way around the castle was one of the smallest, easiest tasks to do, but having whispering servants and at least one guard always trailing behind her made sneaking and spying all that more difficult. At least the prolonged dinners she had with her husband were one of the few moments of actual peace from prying eyes, yet even they gave her little knowledge. He was still an enigma to her and perhaps spending every night in two different beds was bound to keep him like that but at least for now the princess turned queen didn’t feel like complaining. Giving her hand in marriage to bring on peace was one thing but to give her body to an unknown man was something different. At least he respected that. “I just wanted the fresh air before dinner”, Helena noted once her seemingly innocent stroll across the gardens was invaded. “Was your day productive, Your Highness?”

#wintcrstcrfall #wintcrstcrfall 001 #//hope this is okay!#chats ⸻ silas #chats ⸻ silas & helena #//i saw on your other starters to let you know what editor was used - i'm using beta :)#v. those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it #⸻ i saved queue

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real-life-pine-tree · 7 years ago

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Rehabilitation: Roller Rink Bonding (3/?)

Side effects may include a loss of self-identity and individuality, frequent nightmares, questioning your own existence, severe mental trauma, constant panic attacks, spontaneous crying at random moments, and a strong desire to stay with loved ones at all cost. Co-written with @violetganache42. Takes place between Chapters 6 and 7 of Arc-V Aftermath.

Yuto struggled to maintain his balance, nearly falling onto the floor as he tried to make some movement and eventually heading his way towards the railing for support. Out of all the activities he has done with his mom, this was definitely something he has never done this before. He looked down at his feet, which were wearing roller skates and then directed his head to where the other people were. A lot of them were moving at a stable—and even swift—pace all around the rink while also making sure to not lose their balance. Even Yuya has easily gotten the hang of skating thanks to Alex, yet unlike the loaned Duel Skates, he was able to control when to stop since there weren't any duels involved. The eggplant-haired teen was good at dueling, being a knightly gentleman, maintaining a nice appearance, memorizing Lono's lasagna recipe and her other homemade meals, and keeping a rather strong body figure, but roller skating definitely wasn't one of them.

"Come on, Yuto!" Yuya encouraged. "It's easy!"

"Easy for you to say!" Yuto pointed out, stumbling once more before falling onto the floor.

Sora, on the other hand, was skating with ease. "This is easy!" he exclaimed. "I had to memorize too many dances for Duel Academy's galas, so I'm already quick on my feet!" He showed no hesitation with his skating skills as he zipped by Yuto, much to the eggplant-haired teen's annoyed disappointment.

"Do you need help?" Yoko called out, already skating with Yusho.

"N-No, I'm fine," Yuto lied, wiping a forming tear away from his eye. Why did Yoko have to remind him so much of Lono?

"Doesn't look like it," Yuya said. He proceeded to grab his cousin's hands and pull him back up on his feet.

"What are you doing?" Yuto asked.

"I'm teaching you how to roller skate!" Yuya cheerfully answered. "So just relax and follow my lead!"

Holding his cousin's hand, Yuya started his tutorial off by going at a steady pace, making sure to go slow but not too fast so that they can at least sustain their balance. Some time later, Yuto noticed Yuya was humming a song, spiking his curiosity.

"Are you...humming?" Yuto asked.

"Yeah," Yuya answered. "Mom told me the easiest way to skate is by moving to the beat of Pinball Wizard."

Yuto was baffled. "Pinball Wizard...?"

"You've never heard of that song?" Yuya asked.

"No," Yuto admitted.

"It kinda goes something like this," Yuya explained. He started singing. "Ever since I was a young boy I've played the silver ball. From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all. But I ain't seen nothing like him in any amusement hall. That deaf dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!"

Yuya continued humming and singing as he and Yuto skated to the beat of The Who's 1969 single. But Yuto was more focused on the song's lyrics than skating.

"I don't get it," the Phantom Knights user said. "It's impossible for someone to play pinball if they can't see and hear."

"Technically Tommy isn't really blind and deaf," Yuya explained. "He witnessed his birth father kill the man who raised him, causing his mom to tell him he didn't see or hear that."

That didn't help Yuto. "Tommy...?"

"It's the name of the Pinball Wizard," Yuya clarified.

Are there more songs about this Tommy person? Why exactly did his biological father kill his adopted one? Did his mother tell him he didn't see or hear that murder to make sure he wouldn't be traumatized by it? Yuto always knew songs have a meaning to them, but he never figured they can create a story that share a common lore to them. He might have to do some research to learn more about Tommy and what songs The Who did about him.

"That's it!" Yuya suddenly exclaimed.

"What's it?" Yuto asked.

"You're skating!" Yuya explained

Yuto looked around at his surroundings to see how he was moving fluidly across the rink. He then glanced down at his feet to see they have gotten the hang of skating. He was surprised with how well he was going.

"I... I'm doing it," Yuto said. He started smiling wide and laughing. "I'm actually skating!"

