Today a great spiritual hunger is surfacing as many seek comfort, support, and meaning in a world that has spun out of control. Yet, times of loneliness, confusion, fear, or separation come for a powerful reason-so we can stop our usual way of being and discover where true strength, connection, and understanding lie. These difficult times are actually a blessing, removing us from preoccupation with externals and inviting us to embark on a journey into the heart and meaning of our lives. Both Jewish and Zen practice call us to enter the journey, though in different ways.

In a sense, Judaism and Zen represent two opposite ends of a continuum: Zen is based upon radical freedom, letting go, being in the present and nonattachment. Judaism comes rooted in family relationships, love, prayer to a Higher Power and the injunction to hold on and remember. A Jewish heart is warm, giving, human, devoted to family and friends. A Zen eye is fresh, direct, spontaneous, unencumbered by ideas, beliefs, hopes or expectations. These two practices are like two wings of a bird; both are needed to be able to fly.

Each tradition addresses the primal questions that drive our lives and provides keys for finding answers. In Zen practice, you take time to remove yourself from family and friends, do zazen, journey within and awaken for the good of all. Jewish practice is done in the midst of the community. Relationships are central. It is said that God is to be found at the kitchen table, with family, friends and food. In Jewish prayer you go to God and ask for everything. In this way you always know the Source of your good and constantly offer thanks.

In Zen practice you do not pray for help at all. You do zazen, (zen meditation), sit, back straight, legs crossed, eyes down, facing the wall. You do not speak, reach out, touch, or listen to the troubles of others. You do not offer consolation or turn to others for support. In fact, what you thought of as support is taken away. If others are having trouble on the cushion, experiencing sorrow or pain, you do not interfere. Their experience is precious and they are now being given the opportunity to face it fully. The support you offer is silent and profound, just sitting strongly beside them, facing your own experience as well.

The need to combine Zen and Jewish practice always felt important to me. I was born into an Orthodox family where everybody had a different opinion about what God wanted from us. And I had a lot of questions: what was the true way, and why did people who were serving God with all of their hearts have trouble living in the same house? Today, many who feel displaced as well. They wish to relate to their original religion in a way that feels healing and congruent for them. It is easy to lose sight of the true purpose of any practice. Even with the best intentions, anger, judgmental attitudes and domination can easily replace the kindness, generosity and wisdom that are at the heart of all the teachings.

The practice of zazen (zen meditation) creates an atmosphere of acceptance, respect, clarity, kindness a illuminate your original teachings, and provides a deeper experience of them. And, your religion of origin can ground you in the reality of who you are. In this way, practicing both Zen and Judaism provides balance and richness as each practice enriches, illuminates and challenges the other.



By: Brenda Shoshanna

About the Author:

Many people live within the boundaries of a small sphere of perception and interest. Within this sphere, everything is very real, very meaningful and emotionally penetrating.. What happens within this sphere affects the heart, the mind, and even the body.

Included here, are often one’s immediate family, certain job or workplace issues, health-related concerns, close friendships, significant hopes or dreams, activities that feel central to one’s life.

Outside the sphere are other people at a greater emotional distance, less significant work-related issues, more distant friends and relations, and, often, the rest of the world.

The sphere of personal interest in which all is very ‘real’ is changing today, and must change, so that the world can become more whole and so that the human family can recognize itself as such.

The immediate sphere of reality that concerns the heart is defined by several things, among them:

1) The presence or absence of a crisis or other serious challenge that must be faced. Such a challenge or crisis generally overshadows all else.

2) The influence of fatigue or a sense of overwhelm which creates a desire to withdraw from more remote concerns in order to focus on what is nearer,

3) A sense of limitation within the heart which feels that there is not enough supply of love to meet any more needs or expectations. Here, the heart’s own nourishment or lack thereof is key.

4) An absence of insight into the inner states of others so that these others lack three-dimensionality and are seen primarily in terms of their outer role or presentation. And finally,

5) Lack of awareness of one’s intimate relationship with the larger context of planetary life.

All of these factors are influenced by our spiritual development. All transform in the presence of greater consciousness which allows the self to feel larger, clearer, more capable, and more present to what is around the self.

In particular, the sphere of the heart expands to the extent that we experience an identification with others - to the extent that we feel a kinship and inner knowing of who they are and what their life is about. This identification permits an emotional closeness to exist that would not be present if it were not for the sense of empathy or resonance.

What is ‘empathy’ or ‘resonance’, and how do we find it?

On one level, empathy is an emotional quality relating to sympathy, understanding, compassion, and identification. On another level, empathy is the state of understanding of the oneness of all human beings in their core or center. On still another level, empathy may be considered a presentness to all of life.

Today, the sphere of the heart is expanding. It is expanding because new life is being infused into it through the greater spiritual light that is currently available on the planet. This light is causing changes for many in emotion, thought, and awareness. Neverthless, the awakening of the heart to the larger sphere of which it is a part has only just begun. It has much further to go before we see and feel the manifestation of its effects on a collective level. Despite this, there is, at this time, the possibility for each one who chooses to, to assist the process of personal and global awakening through a desire to do so, and through conscious attention to certain simple things that form part of daily experience:

First, observe the times during the day when you are ‘tuned out’, not really listening to what is being said to you or caring about who is saying it.

Second, notice the degree to which you feel either emotionally touched or grateful for small things that happen during the day. These small ‘gifts’ can come from people, but they can also relate to the events of the day and to the very air we breathe. Gratitude for one’s experience is a testimony to the fact that one has been ‘present’ during the day.

Third, ask yourself how much you have expressed love this day - not just to your spouse, partner, or children, but also to others, and even to those whom you may not know.

Noticing and changing these three things can expand the sphere of the heart. They can expand the heart’s capacity and bring greater consciousness to everyday life. In this way, one’s personal awakening can benefit the planet.

This spiritual awakening is taking place on the Earth, today, as the currents of light influencing the Earth become stronger. Eventually, it will touch the hearts of all. In the meantime, the Earth itself waits for all of humanity to awaken. For the love that one bestows upon one’s neighbors is the love one bestows on the Earth itself. Such love helps to heal both the collective human consciousness and the planetary body as well.

The sphere of the heart is an ever-expanding sphere, with no limits except for those that human consciousness places upon it. It is limitless because the individual heart is part of the heart of God, and it is capable of infinite love because it can draw from a source of nourishment that is Love, a source that is everpresent and part of the heart itself.



By: Julie Redstone

About the Author:

ENDANGERED WORLD - CITIZENSHIP ?