He accelerated in front of Yuya and dashed by Yoko, Yusho, and Sora as he basked in the glory of roller skating for the first time. He usually doesn't act like this, but it feels too long since he last had a chance to do some family bonding. Seeing how the Sakakis are also part of his family, he wanted to make this moment count.

"Yuto, slow down!" Yoko called out. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I don't want you to get hurt, sweetie!"

Yuto's eyes widened in alarm. "Mom?" he asked aloud.

The words Yoko said. He heard them before. As quickly as she spoke them, he found himself back into the past when he was younger. He still had short hair with his light purple bangs covering his eyes and wore baggy clothes at that time when his only friends were Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon and his mom. It was prior to meeting Shay when he was the only person in Heartland who stood out like a sore thumb because he wasn't the kind of person who wasn't as bright, cheery, and colorful as everyone else.

From what he could tell from the triggered flashback, he was at his home street, learning how to ride a bike.

"Yuto, are you sure you want to do this?" Lono asked.

"Y-Yes, mom," Yuto shyly muttered.

"Alright," Lono said reassuringly. "Let me know when I can let go."

The two headed down the sidewalk at a slow but secure pace as Yuto pedaled the bike. His eyes widened behind his bangs. "I'm doing it!" he exclaimed. "I'm actually doing it!"

He gradually picked up the speed of his bike and grew more excited as seconds went by, leading up to the point where he said Lono could let go. For his first time riding a bike, he couldn't believe how well he was doing.

"Just don't go too fast!" Lono called out. "I don't want you to get hurt, sweetie!"

Distracted by him remembering that day, Yuto nearly ran into the wall of the skating rink, with Yuya catching him—and hitting the wall—just in time. "What happened?" Yuya asked.

"Sorry," Yuto said. "I...got distracted."

Sora let out a laugh as he skated by. "You, distracted?" he asked. "You weren't distracted when Obelisk Force attacked!"

What he's saying was Yuto never gets sidetracked that easily…unless Lulu is involved. What was he even thinking about that almost got him skating towards the wall?

"Your mom said something that reminded me of my mom," Yuto told Yuya. "Then I thought about the time she taught me how to ride a bike."

"Stop talking like that," Yuya said. "My mom is also your aunt."

"I know..." Yuto said. "But it still feels weird." He still can't get over the fact that Yoko reminds him of Lono because they were sisters.

"Come on, Yoot," Yuya encouraged. "Embrace the familial connection. Your last name is Osaku, but you're still a Sakaki."

Yuto raised an eyebrow. "Yoot?" he repeated.

"Yeah, it's the same nickname Yugo calls you," Yuya explained.

"I know," Yuto recalled. "But you don't have to call me that." He may have stayed with his cousin, but that was when his soul was fused with their counterparts and they didn't knew they were related all this time. It was obvious that it may take a while for him to warm up to this recent discovery.

"But we're family," Yuya emphasized. "Relatives give each other fun nicknames."

"You got that right, tomato head," Sora agreed as he skated by.

This was a clear example of familial nicknames: Sora calling Yuya "tomato head" for obvious reasons up to the point where it doesn't even deserve an explanation. Yuto honestly never thought about giving or being given nicknames in a familial manner; he was more used to those in friendships and relationships. Then again, he did grew up as an only child for most of his life. So maybe he could give this nickname thing a try.

"Okay...odd-eyes," Yuto said, noticing Yuya's new dual eye colors.

The first thing Yuya thought about was his ace monster, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. It actually makes sense on why he would be given that nickname because he was one of the first Pendulum monsters that made him into the pioneer of Pendulum Summoning.

"Now you're gettin' the hang of it!" Yuya replied, playfully punching Yuto on the shoulder.

Yuto rubbed his arm before getting back to skating with his family. He made sure he was at a close distance to where Yuya was because he wanted to spend some bonding time with him; although the stuff he demonstrated was typically something siblings would do, they weren't strictly just for siblings. Since Yuto didn't have any brothers or sisters growing up, hanging out with his own cousin was the next best thing.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Yuya said as the two cousins skated. "What do you see in Lulu?"

"Hmm?" Yuto questioned.

"You heard me," Yuya said. "Since she and Zuzu are technically the same person, I must know why you ended up falling for her."

"Because she's an angel combined with a princess," Yuto answered, smiling softly. "When I'm with her, it feels as if my other half."

"But I'm your other half aside from Yugo and Yuri," Yuya pointed out.

"Not like that," Yuto explained. "According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves."

Yuya snorted a laugh at that. "Except that didn't happen to us," he pointed out.

"But when I met Lulu, I felt complete," Yuto explained. "I was initially captivated by her beauty, but as we spent more time together, I felt a natural connection with her. Don't you feel that with Zuzu?"

"Sort of," Yuya answered. "But it's not like she's my girlfriend. She can be nice, but there's usually nothing sweet about her."

"What about when your fingertips faintly touch hers?" Yuto asked. "Or when she runs a hand through your hair? Don't you feel anything when you're with her?"

"She doesn't touch my hair," Yuya recalled. "Well she hasn't done that in the past, but now..."

He wasn't sure how to say it exactly, but Yuto knew what he meant: Zuzu has been touching his hair lately. But it wasn't casual touches. She gently caressed it with the occasional murmurs of 'you're still Yuya'.

"She has been touching your hair lately?" Yuto asked.

"Yeah," Yuya answered. "A lot."

This was somewhat peculiar, not because of when she has started touching and stroking, but why she has been doing it. There was something about that phrase that got Yuto thinking. "You're still Yuya…" Was it due to him and his counterparts becoming Zarc? No…but it definitely had something to do with him… Was it because of him Awakening? Most likely; after all, it was caused by Zarc's will to reunite his reincarnations as one…and made Yuya's hair stand up more, occasionally making it bear a resemblance to Zarc's hairstyle.

"Do you think it might have to do with what Zarc tried to do with us?" Yuto asked.

"The whole berserk thing?" Yuya asked in response. He briefly ruffled his own hair. "I guess... I think that caused my hair to spike up."

He figured it may have something to do with that. Looking back at the first few times he Awakened, it does show why Zuzu would say something like that. His hair sticking up reminded them of Zarc and the Yu-Salad absorbing each other and reviving their incarnation was traumatizing.

Yuto suddenly smirked. "But at least my hair is better," he said.

"Yuto!" Yuya exclaimed.

"It's true," Yuto said as he skated circles around Yuya. He brushed his bangs back. "Lulu can't get enough of it."

Yuya made a slight pouting face at Yuto's boastful remark. Since when did it become a contest to see who has the best haircut?

"You're wrong!" Yuya replied. "My hair is clearly better than yours! Why else would Aura fall for my devilish charm?"

"I beg to differ," Yuto said. "My hair is much softer than yours. Lulu even thinks it was because of an angel's blessing."

"But mine doesn't stand out as much," Yuya added.

"Mine actually has a more natural coloring," Yuto remarked.

"Tell that to your purple bangs!" Yuya pointed out.

"You're both wrong!" Sora chimed in as he skated by. "Yuri has the best hair!"

That was something Yuto and Yuya can agree on: their Fusion counterpart clearly doesn't have the best hair. Who on Earth would be insane enough to even fall for a cabbage-haired Predaplant user like Yuri?

"So... About Yugo..." Yuya realized.

"Probably," Yuto admitted. "Rin seems to like that stray lock of hair near his right cheek."

"But when was the last time he washed it?" Yuya asked.

"Probably never," Yuto answered. "Which means I still have the softest hair."

"But doesn't your head feel heavy?" Yuya asked. "'Cause it looks like you have too much hair."

This sentence slightly caught Yuto off guard, mainly due to the fact that his hair was the thickest out of all of his counterparts. "I don't have too much hair," he clarified. "It's thicker."

"I'll be the judge of that," Yuya said.

He skated forward to try and touch Yuto's eggplant-shaped hair to see if it was thicker or not. As he leaned towards him and extended his arm out, the latter attempted to push him away a little because he needed some personal space, but that only increased their chances of them losing their balance and it quickly became a 100% probability rate as the two stumbled and fell onto the floor of the rink. With his cousin recovering from the fall, Yuya took advantage of it and placed his hand on the black locks.

"Yep!" Yuya said, touching his own hair with his other hand. "It definitely feels thicker."

Yuto sat up on the floor right as Yuya stopped touching their hair and Sora zipped by them yet again, but this time, it was to see if they were alright. At least the tomato-haired teen was now convinced that Yuto’s hair wasn't as heavy as he initially thought.

"Are you two done goofing off?" Sora asked. "Mr. and Mrs. Sakaki said they'll take us out for pizza."

Yuya's eyes lit up with glee whereas Yuto was more amazed to hear what Sora mentioned. After all that rambling about hair, pizza for lunch sounded delicious right about now.

"Pizza?" Yuya happily asked. He got back on his feet. "I'm in!"

"Me too," Yuto replied, also getting back up.

"But I'm serious," Sora said. "Compared to you two, Yuri has the best hair."

"Why would you say that?" Yuya asked as Yuto chuckled in disagreement.

"Have you seen those perfectly-coiffed purple and pink locks?" Sora asked in response. "Yuri is clearly the more sophisticated counterpart."

"You're wrong," Yuto said. "Lulu grew up in a wealthy environment. If anything, she's more sophisticated than Yuri."

"Oh, so we're getting the girls in on it?" Yuya asked.

"Why not?" Yuto asked in response. "Her hair is absolutely gorgeous."

The three boys continued talking about all eight counterparts' hair as they skated to where Yoko and Yusho were so that they can put on their normal shoes and head over to the pizzeria for lunch. Yuto never would have imagined finding himself bonding with his extended family, especially his two cousins, one of which happened to be his own counterpart. He also couldn't believe how a simple song could help him overcome his inability to roller skate and lead him into a debate about hairstyles. All in all, he was glad he discovered his relations with his extended family because he was welcomed with open arms thanks to Yuya. He may have been born an Osaku, but he was really glad to be a Sakaki.