By HIT KISHORE GOSWAMI

Retired Professor of Genetics , Barkatullah University,

24, kaushalnagar, Via Misrod, Bhopal (MP)

( Res: Phone: 91-755-2417156 )

We the world citizens are breathing in a very much insecure society with the increasing dimensions of newer techniques of creating nuisance, terror and ever increasing distrust among citizens world over. Bombs in the bus, train, cinema theatre, open market areas, aero planes and also lying on the garbage tins are only few exhibits of a few peoples’ hatred towards the progressive nations; innocent lives are becoming items of rampage. These inhuman acts are the outcome of free breeding corruption of excessively selfish, narrowly greedy and anti social persons widely distributed throughout the globe. Our irresponsible political leadership has fathered and faithfully nurtured these values for quite sometime, well above four decades. Even In India, we are now only preachers of peace but have always supported criminals and masked their inhuman acts as part and parcel of democracy. We were theoretically known as symbols of tolerance but as a national character now, we display complaints and dissatisfaction on every issue; we are said to believe in “forget and forgive”, but our instinct of taking revenge never calms down. This dualism of Indian practices has been most vividly viable for more than Fifty years; though said to be prevalent in all periods of human civilization. And this dualism or even pluralism of split personalities is rampant world over among all politicians, everywhere thus a common man is becoming an easy victim. This is principally on account of ever increasing economy at any and every cost and this global feature is the motive dogma of modern progress. To be honest in approach, economic progress is friendly to ethical values only in the beginning but soon becomes a bookish conjecture.

The new format of the society is non palatable to millions of simple, honest and humble citizens who believe in brotherhood, love to all human beings and duty as the foremost human religion: those who believe in second religion is an option of thoughts and way of life !!. I have counted heart beats of such people spread world over by way of personal talk, involving and sharing mutual respect.

Exhibition of hatred in the form of terrorism is the latest edition of quelling human values, feelings and ambitions of being a human being. Variable techniques of generating terror are continuously questioning our technological progress dependent-perversions. And the bitter truth is that we can never achieve perfect, clean and honest society. Not because such a society never existed anywhere but because, biologically, this is improbable, impossible and definitely imaginative. Perverts are always born, socially transformed /made, nurtured, and have always been “domesticated” by power.

I intend to enlighten on all these points on the basis of my own studies accumulated as by products of my principal focus in areas of Genetics, focusing principally on reproduction, survival strategies and adaptive behavior in plants and animals including humans dispersed in many countries. Studies conducted during last fifty years suggest that humans are more amenable, susceptible and also most adaptive.

First of all, I concentrate on impact of social turmoil on biological aspects of human behaviour and reproductive performance.



( 1 ) Prevalence of Excessive Social stress

There are many problems existing in our society which have become synonym with the region; the one I had known about was, or rather has been, the “Dacoit problem”. A dacoit word was first heard on All India Radio in 1955 which we remember “ Daku Mansingh mara gaya”; I was a student of 10th class and my father was then posted at Nowgong ( Chhatarpur ) as a Magistrate. During teen age we came across many instances and the drama popularly played on stages about “Sultana Daku” was an item of festive recreation in Northern India for several decades. Stories of both terrorizing and social services were commonly heard and people had labeled “ Good Daku” and bad/ cruel Daku” ( outlaws ) in the Bundelkhand region mostly in the belt extending around Chambal river and further going ahead to the villages around Jaulon in Uttar Pradesh. Dacoits have laid an inbuilt terror among masses and I remember that whenever I visited my relatives in Jaulon area during 1950s-1960s every one cautioned that I must return home by sun set and at any rate, I must never be alone. I always have had desire to go to natural forests, river beds and explore unseen places but was often loaded by a very unnatural tension. Further to this, we always heard some or the other news of killings, kidnappings in a nearby area thus giving enough support to my temporary care takers. The worst was that a gun man went with me in early morning for a walk . The story does not stop here , there are several pouring instances coming to mind but a relevant one is more important.

You need Police Protection for your normal duty:

Even as a lecturer in Botany at Government science college Gwalior, I use to request for a police guard to accompany our M.Sc.boys and girls and the guard were lifted in our hired government bus to the forest area around Tigrha dam , sometime on Shivpuri road ( 1967-1973) and we also took help of Ghatigaon Police station. In every walk of life we have people who live with joy and enjoy their duties, crack jokes, make people laugh and keep a congenial environ. I remember a few policemen who went many times with me and one of them once remarked “Goswami saab you have been self centred in your studies but never cared for us; you have collected dozens of plants but we could not collect a single daku in this area, help us in collection.” I gave him an advice, go in civil dress like a student, collect plants, learn few technical things and be of course armed by pistols etc in a botanical tool box , you never know it may work !.

One may not believe, I showed them signs of their (? dakus’) earlier presence. They “always” leave signs by unnatural placement of twigs, branches which no shepherd

would do that way, nor even a villager and by these non monitored code the dacoits send cautions/ messages to their colleagues. This was my conjecture !!

An Hypothesis:

These are some of the instances which installed a “faith” in my approaches of the problem that a society under permanent stress must have, in greater majority of people, an instinct of insecurity. Insecurity, suspicion under stress cause the pituitary gland excitement thereby secreting more hormones than needed. We talk of bravery but the moment we see a snake in the vicinity, eyes alarm message to the brain which is translated and within a small fraction of second pituitary functions, we have involuntary rise in blood pressure, fear becomes operative and voice becomes shaky. Human physiological responses are so interdependent on neurological responses and are so sensitive that fraction of a second can change the whole personality. In our old Indian Vedic literature we rate control of Anger, Fear, and Greed as testaments of a noble soul.

So, obviously, the society with percolated insecurity causing behavioural tension must be having visible impacts on human reproductive performances at the population levels; this hypothesis was tested on the hospital data collected from the records of maternity centers, primary health centers and hospitals in Gwalior region. The birth statistics from 1950-to1995 gave very alarming results. Also, we conducted family surveys mainly with the help of female students studying post graduate courses at our and many other University centers who offered help for this, apparently secretive but, otherwise very important work. This is worth mentioning here that these investigations were compared with very many kinds of population samples ( In biological context, we call a population sample constituting a breeding group, which in India varies with the caste system, sometimes also differing in languages; non tribals, tribals, communities living at high altitudes, sea shore area dwellers in south and also on moving chariots of Rajasthan) A very patient personalized project accumulated data, generated from MP ( with Cgarh ) Bihar( old), Himachal, Punjab, Srinagar, Andhra Pradesh and some sporadic samples has turned out to be a very genuine consolidated information, some of which have already been published in national and International Journals.

Twinning is influenced

A mother gives birth to more than one child with a difference of a few minutes to few hours. The phenomenon is known is “ Twinning’’ which ordinarily includes birth of triplets, quadruplets and more. Every population has a range of say 8 to 15 per thousand twin frequency ( means that out of 1000 births there are 8 or more twin births which also includes multiple births ). Scientifically, we want to know how many triplets and multiple births have taken place in a population, and these are very well recorded in each village. Twinning never goes unrecorded because this is, as ever, a matter of social curiosity, worry and tension of the mother and attending persons on the health of both, the new born and the mother. Taken as a whole proportion of twin births in one year in one area, and comparing another population in the same way, doing this for many years makes a difference. Biologically, we derive many inferences and offer very valuable comments on the intra and inter population differences and impact of environmental hazards. My studies published during 1970 and thereafter opined for the first time the role of age of mothers, their genetic background, which was upheld by Scandanavian workers. Twinning by and large is dependent on heredity, mother’s predisposition to environmental factors as well as her higher age ( mothers conceiving at 35 and more have great chances for a twin maternity ).This was intriguing that frequency of triplets in particular, showed rise in Morena-Gwalior belt during 1960- 1975 which alarmingly declined during 1975-1980. Our total data based on about 6 million births suggested that average frequency of triplets was 1 in 880 births ( only triplet frequency ) which had declined in 1975-1980 to be 1 in 1700 births. Presenting this work in Rome Conference in 1989 on Twins, I had presented this data causing dismay to many and curiosity to hundreds. As a possible explanation, I had expressed hormonal imbalance influenced by fear, anxiety, socially prevalent long term tension to be responsible for increased tendency of ovulation among women inhabiting this area. A very strong support to this hypothesis was cited from the published results of twinning in Europe during and after the first world war and more extensive data during and after the Second World war. The German and central European territory revealed maximum twinning rates during war-period decade which declined in late fifties. What a grand biological phenomenon to compensate the loss of human lives !!