#Arc V Aftermath #yugioh arc v #Yuya Sakaki #Yuto (arc v)#Sora Perse #Sora Shiunin #Rehabilitation

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inmywhipitrust · 8 years ago

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{ Whipped!Verses }

Main!Verse

{ +20 years old } Franziska had been working for Interpol the last past years, traveling from country to country non-stop, never staying too long in anywhere without the slightest sense of pertinence. In this years she had started to understand that being a ‘perfect prosecutor’ it's not about winning all her trials blindly but to uncover the true culprits --although, she still have difficulties understanding that she might lose sometimes and that that doesn’t make her less ‘perfect’. She has come to recognize her father's mistakes, his imperfections, and is determined to not repeat them.

“You impish imp!”

A canon divergent version of Franziska von Karma adopted by Morgan Fey. A shy acolyte in Kurain Village at first, she'll become a famous detective one day. She might not have a whip, but her wooden fan is equally fearsome!

Note: this verse is very loved and has its own sideblog.

Crooked!Karma

{ +20 years old } AU where Franziska is following her father's footsteps: she is obsessed with a perfect record, and in her search, she had become herself in a criminal not just capable of falsification evidence but also of commit murder. Because those of von Karma blood has only one fate. And that is ‘perfection’.

Perfect Defense

{ +27 years old } Franziska von Karma does not choose death, but rather an even more radical path for her perfect future: she abandons her promising career as a prosecutor to become a defense attorney, in an attempt to amend all the damage that her father has caused but also to find her own identity.

Broken!Child / Young!Verse

{ +13 years old } Franziska is becoming a prosecutor, but also a rotten person. She loves her father more than anything in this world and that’s the only true reason behind her eagerness for being a perfect prosecutor: make him happy, or at least proud... or at least smile, really. However, the only thing she gets in return for her devotion is coldness, hurtful word, and sometimes even physical punishments. But she is blind to all his abuses and still believes that her papa is the anchor of her life.

Queen of Beasts

{ +18 years old } Little Franziska had a dream: to become a professional animal tamer and travel all around the world with her companions. At the age of 13, when she was about to give her bar exam, she finally decided that her dream was more important than her father’s. She disappeared a few days before the exam, taking a fly to Borginia along some money. She left short message for her father saying that she renounced to her duties as a von Karma. Manfred didn’t look for her. She was a deception.Shortly after –and with the help of some money and some threats– Franziska got to join an itinerant circus in Borginia, where she learned everything she knows. Now she is a professional animal tamer and performer, famous in Borginia and starting to get the rest of the world’s attention. Her persona is the great and mysterious and lovely Fadeyka, a maiden capable of control the most terrifying beasts.

Vengeful Spirits

Manfred von Karma’s spirit wanted the three persons who ruined his hile dead:

He wanted Miles Edgeworth, his adoptive son, dead.

He wanted Phoenix Wright, his technically ‘soon to be son in law, dead.

And over all he wanted her daughter, the one who betrayed him and all his teachings, condemned and utterly dead.

In the shadows of hell, he decided to fulfill his last wish.

CROSSOVERS

verse: Rise from the Snow || Pokémon AU

{+19 years old } As the daughter of Manfred von Karma, a famous member of the International Pokémon Police, she strived to follow her father’s footsteps perfectly since she can remember. Her attempts to gain his approval drove her into becoming a member of the International Police at a really young age –13. However, when she was only 17 his father was discovered as guilty of a considerable amount of crimes –murder among them, but also the collaboration with a great number of criminal organizations – and was sentenced to death in a foreign region when she was in Kalos. Her heart was broken, the person who she admired the most was a dead criminal, and her family name was in the mud, to a point where even her closest(ish) colleagues doubted of her arguing that she also might be a criminal.However, Franziska von Karma overcame the nasty situation and started to perform her duties, but not to impress her father or keep the family name high. Now, she has two goals: prove to those who doubted her that she can be a perfect agent of the International Police defending justice using only the right means and to take revenge on the criminal organizations that perverted her father’s sense of justice. She still isn’t ready to accept the fact that her father wasn’t who she thought she was for all those years.

verse: Renegade || League of Legends AU

Her father was one of Lissandra’s followers and raised her to be one as well, but Franziska sympathized with the ideals of unification Ashe had. After the Civil War erupted she had two choices: fight against the Avarosan tribe or disappear. She chose the second and seek refuge in Bilgewater. She now leaves in Rat Town, doing what she can to protect the indigenous population as a sign of gratitude. || Class: Burst Mage.

#I might add more but esencially here they are #feel free to suggest or just comment! <3 #Mutti!Verse #Crooked!Karma #Main!Verse #Whipped!Verses #Broken!Child #verse: Rise from the Snow #verse: Perfect Defense #verse: Renegade || League of Legends AU #verse: Vengeful Spirits #youimpishimp

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finalbiblecom · 5 years ago

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On the Eve

Yuri Lutsenko, September 2019

On the Eve

Humanity claims to possess spiritual values while increasingly spiraling down the path of lies, violence, and debauchery. Why? The reason is quite clear. However, there is no serious attempt to resolve the issue. Is there a single person who does not have at least one of the following vices: envy, greed, vanity, anger, irritability, resentment, sadness, fear, lust, the list goes on? From a religious point of view, these are all sins. Whether we acknowledge the Laws of the Creator or not, it does not change in any way their unshakable effect on our lives. Ignorance is not an excuse from responsibility.

So, sinful people form families, communities, nations, and, eventually, all of humanity. We live outside of the Law of creation, and we suffer accordingly. That is the highest form of justice.

Materialists do not believe in God, and that is their choice. But there are believers. Let’s take into consideration only the Christian denominations. Right from the start, all of them accepted the central principle that Jesus Christ redeemed all sins of the believers with His blood.

The priests say that we suffer for our sins. If that is true, then why do all of the redeemed believers, who have been cleansed of sin, continue to suffer? Especially since they regularly seek forgiveness from their new sins through the church, in God’s name. That must mean that the sins yet remain.

Many years ago, disciples of Jesus Christ concluded: if almighty God did not save His Son from death, He must have wanted it to happen. Why? Naturally, there came a need for a logical explanation.

And that explanation was found! The Old Testament describes the redemption of sins through a bloody sacrifice. That was the common practice of Jewish people at the time. Remember, the disciples were also Jewish and were raised in the traditions of their religion. A bloody sacrifice was a practice of ancient tribal sorcery. For your reference, you may want to read the Old Testament, the beginning of the book of Leviticus, ch. 1, v. 4-17. There you will find the detailed description of redemption through sacrifice. Leo Tolstoy, as part of his spiritual work, also noted an infiltration of some elements of Judaism into Christianity. That infiltration was introduced by the disciples. Bloody sacrifice as redemption was voiced primarily by Paul the apostle, although other apostles have made similar statements. Unfortunately, this version replaced the main essence of Christianity, and the “authoritative” opinion of the apostles became the core dogma for all Christian denominations, which appeases spiritual laziness.

That is how the Darkness residing in the minds of people, who did not yet fully comprehend the essence of the Word of God, introduced a lie at the very source of the Christian religion. The lie that one becomes free from their sins and is spiritually saved not through personal victory over sin but by the blood of the innocent Son of God. Thus, obeying the Commandments is the unnecessary hassle for the already “redeemed and saved.”

Compare it with the text from the New Testament, 1 John, ch. 2, v. 3, 4:

v. 3: “We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.”

v. 4: “Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”

Clearly, some of the apostles carried the opinion that fulfillment of the Commandments forms the main element of spiritual ascension.

Who was Paul the apostle?

1) During the lifetime of Jesus Christ, he was the agent of the Sanhedrin. He fiercely persecuted Christ and did not know Him personally.

2) He was a student of Gamaliel to become a rabbi and could not help but to introduce some elements of Judaism into Christianity.

3) As the Lamb of God, Jesus takes on all the sins of humanity, so that believers can be acquitted on the day of the Last Judgment. Paul explains the role of Jesus from Nazareth, who died on the cross, in a very unique way through the history of humanity. A Protestant theologian Heinz Zahrnt called Paul “a person who ruined the Gospel of Jesus.” Another theologian, Franz Overbeck, states: “Everything beautiful in Christianity gathered in Jesus, everything monstrous – in Paul” (Veddig Frikke “Who condemned Jesus?” ch. 2).

4) Paul became a Christian after the death of the Savior, while the apostles followed Christ from the beginning of His teaching. Those who researched the biography of Paul have concluded that the so-called “judo-christian” apostles did not trust Paul and considered him a spy in their midst.

5) Paul was subjected to harassment, not only from the apostles. From the very beginning, he definitely was the most controversial figure. The fathers of the Church, including Papias, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian, did not accept Paul. The author of the New Testament’s chapter of James (the brother of Jesus Christ) dissociated himself from Paul. The pointed message “Leave Paul – return to Jesus” remains relevant to this day (Veddig Frikke, ch. 2).

Paul the apostle writes in Romans, ch. 3, v. 24, 25, 28:

v. 24: “and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.”

v. 25: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.”

v. 28: “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

Compare the above with James, ch. 2, v. 24, 26:

v. 24: “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”

v. 26: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

With his interpretation, Paul justifies the cruel death of Christ, along with the betrayal by Judas, and draws a very odd conclusion. Unable to control the actions of his flesh, he denies responsibility for his sinful behavior by making a decisive statement:

Paul in Romans, ch. 7, v. 15-25:

v. 19: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.”

v. 20: “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

That is the way the present-day Christians lead their lives – they believe and they sin simultaneously, justifying their weakness with the quotes of the apostles, while disregarding the Word of God that is in front of them, given by the Savior.

You won’t find a single quote by Jesus Christ to the effect of “it’s impossible to be sinless; therefore, I redeem your sins with My death, to abolish your responsibility over them.” If that were the case, this notion would be repeated consistently by all authors of the Gospels. For it is the most crucial element of religion!