( 3 ) Over medication is the pseudo outlet of insecurity

A species under great biological stress reproduces faster than, under reluctance.

Twinning is also known to be influenced by drug abuse, extra dosage of oral contraceptives and too much alcohol or other addictions. These all are under a

physiological monitoring principle of three ranges, minimum, optimum and maximum. Not all individuals respond exactly in the same way, even twins are like “two peas in a pod”, so we can never assign any one causative factor for any biological phenomenon.

This is a dogmatic truth that there is nothing which can be taken “final” in biology. But still we try to offer explanation and on matters such as the present one, collecting population data ( epidemiological study ) and using statistical comparisons with many relevant studies are very reliably applications.

A very unfortunate biological problem is regarding congenital malformations which are directly correlated with over medication, drug abuse and newer addictions ( not all congenital malformations are hereditary in nature ) The most famous example is the thalidomide tragedy in Germany. During 1940s the women used extra dosage of sleeping drugs which included this organic compound, thalidomide.

Based on chromosome studies on plant cells under the influence of the chemical thalidomide, then, extending it to epidemiological studies and also subjecting it to tissue culture observations, biologists came out with recommendations to ban thalidomide dependent drugs. This also revealed for the first time that drugs in molecular forms are not detained by placental barriers and can harm the developing embryo. Pregnant women are very much prone to such hazards !!

Scientifically also, as we pronounce ethically, motherhood is the greatest virtue of being a woman and a mother.

Lack of Sociability

We have made extensive studies on twins and twinning from different parts of the country ( now, more than 14 million births ) during 1964-2004, keeping in view the ecological variables and marriage patterns ( because, marrying with in the family, as in practice in many communities in India, brings common genes among their children ). There are many instances that I intervened in some marriages of muslim families in Bhopal and tried to convince both parties of possible dangers of genic combinations. I did so because they had asked my advice as a scientist, so how can I be unfair to them. Duty as a biologist always demands truthful discussion with any one, and oily tongue can please the persons but not serve the science.

These all honest approaches in a society can sustain longevity only when there is a mutual trust; now in modern progress we face the greatest scarcity of mutual faith.

The great Shakspeare wrote “ who is to be trusted in this world when one’s own right hand is opposite to the bossom”. We are experiencing every where only distrust because we feel insecure. What for??

(

In my book on “BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR” ( unpublished) I have mentioned “violence” to be a natural, original and universal instinct in biological systems. Insecure-society facilitates expression of violence, non-violence is suppression of egos, which has a minimal occupancy in a perturbed atmosphere. No one likes suppression of desires; even, no one wants to take heed of precautions.

This is a very surprising fact in behavioural biology that the factors which enhance distress can be associated with twinning as well as result in increment of abortion rates in human population. There are more than dozen biological and non biological factors for causing recurrent abortions and too early termination of pregnancies ( just in 4-6 weeks of gestation; before noticing pregnancy) but among environmental factors, induced long term social unrest is one of the well known parameters. Natural disasters and calamities have their own way of destruction. Struggle for survival as a species always goes on in the biological scenario.

What we ought to do is to make our demands having some end, egos need to be fenced by our sense of duties. Very honestly, our country shall never be able to get back to real Indian values of tolerance, acceptability of knowledge and mutual faith with respect. This is now impossible rather than difficult to revert back !!

Is this pessimism ? no, not at all. The time lost can never be regained, gone - age can be replayed on a stage or drama not in real life, damage on humanity goes in the space of time ! Best examples are from Indian history dating back to 3000B.C.

Lord Rama, could never live happily after Sita’s “uncalled for” exile. The great Karm Yogi, Krishna ultimately tells the true strength of “Time” Arjuna was convinced to do his job, Duryodhan did his job and above all Bhisma and Dhrithrastra were understood to continue to their jobs despite the fact that everyone was becoming aware of drastic consequences. I often feel amazed at the deeper extent of hatred in Dhrithrastra’s mind that he wanted to crush and mutilate Bhimsen even when he had lost each and every son, his empire and the total purpose of his life. Frustration or “hatred in finite” or both, inseparable ! The lust of power and hunger of revenge are immortal, these never die, they breed truly in masses for several social generations.

Hurt remnants of hatred transform their beliefs in ethos of their isolated religion. Human mind is the most evil mind in the biological world. So we will always have wars, man made disasters and self aimed destructions.

Hit Kishore Goswami

Bhopal, India

ENDANGERED WORLD - CITIZENSHIP

By

HIT KISHORE GOSWAMI

Retired Professor of Genetics , Barkatullah University,

24, kaushalnagar, Via Misrod, Bhopal (MP)

( Res: Phone: 91-755-2417156 )

We the world citizens are breathing in a very much insecure society with the increasing dimensions of newer techniques of creating nuisance, terror and ever increasing distrust among citizens world over. Bombs in the bus, train, cinema theatre, open market areas, aero planes and also lying on the garbage tins are only few exhibits of a few peoples’ hatred towards the progressive nations; innocent lives are becoming items of rampage. These inhuman acts are the outcome of free breeding corruption of excessively selfish, narrowly greedy and anti social persons widely distributed throughout the globe. Our irresponsible political leadership has fathered and faithfully nurtured these values for quite sometime, well above four decades. Even In India, we are now only preachers of peace but have always supported criminals and masked their inhuman acts as part and parcel of democracy. We were theoretically known as symbols of tolerance but as a national character now, we display complaints and dissatisfaction on every issue; we are said to believe in “forget and forgive”, but our instinct of taking revenge never calms down. This dualism of Indian practices has been most vividly viable for more than Fifty years; though said to be prevalent in all periods of human civilization. And this dualism or even pluralism of split personalities is rampant world over among all politicians, everywhere thus a common man is becoming an easy victim. This is principally on account of ever increasing economy at any and every cost and this global feature is the motive dogma of modern progress. To be honest in approach, economic progress is friendly to ethical values only in the beginning but soon becomes a bookish conjecture.

The new format of the society is non palatable to millions of simple, honest and humble citizens who believe in brotherhood, love to all human beings and duty as the foremost human religion: those who believe in second religion is an option of thoughts and way of life !!. I have counted heart beats of such people spread world over by way of personal talk, involving and sharing mutual respect.

Exhibition of hatred in the form of terrorism is the latest edition of quelling human values, feelings and ambitions of being a human being. Variable techniques of generating terror are continuously questioning our technological progress dependent-perversions. And the bitter truth is that we can never achieve perfect, clean and honest society. Not because such a society never existed anywhere but because, biologically, this is improbable, impossible and definitely imaginative. Perverts are always born, socially transformed /made, nurtured, and have always been “domesticated” by power.

I intend to enlighten on all these points on the basis of my own studies accumulated as by products of my principal focus in areas of Genetics, focusing principally on reproduction, survival strategies and adaptive behavior in plants and animals including humans dispersed in many countries. Studies conducted during last fifty years suggest that humans are more amenable, susceptible and also most adaptive.

First of all, I concentrate on impact of social turmoil on biological aspects of human behaviour and reproductive performance.



( 1 ) Prevalence of Excessive Social stress

There are many problems existing in our society which have become synonym with the region; the one I had known about was, or rather has been, the “Dacoit problem”. A dacoit word was first heard on All India Radio in 1955 which we remember “ Daku Mansingh mara gaya”; I was a student of 10th class and my father was then posted at Nowgong ( Chhatarpur ) as a Magistrate. During teen age we came across many instances and the drama popularly played on stages about “Sultana Daku” was an item of festive recreation in Northern India for several decades. Stories of both terrorizing and social services were commonly heard and people had labeled “ Good Daku” and bad/ cruel Daku” ( outlaws ) in the Bundelkhand region mostly in the belt extending around Chambal river and further going ahead to the villages around Jaulon in Uttar Pradesh. Dacoits have laid an inbuilt terror among masses and I remember that whenever I visited my relatives in Jaulon area during 1950s-1960s every one cautioned that I must return home by sun set and at any rate, I must never be alone. I always have had desire to go to natural forests, river beds and explore unseen places but was often loaded by a very unnatural tension. Further to this, we always heard some or the other news of killings, kidnappings in a nearby area thus giving enough support to my temporary care takers. The worst was that a gun man went with me in early morning for a walk . The story does not stop here , there are several pouring instances coming to mind but a relevant one is more important.

You need Police Protection for your normal duty:

Even as a lecturer in Botany at Government science college Gwalior, I use to request for a police guard to accompany our M.Sc.boys and girls and the guard were lifted in our hired government bus to the forest area around Tigrha dam , sometime on Shivpuri road ( 1967-1973) and we also took help of Ghatigaon Police station. In every walk of life we have people who live with joy and enjoy their duties, crack jokes, make people laugh and keep a congenial environ. I remember a few policemen who went many times with me and one of them once remarked “Goswami saab you have been self centred in your studies but never cared for us; you have collected dozens of plants but we could not collect a single daku in this area, help us in collection.” I gave him an advice, go in civil dress like a student, collect plants, learn few technical things and be of course armed by pistols etc in a botanical tool box , you never know it may work !.

One may not believe, I showed them signs of their (? dakus’) earlier presence. They “always” leave signs by unnatural placement of twigs, branches which no shepherd

would do that way, nor even a villager and by these non monitored code the dacoits send cautions/ messages to their colleagues. This was my conjecture !!

An Hypothesis:

These are some of the instances which installed a “faith” in my approaches of the problem that a society under permanent stress must have, in greater majority of people, an instinct of insecurity. Insecurity, suspicion under stress cause the pituitary gland excitement thereby secreting more hormones than needed. We talk of bravery but the moment we see a snake in the vicinity, eyes alarm message to the brain which is translated and within a small fraction of second pituitary functions, we have involuntary rise in blood pressure, fear becomes operative and voice becomes shaky. Human physiological responses are so interdependent on neurological responses and are so sensitive that fraction of a second can change the whole personality. In our old Indian Vedic literature we rate control of Anger, Fear, and Greed as testaments of a noble soul.

So, obviously, the society with percolated insecurity causing behavioural tension must be having visible impacts on human reproductive performances at the population levels; this hypothesis was tested on the hospital data collected from the records of maternity centers, primary health centers and hospitals in Gwalior region. The birth statistics from 1950-to1995 gave very alarming results. Also, we conducted family surveys mainly with the help of female students studying post graduate courses at our and many other University centers who offered help for this, apparently secretive but, otherwise very important work. This is worth mentioning here that these investigations were compared with very many kinds of population samples ( In biological context, we call a population sample constituting a breeding group, which in India varies with the caste system, sometimes also differing in languages; non tribals, tribals, communities living at high altitudes, sea shore area dwellers in south and also on moving chariots of Rajasthan) A very patient personalized project accumulated data, generated from MP ( with Cgarh ) Bihar( old), Himachal, Punjab, Srinagar, Andhra Pradesh and some sporadic samples has turned out to be a very genuine consolidated information, some of which have already been published in national and International Journals.

Twinning is influenced

A mother gives birth to more than one child with a difference of a few minutes to few hours. The phenomenon is known is “ Twinning’’ which ordinarily includes birth of triplets, quadruplets and more. Every population has a range of say 8 to 15 per thousand twin frequency ( means that out of 1000 births there are 8 or more twin births which also includes multiple births ). Scientifically, we want to know how many triplets and multiple births have taken place in a population, and these are very well recorded in each village. Twinning never goes unrecorded because this is, as ever, a matter of social curiosity, worry and tension of the mother and attending persons on the health of both, the new born and the mother. Taken as a whole proportion of twin births in one year in one area, and comparing another population in the same way, doing this for many years makes a difference. Biologically, we derive many inferences and offer very valuable comments on the intra and inter population differences and impact of environmental hazards. My studies published during 1970 and thereafter opined for the first time the role of age of mothers, their genetic background, which was upheld by Scandanavian workers. Twinning by and large is dependent on heredity, mother’s predisposition to environmental factors as well as her higher age ( mothers conceiving at 35 and more have great chances for a twin maternity ).This was intriguing that frequency of triplets in particular, showed rise in Morena-Gwalior belt during 1960- 1975 which alarmingly declined during 1975-1980. Our total data based on about 6 million births suggested that average frequency of triplets was 1 in 880 births ( only triplet frequency ) which had declined in 1975-1980 to be 1 in 1700 births. Presenting this work in Rome Conference in 1989 on Twins, I had presented this data causing dismay to many and curiosity to hundreds. As a possible explanation, I had expressed hormonal imbalance influenced by fear, anxiety, socially prevalent long term tension to be responsible for increased tendency of ovulation among women inhabiting this area. A very strong support to this hypothesis was cited from the published results of twinning in Europe during and after the first world war and more extensive data during and after the Second World war. The German and central European territory revealed maximum twinning rates during war-period decade which declined in late fifties. What a grand biological phenomenon to compensate the loss of human lives !!

( 3 ) Over medication is the pseudo outlet of insecurity

A species under great biological stress reproduces faster than, under reluctance.