Instead, the notion contradicts the Law of the Father: “A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians, ch. 6, v. 7). This means that the officially accepted dogma that our sins are redeemed by the blood of the murdered Christ does not coincide with God’s Law of personal responsibility for one’s own actions. Moreover, it indirectly indicates that God gave man the impossible task of personally redeeming our sins while living by the Commandments.

For almost 20 centuries, humanity has been walking past Christ’s Truth, all the while thinking that we are “saved”. The result is apparent in cities and villages, on the streets and in families. It manifests in the form of rivalry and hatred between nations and, most revealing, in hostility between the Christian denominations. “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” (John, ch. 13, v. 35).

The moan is spreading across the Earth, so where can we find justice? Without accurately understanding the essence of the Christian religion, we stand defenseless before an onslaught of evil. We refuse to remove the log of sin out of our eye. Instead, we continuously search for someone to blame for our misfortunes while forgetting the critical and perpetual Law that carves us, the Law that what we sow, so must we reap a hundredfold.

Let’s draw an analogy, by comparing our sinful society with a harsher equivalent, like a prison. Humanity consists of sinful people breaking the Law of God. We are surrounded by an invisible “barbed wire fence,” beyond which is our health, the joy of life, and the victory of justice. There’s a sign over the prison’s exit: “Out to freedom with a clear conscience.” However, for some reason, freedom does not come to us.

God does not support criminals, no matter which theories they justify themselves with. No excuse is accepted for a failure to live by His Law. Consequently, suffering is inevitable until we find our way to the right path and conquer our own laziness.

Jesus predicted the Second Coming. He knew that humanity would be unable to climb out of the surrounding sea of lies and misfortune without help from above.

But do you think the Second One will bring a new message? Just like the First One, He will proclaim: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John, ch. 14, v. 15). And if we are incapable of living by the Law of God, which means loving Him, then we will face His Judgement. Or perhaps another apostle will suggest that our sins are redeemed through bloody sacrifice? Especially considering all of the many sins we have amassed by now!

Except this time, there will be no bloody sacrifice because, on the day of His welcoming, all enemies will be preoccupied with saving their own skin.

Didn’t the very few spiritual devotees prove to us that only a lifetime of hard work and dedication, supported by the Holy Spirit, can lead us to spiritual ascension?

We have had the time to live righteously, but now it seems that time has nearly run out. Instead of living by the examples set by the past devotees to attain spiritual accomplishment, we have put them on a pedestal and turned them into objects of cult worship.

Who helped us to forget or ignore the Word of the Son of God? Who, for centuries, while urging us to live by the Commandments, has been preventing us from walking along the right path?

“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John, ch. 8, v. 34). Speaking in simple terms, we are the slaves of envy, resentment, anger, despondency, fear, lust, jealousy, vanity, greed, and so on. These vices shape our external behavior.

Each negative emotion has keys for resisting it, which we need to learn and internalize. A victory over negative emotions will lead our society to cultivate harmonious relationships.

Why wasn’t the strict and straightforward teaching of Christ taken as a foundation for the spiritual development of a Christian? Instead, the opinions of the apostles, influenced by Judaism, were accepted as a core of Christianity. The word of the apostles, who were mere humans, was exalted over the Word of God! Why?

There is only one reason: a failure to clearly explain how to obey the Commandments and an inability to understand their true essence. Also, we didn’t cultivate the tools to fight the diverse and often cleverly camouflaged manifestations of the Darkness in our minds. For that, we need to learn from the experience of people living by the Commandments — people who took on the difficult task of spreading the Word of God.

The apostles themselves admitted their imperfection.

Paul, 1 Corinthians, ch. 13, v. 9-10:

v.9: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part,”

v.10: “but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.”

Jesus Christ, addressing John in Revelation, expressed His opinion about the apostles:

Revelation, ch. 2, v. 2, 4, 5:

v. 2: “I know your deeds, your hard work, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them false.”

Further, in v. 4, 5, Jesus admonishes John for his transgressions and encourages him to repent.

The apostles did not possess the holiness that was attributed to them on their own. They received their righteous qualities from Jesus Christ, who said: “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew, ch. 10, v. 8).

“Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” (Matthew, ch. 10, v. 1).

Remember that the term “apostle” does not mean “holy.” The word “apostle” translates from Greek as “the one who is sent to preach.” Satan also has his apostles.

The notion that we are redeemed of our sins by the “holy sacrifice” became the screen hiding the real key to freedom and soul salvation.

The Son of God, during His life on Earth, already knew that people would fail. He saw our weaknesses, manifested in the people He interacted with. Thus, He proclaimed His prediction of the Second Messenger.

Why would we need the Second Coming if at least one of the denominations were following the right path to the Light? If that were the case, the congregation would learn by the example of their spiritually experienced priests. Then, people would be taught how to obey the Commandments, which would result in the gradual improvement of their spiritual and physical lives. Consequently, such people would become an example to follow. That is the inevitable outcome of living by the Laws of the Creator. The opposite of that would be the devastation, disease, and humiliation that serve as punishment for our sins.