Twinning is also known to be influenced by drug abuse, extra dosage of oral contraceptives and too much alcohol or other addictions. These all are under a

physiological monitoring principle of three ranges, minimum, optimum and maximum. Not all individuals respond exactly in the same way, even twins are like “two peas in a pod”, so we can never assign any one causative factor for any biological phenomenon.

This is a dogmatic truth that there is nothing which can be taken “final” in biology. But still we try to offer explanation and on matters such as the present one, collecting population data ( epidemiological study ) and using statistical comparisons with many relevant studies are very reliably applications.

A very unfortunate biological problem is regarding congenital malformations which are directly correlated with over medication, drug abuse and newer addictions ( not all congenital malformations are hereditary in nature ) The most famous example is the thalidomide tragedy in Germany. During 1940s the women used extra dosage of sleeping drugs which included this organic compound, thalidomide.

Based on chromosome studies on plant cells under the influence of the chemical thalidomide, then, extending it to epidemiological studies and also subjecting it to tissue culture observations, biologists came out with recommendations to ban thalidomide dependent drugs. This also revealed for the first time that drugs in molecular forms are not detained by placental barriers and can harm the developing embryo. Pregnant women are very much prone to such hazards !!

Scientifically also, as we pronounce ethically, motherhood is the greatest virtue of being a woman and a mother.

Lack of Sociability

We have made extensive studies on twins and twinning from different parts of the country ( now, more than 14 million births ) during 1964-2004, keeping in view the ecological variables and marriage patterns ( because, marrying with in the family, as in practice in many communities in India, brings common genes among their children ). There are many instances that I intervened in some marriages of muslim families in Bhopal and tried to convince both parties of possible dangers of genic combinations. I did so because they had asked my advice as a scientist, so how can I be unfair to them. Duty as a biologist always demands truthful discussion with any one, and oily tongue can please the persons but not serve the science.

These all honest approaches in a society can sustain longevity only when there is a mutual trust; now in modern progress we face the greatest scarcity of mutual faith.

The great Shakspeare wrote “ who is to be trusted in this world when one’s own right hand is opposite to the bossom”. We are experiencing every where only distrust because we feel insecure. What for??

(

In my book on “BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR” ( unpublished) I have mentioned “violence” to be a natural, original and universal instinct in biological systems. Insecure-society facilitates expression of violence, non-violence is suppression of egos, which has a minimal occupancy in a perturbed atmosphere. No one likes suppression of desires; even, no one wants to take heed of precautions.

This is a very surprising fact in behavioural biology that the factors which enhance distress can be associated with twinning as well as result in increment of abortion rates in human population. There are more than dozen biological and non biological factors for causing recurrent abortions and too early termination of pregnancies ( just in 4-6 weeks of gestation; before noticing pregnancy) but among environmental factors, induced long term social unrest is one of the well known parameters. Natural disasters and calamities have their own way of destruction. Struggle for survival as a species always goes on in the biological scenario.

What we ought to do is to make our demands having some end, egos need to be fenced by our sense of duties. Very honestly, our country shall never be able to get back to real Indian values of tolerance, acceptability of knowledge and mutual faith with respect. This is now impossible rather than difficult to revert back !!

Is this pessimism ? no, not at all. The time lost can never be regained, gone - age can be replayed on a stage or drama not in real life, damage on humanity goes in the space of time ! Best examples are from Indian history dating back to 3000B.C.

Lord Rama, could never live happily after Sita’s “uncalled for” exile. The great Karm Yogi, Krishna ultimately tells the true strength of “Time” Arjuna was convinced to do his job, Duryodhan did his job and above all Bhisma and Dhrithrastra were understood to continue to their jobs despite the fact that everyone was becoming aware of drastic consequences. I often feel amazed at the deeper extent of hatred in Dhrithrastra’s mind that he wanted to crush and mutilate Bhimsen even when he had lost each and every son, his empire and the total purpose of his life. Frustration or “hatred in finite” or both, inseparable ! The lust of power and hunger of revenge are immortal, these never die, they breed truly in masses for several social generations.

Hurt remnants of hatred transform their beliefs in ethos of their isolated religion. Human mind is the most evil mind in the biological world. So we will always have wars, man made disasters and self aimed destructions.

Hit Kishore Goswami

Bhopal, India

ENDANGERED WORLD - CITIZENSHIP

By

HIT KISHORE GOSWAMI

Retired Professor of Genetics , Barkatullah University,

24, kaushalnagar, Via Misrod, Bhopal (MP)

( Res: Phone: 91-755-2417156 )

We the world citizens are breathing in a very much insecure society with the increasing dimensions of newer techniques of creating nuisance, terror and ever increasing distrust among citizens world over. Bombs in the bus, train, cinema theatre, open market areas, aero planes and also lying on the garbage tins are only few exhibits of a few peoples’ hatred towards the progressive nations; innocent lives are becoming items of rampage. These inhuman acts are the outcome of free breeding corruption of excessively selfish, narrowly greedy and anti social persons widely distributed throughout the globe. Our irresponsible political leadership has fathered and faithfully nurtured these values for quite sometime, well above four decades. Even In India, we are now only preachers of peace but have always supported criminals and masked their inhuman acts as part and parcel of democracy. We were theoretically known as symbols of tolerance but as a national character now, we display complaints and dissatisfaction on every issue; we are said to believe in “forget and forgive”, but our instinct of taking revenge never calms down. This dualism of Indian practices has been most vividly viable for more than Fifty years; though said to be prevalent in all periods of human civilization. And this dualism or even pluralism of split personalities is rampant world over among all politicians, everywhere thus a common man is becoming an easy victim. This is principally on account of ever increasing economy at any and every cost and this global feature is the motive dogma of modern progress. To be honest in approach, economic progress is friendly to ethical values only in the beginning but soon becomes a bookish conjecture.

The new format of the society is non palatable to millions of simple, honest and humble citizens who believe in brotherhood, love to all human beings and duty as the foremost human religion: those who believe in second religion is an option of thoughts and way of life !!. I have counted heart beats of such people spread world over by way of personal talk, involving and sharing mutual respect.

Exhibition of hatred in the form of terrorism is the latest edition of quelling human values, feelings and ambitions of being a human being. Variable techniques of generating terror are continuously questioning our technological progress dependent-perversions. And the bitter truth is that we can never achieve perfect, clean and honest society. Not because such a society never existed anywhere but because, biologically, this is improbable, impossible and definitely imaginative. Perverts are always born, socially transformed /made, nurtured, and have always been “domesticated” by power.

I intend to enlighten on all these points on the basis of my own studies accumulated as by products of my principal focus in areas of Genetics, focusing principally on reproduction, survival strategies and adaptive behavior in plants and animals including humans dispersed in many countries. Studies conducted during last fifty years suggest that humans are more amenable, susceptible and also most adaptive.

First of all, I concentrate on impact of social turmoil on biological aspects of human behaviour and reproductive performance.



( 1 ) Prevalence of Excessive Social stress

There are many problems existing in our society which have become synonym with the region; the one I had known about was, or rather has been, the “Dacoit problem”. A dacoit word was first heard on All India Radio in 1955 which we remember “ Daku Mansingh mara gaya”; I was a student of 10th class and my father was then posted at Nowgong ( Chhatarpur ) as a Magistrate. During teen age we came across many instances and the drama popularly played on stages about “Sultana Daku” was an item of festive recreation in Northern India for several decades. Stories of both terrorizing and social services were commonly heard and people had labeled “ Good Daku” and bad/ cruel Daku” ( outlaws ) in the Bundelkhand region mostly in the belt extending around Chambal river and further going ahead to the villages around Jaulon in Uttar Pradesh. Dacoits have laid an inbuilt terror among masses and I remember that whenever I visited my relatives in Jaulon area during 1950s-1960s every one cautioned that I must return home by sun set and at any rate, I must never be alone. I always have had desire to go to natural forests, river beds and explore unseen places but was often loaded by a very unnatural tension. Further to this, we always heard some or the other news of killings, kidnappings in a nearby area thus giving enough support to my temporary care takers. The worst was that a gun man went with me in early morning for a walk . The story does not stop here , there are several pouring instances coming to mind but a relevant one is more important.

You need Police Protection for your normal duty:

Even as a lecturer in Botany at Government science college Gwalior, I use to request for a police guard to accompany our M.Sc.boys and girls and the guard were lifted in our hired government bus to the forest area around Tigrha dam , sometime on Shivpuri road ( 1967-1973) and we also took help of Ghatigaon Police station. In every walk of life we have people who live with joy and enjoy their duties, crack jokes, make people laugh and keep a congenial environ. I remember a few policemen who went many times with me and one of them once remarked “Goswami saab you have been self centred in your studies but never cared for us; you have collected dozens of plants but we could not collect a single daku in this area, help us in collection.” I gave him an advice, go in civil dress like a student, collect plants, learn few technical things and be of course armed by pistols etc in a botanical tool box , you never know it may work !.

One may not believe, I showed them signs of their (? dakus’) earlier presence. They “always” leave signs by unnatural placement of twigs, branches which no shepherd

would do that way, nor even a villager and by these non monitored code the dacoits send cautions/ messages to their colleagues. This was my conjecture !!

An Hypothesis:

These are some of the instances which installed a “faith” in my approaches of the problem that a society under permanent stress must have, in greater majority of people, an instinct of insecurity. Insecurity, suspicion under stress cause the pituitary gland excitement thereby secreting more hormones than needed. We talk of bravery but the moment we see a snake in the vicinity, eyes alarm message to the brain which is translated and within a small fraction of second pituitary functions, we have involuntary rise in blood pressure, fear becomes operative and voice becomes shaky. Human physiological responses are so interdependent on neurological responses and are so sensitive that fraction of a second can change the whole personality. In our old Indian Vedic literature we rate control of Anger, Fear, and Greed as testaments of a noble soul.

So, obviously, the society with percolated insecurity causing behavioural tension must be having visible impacts on human reproductive performances at the population levels; this hypothesis was tested on the hospital data collected from the records of maternity centers, primary health centers and hospitals in Gwalior region. The birth statistics from 1950-to1995 gave very alarming results. Also, we conducted family surveys mainly with the help of female students studying post graduate courses at our and many other University centers who offered help for this, apparently secretive but, otherwise very important work. This is worth mentioning here that these investigations were compared with very many kinds of population samples ( In biological context, we call a population sample constituting a breeding group, which in India varies with the caste system, sometimes also differing in languages; non tribals, tribals, communities living at high altitudes, sea shore area dwellers in south and also on moving chariots of Rajasthan) A very patient personalized project accumulated data, generated from MP ( with Cgarh ) Bihar( old), Himachal, Punjab, Srinagar, Andhra Pradesh and some sporadic samples has turned out to be a very genuine consolidated information, some of which have already been published in national and International Journals.

Twinning is influenced

A mother gives birth to more than one child with a difference of a few minutes to few hours. The phenomenon is known is “ Twinning’’ which ordinarily includes birth of triplets, quadruplets and more. Every population has a range of say 8 to 15 per thousand twin frequency ( means that out of 1000 births there are 8 or more twin births which also includes multiple births ). Scientifically, we want to know how many triplets and multiple births have taken place in a population, and these are very well recorded in each village. Twinning never goes unrecorded because this is, as ever, a matter of social curiosity, worry and tension of the mother and attending persons on the health of both, the new born and the mother. Taken as a whole proportion of twin births in one year in one area, and comparing another population in the same way, doing this for many years makes a difference. Biologically, we derive many inferences and offer very valuable comments on the intra and inter population differences and impact of environmental hazards. My studies published during 1970 and thereafter opined for the first time the role of age of mothers, their genetic background, which was upheld by Scandanavian workers. Twinning by and large is dependent on heredity, mother’s predisposition to environmental factors as well as her higher age ( mothers conceiving at 35 and more have great chances for a twin maternity ).This was intriguing that frequency of triplets in particular, showed rise in Morena-Gwalior belt during 1960- 1975 which alarmingly declined during 1975-1980. Our total data based on about 6 million births suggested that average frequency of triplets was 1 in 880 births ( only triplet frequency ) which had declined in 1975-1980 to be 1 in 1700 births. Presenting this work in Rome Conference in 1989 on Twins, I had presented this data causing dismay to many and curiosity to hundreds. As a possible explanation, I had expressed hormonal imbalance influenced by fear, anxiety, socially prevalent long term tension to be responsible for increased tendency of ovulation among women inhabiting this area. A very strong support to this hypothesis was cited from the published results of twinning in Europe during and after the first world war and more extensive data during and after the Second World war. The German and central European territory revealed maximum twinning rates during war-period decade which declined in late fifties. What a grand biological phenomenon to compensate the loss of human lives !!

( 3 ) Over medication is the pseudo outlet of insecurity

A species under great biological stress reproduces faster than, under reluctance.

Twinning is also known to be influenced by drug abuse, extra dosage of oral contraceptives and too much alcohol or other addictions. These all are under a

physiological monitoring principle of three ranges, minimum, optimum and maximum. Not all individuals respond exactly in the same way, even twins are like “two peas in a pod”, so we can never assign any one causative factor for any biological phenomenon.

This is a dogmatic truth that there is nothing which can be taken “final” in biology. But still we try to offer explanation and on matters such as the present one, collecting population data ( epidemiological study ) and using statistical comparisons with many relevant studies are very reliably applications.

A very unfortunate biological problem is regarding congenital malformations which are directly correlated with over medication, drug abuse and newer addictions ( not all congenital malformations are hereditary in nature ) The most famous example is the thalidomide tragedy in Germany. During 1940s the women used extra dosage of sleeping drugs which included this organic compound, thalidomide.

Based on chromosome studies on plant cells under the influence of the chemical thalidomide, then, extending it to epidemiological studies and also subjecting it to tissue culture observations, biologists came out with recommendations to ban thalidomide dependent drugs. This also revealed for the first time that drugs in molecular forms are not detained by placental barriers and can harm the developing embryo. Pregnant women are very much prone to such hazards !!