The second coming of Christ is awaited by many, although He clearly stated that another advocate would come – the Spirit of Truth, which is another hypostasis of the Creator.

Gospel of John, ch. 16, v. 7-14:

v. 7: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

v. 8: When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

v. 9: about sin, because people do not believe in Me:

v. 10: about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer;

v. 13: But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.

v. 14: He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you.”

Christ’s statements make it evident that He does not speak of His own coming but a coming of another manifestation of God. Jesus is Love, and people crucified Him. And the Spirit of Truth, Immanuel, is the hypostasis of God’s Will. He will descend to establish order on Earth.

Let’s go back to the murder of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the apostles’ missionary work.

If Christ chose people who came to Him and later became apostles, that means they were deserving, spiritually strong individuals, perhaps the best of their day.

The apostles did everything in their human power. We owe them for spreading Christianity across the world, thanks to their sacrificial missionary work. It is not the apostles’ fault that the interpreters choose to follow their imperfect understanding of the Word, to the detriment of the true Word of the Son of God.

Those who have attempted to live by the Commandments know how tricky and powerful the Darkness is. It approaches a person mainly through their intellect, in the form of thoughts disguised as their own.

A follower can be led to the beginning of their spiritual work only through true faith, uncompromising self-control, sincere prayer, resistance of their own pseudo-thinking, and the strongest willpower, which must be applied regularly. In addition, willpower must be supported by God’s Will, through baptism. The next step is to never relax even for a minute for the rest of your life. How many of you are ready to take that plunge?

The death of Jesus Christ left the apostles without His continuous visible support.

The Darkness furiously attacked the still imperfect consciousness, trying to destroy the sown seeds of Truth. And it partially succeeded, preying on our unconquered vanity and other vices. If Jesus Christ were to live another 20 years, perhaps the history of Christianity and humanity would be entirely different.

Since that did not happen, the single “trunk,” formed by the religious teaching of Christ, began to branch off into numerous directions. Which of those branches is the right one? Only a person unburdened by the sin that prevents our consciousness from making the right choice, can answer that question.

Sin is not an abstract concept, such as merely breaking the law. Speaking in modern language, sin is a mass of dark, destructive energy – the Darkness, or demons. Terminology does not change the definition. This mass forms powerful dark clouds over each individual. Those clouds cut our physical body with its thoughts and feelings off from our soul, from the Light.

A sin can be external, visible, in the form of a physical act or a word, or it can be internal, invisible, in the form of a thought or an emotion.

As ordinary people, we can often control the visible part of our relationship with the world; however, we do not know how to block negative thoughts and feelings. Or perhaps we do not even consider them a controllable act.

The Will of the Creator controls all expressions of human “I” and judges us for all of them, including unrighteous thoughts and feelings. The words “Keep the hearth of your thoughts pure; by doing so, you will bring peace and be happy!” were addressed to us.

So, why did God not prevent the death of His Son?

Everyone, including Jesus Christ, falls under the Law of Choice, and God does not change His Laws. A Visitor, when coming to Earth, voluntarily accepts all possible consequences, including physical death. That is what constitutes the grandeur of the heroic act of Jesus Christ!

Humanity, to which the Son of God addressed His Message, could have chosen to embrace It. People could have decided to follow Christ, and to become the nation led by God. But the supreme spiritual authority of that time did not want to admit its inadequacy. The massacre of the Savior was bolstered by fanaticism or indifference of the masses.

“Blind leading the blind…” chose to murder! After the torture and execution of Jesus Christ, all that remains is to wait for the Last Judgement as an extreme measure. Humanity rejected the real opportunity to be saved and confirmed its intentions by nailing the Savior to the cross.

In recent years, after observing what is happening in society and nature, many conclude that the apogee of the final Judgement is rapidly approaching. The separation of “sheep from goats” is taking place. Possibly for the last time, man is offered to either walk towards God or to remain in the arms of his demons. “There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.” (John, ch. 12, v. 48).

Let me remind you of several main virtues, without which the movement to the Light remains only an illusion:

1. Repentance. “Penitent heads don’t get chopped off.” (Proverb)

2. Faith. Faith must be a genuine, spiritual perception rather than an intellectual statement.

3. Goal. The main goal is to free your soul. It must prevail over any earthly goals.

4. Having your brain under the control of your spirit, your conscience.

5. Presence of will.

6. Presence of patience.

7. Presence of humility. This means accepting the right of the Law to return our sins to us in the form of punishment. If the acceptance is genuine, then forgiveness is genuine and, thus, the sin is forgiven. That sin is redeemed with pain and loss.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew, ch. 6, v. 14).

All of the above qualities must manifest in the presence of real baptism.

Only a priest who possesses spiritual faith is able to baptize. Additionally, the baptized one must understand the essence of baptism. The Holy Spirit protects only those who have real faith. And real faith means openness to God, along with a consistent reduction of the personal sins which dirty this world. Otherwise, a person loses support from above.

Remember the warning of the Son of God – Head of the Church. Matthew, ch. 7, v. 21: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.” Conforming to the Will of the Father means fulfilling His Commandments. This is the salvation of the soul from the enslavement of sins.

Anyone who follows any of the official Christian denominations, including Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant, sooner or later will see the inconsistency and contradiction of certain postulates. That is if we seriously want to understand the essence of religion and to honestly find the answers to our spiritual questions.

The Creator cannot be illogical. Truth always holds simple and clear logic unless it gets replaced by the far-fetched and unproven interpretations of humans. For, as we know, one lie always breeds another to defend the first one, and so it multiplies.

First, we need to understand that forgiveness and redemption of sins result from humility and personal elimination of negative emotions. This is a long-term commitment, which I can personally attest to through my own experience on this particular journey. Negative emotions destroy our physical and spiritual health; however, there exists a specific weapon against each negative emotion. This weapon is the conquering logic that is supported by the knowledge of the Laws of God. That is the only way one can be victorious over the primary opponent of one’s soul – intellect.

Blind faith is equivalent to ignorance and often leads to fanaticism. We need to obtain knowledge, not only so our souls can receive grace through faith, but also so our minds can understand the logic of Truth from the Creator. And such knowledge exists. Then the logic of the Light will conquer the logic of the Darkness, and intellect will serve man without degrading his soul, thereby fulfilling the Savior’s Covenant: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew, ch. 22, v. 37). As a result of living by the Laws, we will become children of God and not the destroyers we are now.

Aren’t we now repeating the mistakes of our two-thousand-year-old history? “Blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew, ch. 15, v. 14).

Would it not be better to follow the phrase: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John, ch. 8, v. 32)?

For now, freedom remains unseen.

Of course, these words are primarily addressed to living souls who have faith and seek a way out of life’s dead end.

Non-believers are not interested in the topic of religion for the time being.

I ask you not to view this text as an imposition of personal opinion, even though it is verified by the personal experience of witnessing positive results. Because each one of us bears personal responsibility for our choices, which shape our own destinies – sowing and reaping. Time will tell who is right. Life is the best teacher, and we must be able to learn from It, for life is from God!

Throughout the history of the Christian movement, there have been several martyrs for faith, many beautiful and spiritually strong people, and countless deeds worthy of respect. The memory of them will forever remain with us and will support those who truly move towards the Light.

Content of this article was selected, and conclusions were drawn based on a comparison of the two approaches to Christianity:

1. Rare spiritual devotees came close to fulfillment of the Commandments by following the Word of Christ.

2. The majority of the Christians, unfortunately, are spiritually inert.

The goal of this article is an attempt to direct human consciousness towards real work on oneself. Lazy people will not like it, guaranteed.

Addendum 1.

Citations from the book “In the Light of Truth” by Oskar Ernst Bernhardt:

From the chapter “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”:

Mankind could not burden themselves with anything more terrible than this voluntary limitation, this incapacity to perceive all that lies beyond earthly matters, i.e., by far the greater part of all happenings. To this must now be added the many schisms and the ever-increasing hatred for one another, despite the uniformity of their voluntary enslavement by intellect! The cause lies neither with employer nor employee, neither with wealth nor lack of it, nor is it due to the church or the state, or to the different nations, but it is only the wrong attitude of each individual which has brought about the present state of affairs.

Even the so-called seekers for the Truth are now seldom on the right road! Nine-tenths of them turn into nothing but Pharisees who look arrogantly down upon their fellow-men and criticize them, while at the same time quarreling among themselves!

From the chapter “What seek ye?”:

But the seeker’s cry for Light, imbued with strengths to cleave through the mire, is turned aside and dies away beneath an impenetrable canopy, assiduously set up by the very people who think they help. They offer stones for bread!

From the chapter “The call for the helper.”:

In order really to be a human being, and begin his ascent as such, it is first of all necessary for man to descend from his artificial height. Today, spiritually puffed up, he is sitting in a tree at the foot of the mountain, instead of standing with both feet firmly and securely on the ground. Thus, unless he first comes down or falls from the tree, he will obviously never be able to climb the mountain.

From the book “Resonances of the Grail Message” by Oskar Ernst Bernhardt:

From the chapter “Easter 1934.”:

Each person only once has an opportunity to feel the last Grace of God in His Word! The Word will pass by him in such a way so that he will be able to know It if he wills. If he then does not grab hold of It with all his might and does not take advantage of the moment, then It will never return to him, and he will have to perish.

Addendum 2.

An interesting quatrain from the 16th century:

“So long-awaited will never return,

Homeland in Europe, he will appear in Asia:

The only one who comes from the league of the great Hermes,

And he will rise above all the Kings of the East.”

Nostradamus, (Century 10, Quatrain 75).

How to interpret this quatrain?

It will not be Jesus who comes but Immanuel – the Spirit of Truth, which is another hypostasis of God.

He will be of European descent born in Asia,

The only successor to all God’s Messengers.

The Truth that He brings will rise above all branches of religions, including eastern ones.

Yuri Lutsenko, September 2019.

#bible

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