Scientifically also, as we pronounce ethically, motherhood is the greatest virtue of being a woman and a mother.

Lack of Sociability

We have made extensive studies on twins and twinning from different parts of the country ( now, more than 14 million births ) during 1964-2004, keeping in view the ecological variables and marriage patterns ( because, marrying with in the family, as in practice in many communities in India, brings common genes among their children ). There are many instances that I intervened in some marriages of muslim families in Bhopal and tried to convince both parties of possible dangers of genic combinations. I did so because they had asked my advice as a scientist, so how can I be unfair to them. Duty as a biologist always demands truthful discussion with any one, and oily tongue can please the persons but not serve the science.

These all honest approaches in a society can sustain longevity only when there is a mutual trust; now in modern progress we face the greatest scarcity of mutual faith.

The great Shakspeare wrote “ who is to be trusted in this world when one’s own right hand is opposite to the bossom”. We are experiencing every where only distrust because we feel insecure. What for??

(

In my book on “BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR” ( unpublished) I have mentioned “violence” to be a natural, original and universal instinct in biological systems. Insecure-society facilitates expression of violence, non-violence is suppression of egos, which has a minimal occupancy in a perturbed atmosphere. No one likes suppression of desires; even, no one wants to take heed of precautions.

This is a very surprising fact in behavioural biology that the factors which enhance distress can be associated with twinning as well as result in increment of abortion rates in human population. There are more than dozen biological and non biological factors for causing recurrent abortions and too early termination of pregnancies ( just in 4-6 weeks of gestation; before noticing pregnancy) but among environmental factors, induced long term social unrest is one of the well known parameters. Natural disasters and calamities have their own way of destruction. Struggle for survival as a species always goes on in the biological scenario.

What we ought to do is to make our demands having some end, egos need to be fenced by our sense of duties. Very honestly, our country shall never be able to get back to real Indian values of tolerance, acceptability of knowledge and mutual faith with respect. This is now impossible rather than difficult to revert back !!

Is this pessimism ? no, not at all. The time lost can never be regained, gone - age can be replayed on a stage or drama not in real life, damage on humanity goes in the space of time ! Best examples are from Indian history dating back to 3000B.C.

Lord Rama, could never live happily after Sita’s “uncalled for” exile. The great Karm Yogi, Krishna ultimately tells the true strength of “Time” Arjuna was convinced to do his job, Duryodhan did his job and above all Bhisma and Dhrithrastra were understood to continue to their jobs despite the fact that everyone was becoming aware of drastic consequences. I often feel amazed at the deeper extent of hatred in Dhrithrastra’s mind that he wanted to crush and mutilate Bhimsen even when he had lost each and every son, his empire and the total purpose of his life. Frustration or “hatred in finite” or both, inseparable ! The lust of power and hunger of revenge are immortal, these never die, they breed truly in masses for several social generations.

Hurt remnants of hatred transform their beliefs in ethos of their isolated religion. Human mind is the most evil mind in the biological world. So we will always have wars, man made disasters and self aimed destructions.

Hit Kishore Goswami

Bhopal, India



By: HIT KISHORE GOSWAMI

About the Author:

On behalf of white evangelical Christians everywhere, I’d like to extend my sincere contratulations to the black church for a well deserved victory. The election of Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States is a watershed moment for world history.

I wasn’t around during the decade of the civil rights movement, but here is what I’ve heard. At a time when your people were considered less than human by mainstream America, you chose to love your oppressors. You faced the attack dogs and the fire hoses. You refused to ride in the back seat of buses. You broke down the walls of segregated high schools with your heads held high. You sang in mass to the tune of ?We Shall Overcome??and overcame you did.

My message to the black church is simple, but urgent. To my fellow black Christians I?d like to say thank you and please. Thank you for winning the struggle for civil rights but please, oh please, do not give up your non-violent heritage that made it possible. In a world where the very presence of nuclear weapons puts the human race in jeopardy, if there ever was a time for the message of non-violence to reclaim its rightful place in American history, that time is now?and you?re the ones that can make it happen!

The irony is now that you have a man commanding the most powerful military in the world, the temptation is all too great to forget that, unlike the American revolution where victory came at the barrel of the gun, your victory came not by the power of might, but by the power of right. Your victory is a victory that came not from violence, but from non-violence.

Last year I was struck by the irony of hearing a speech by John McCain praising Dr. King for his life and legacy when, as I recall, it was Dr. King who said, ?The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own government.? Dr. King was the most vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in his day and yet how often is he praised for his courage to face down his own government?

This year I?m struck by another irony. In a blog post entitled ?The forgotten heart of King?s dream,? author Greg Boyd points out that every year he and his wife attend the annual Dr. Martin Luther King breakfast. This year the keynote speaker was four- star general Colin Powell. In Powell?s speech, he attributed the greatness of America to the greatness of our soldiers throughout history, and even equated soldiers today with Kings call to service. Colin Powell is perhaps one of the most honorable men to ever grace the U.S. military, and of course there are many honorable men and women serving in our armed forces today, but isn?t it ironic that a message praising U.S. military might would be given at a service commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King?

All of the evidence from his books, speeches, essays, and sermons suggests that Dr. Martin Luther King believed that violence never achieves lasting solutions. Dr. King taught that non-violent redemptive love is the most powerful force for good in the world?especially when directed towards one?s enemies. We all seem to know intuitively that Dr. King changed the world for the better, but few today seem to pay much attention to how he changed the world. Since September 11th, King?s values of loving the enemy and turning the other cheek are now viewed as hopelessly na? by mainstream American culture?including by many in the black church.

As a lifelong member of the Pentecostal/charismatic tradition, I consider the historic shift of much of black Pentecostalism from pro-peace to pro-war to be nothing short of tragic. I have a hunch that the influence of Christian Zionism has a lot to do with this, but regardless of the reason, it?s high time for black Pentecostals?and the black church everywhere?to reclaim it?s non-violent heritage.

American Christianity as we know it today is in desperate need of a reformation. For the first three hundred years of Christian history, Christians were thrown to the lions because they embraced the cross and renounced the sword. The vast majority of American Christians today have forgotten this. Who better can remind us of this than you? The media may mock you. The world may laugh at you. But one thing you can know for sure. If you can bring non-violence once again to the forefront of the American psyche, there’s a white boy from Jefferson County Missouri cheering for you every step of the way.



By: Aaron Taylor

About the Author:

Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?” The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.” (Amos 8:1-12)

I sorta promised someone in the parish that I’d choose a more cheery passage next time I preached. “Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy laden” was suggested - a message of encouragement and hope. This is not that sermon.

Inspired by our set lectionary readings, for better or worse, I have found myself irresistibly drawn again to the figure of Amos - one of the fieriest or the fiery prophets of the Old Testament. So … my apologies, but strap yourselves in!

Amos is actually an old friend of mine. Indeed, we became friends a long time ago. During my crazy early Christian days, when I was busy preaching on street corners, trying to convert all my old friends, doing my best to share all my possessions, set up shared bank accounts with the other members of the youth fellowship, and turn my flat into a de-facto shelter for local alcoholic persons, Amos was my inspiration.

I preached my first ever sermon at my home church - the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Surry Hills - on Amos, at the first service of the day, and I got so carried away that I just couldn’t be stopped. I preached for 25, 30, 35, 40 minutes, and as people arrived for next service and started knocking on the door, I was still going! You have been warned! Strap yourself in (and pour yourself a cup of coffee).

Why was I so drawn to the figure of Amos? Because nobody in the Bible, I think, more clearly reflects the Biblical passion for social justice as does the prophet Amos

Amos was an 8th century prophet, meaning that he preached in the 8th century B.C., before the destruction of Northern Israel.

If you know the history of ancient Israel, you know that after the reigns of King David and his son Solomon, there was a civil war of sorts in Israel, after which the country was split into north and south. The southern state of Judah remained loyal to the line of David and maintained Jerusalem as their capital, while the much larger state of northern Israel set up their capital city in Samaria, and built there an alternate temple, which, according to the books of Chronicles, was the beginning of the end.

The importance of this with regards to Amos is that Amos was a southerner, from the southern state of Judah, but was preaching in the north! This was a point of tension for Amos, and when he comes into conflict with the northern religious authorities he’s told to go back home and mind his own business, and I’m sure that his southern drawl would have made it difficult for him to get a unbiased hearing.

Amos was no professional preacher either, with a clever, polished style. He tells us quite frankly that he was a farmer who felt called one day to go and preach to the people of the north. So he closed the farm door, got on his donkey, rode all the way to Samaria, the capital of the north, set up a soap-box, and started preaching:

Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment” (Amos 1:3)

I’m in Amos chapter one, where we read of Amos giving a series of prophecies of doom to a variety of middle-eastern nations - Damascus, Moab, Edom, etc. - and he speaks of the terrible judgement that God is going to bring upon these peoples for the crimes of violence that they have committed.

We’re told that the people of Damascus “threshed Gilead with sledges of iron”, and that the Edomites hunted down their Israelite relatives “and showed no pity”. We’re told that the Ammonites even “ripped open pregnant women in Gilead”!

We are not unfamiliar with this sort of violence. Crimes such as these continue to happen. Indeed, for some of our parishioners, who have come to us seeking refuge from their own war-torn homelands, these reports may sound all too close to home!

They were crimes took place, of course, in the context of war, but so far as Amos in concerned, this is no excuse. Don’t bother pleading, “I was only following orders”. God will not overlook such terrible acts of inhumanity.

In terms of Amos’ overall message, it’s worth recognising that in this opening spiel, Amos is railing exclusively against Israel‘s enemies. Indeed, if you take a map of the area and pinpoint the nations that Amos targets in these prophecies, you‘ll see that they encircle Israel, and that crimes of violence were all perpetrated on Israelites.

This was probably Amos‘ attempt to get his audience on-side by whipping them into a patriotic frenzy. “Woe to the you violent Iranians”, he cries. “woe to the Syrians, woe to you Hezbollah Muslim fanatics”, … and all the people say, “Amen!”

In chapter 2 though, Amos adjusts his sights, extending his message of doom firstly to Southern Judah (his home country) and then finally to the people of the north, and again it’s for crimes of violence, though this time of a more subtle nature:

Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals - those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same maiden, so that my holy name is profaned; they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.” (Amos 2:6-8)

Amos’ basic charge is one of violence against the poor, but it’s not because there are gangs roaming the streets, beating up poor people (‘Clockwork Orange’ style). Rather, what is being targeted is systematic injustice that is being perpetrated through the government and through the economy!

This practice of ‘selling the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals’ refers to a business practice whereby poor people were being ripped of and further impoverished though an unfair system of trade. While the exact details are not known, we know today that people are still being ‘sold for a pair of sandals’ ,or running shoes, at any rate (made in the third world factories belonging to Nike etc).

And along with these unfair trade practices go high interest rates from the banks and money-lenders, that make it almost impossible for the poor to get ahead. They “lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.”

It says in the Torah that if you if a poor man gives you his coat as a acuity for a loan, you have to give that garment back to him at nightfall so he has something to sleep on. What we see here though is that the money-lenders are charging exorbitant interest rates from these poor people, taking their garments, yet have the gall to take them to the temple and sit on them while they drink!

The temple-worship of these businessmen strikes Amos as blatant hypocrisy, and he’ll come back to that again. Let’s note though first that Amos also launches an indictment here against ‘a man and his father who go into the same maiden’.

We assume that this is more than just a particular incident of promiscuity. Most likely cult prostitution is on view, or young slave-girls forced into the sex industry. Exploitation takes many forms and, Amos says, God will not excuse any of it!

The aspect I most want to draw attention to in this opening volley from Amos, is that he is not just attacking some nasty people who are doing some obviously nasty things. The crimes that he has on view are ones that are embedded in the system.

The men of violence that he targets are not street thugs. They are businessmen! These money-lenders are not wanted men. They are acting within the law. And even these father and son teams who are getting up to mischief out the back of the boardroom are probably not doing anything technically illegal. What we have here is a corrupt system that is enriching one section of the community at the expense of another. The business leaders are working with the courts, and they’re getting their blessing from the priests, and it’s all entirely kosher (pardon the expression).

What Amos is telling the people is that their God does not consider the fact that it’s legal to be an excuse! You can‘t say, “sorry mate, but business is business” and “it’s not my fault. I‘ve got to operate in the real world”, any more than those Ammonites can say, “We were only following orders” or those young boys can say, “but raping young girls is an acceptable part of the culture where we come from”.

“Garbage!”, says the prophet. It doesn’t matter what standards your culture sets any more than it matters what your mates were doing. It doesn’t matter what your orders were. It doesn’t matter whether it’s legal or illegal. It’s wrong, it’s violent, it’s demeaning of other human beings and God will not overlook it, even if everybody else was doing it!

In chapter 5, Amos highlights the way in which the powerful are working with the courts. He speaks there about ‘the gate’, and the gate of the city is where they held their court, so when it says ‘the gate’, it’s a reference to the legal system.

“They hate him who reproves in the gate (ie. an honest judge) and they abhor him who speaks the truth (ie. an honest witness). Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.” (Amos 5:10-11)

Again, it’s not because anyone in particular is beating up on poor people, but because there is a corrupt legal system in place that is generating injustice. A similar point is made in Amos’ well-known attack on the upper-class women of Israel in chapter 4, where he refers to these ladies as ‘cows’!

“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’“ (Amos 4:1)

Again, these women are not out on the streets, oppressing the poor. They probably rarely ever see poor people. Those sorts of persons probably don’t get up to ‘Bashan Heights’ very often - the place where these women were ‘grazing’.

No, their sin is in their involvement in an unjust system. They say to their husbands, “bring that we may drink” and they are probably only half-aware of the fact that their fine wine and their gorgeous parties are only possible because of the injustice and virtual enslavement of the poorer section of their population.

Chapter 5:21-24 has Amos’ most focused attack on the people’s worship:

“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

This was a favourite passage of Martin Luther King’s and of Latin American scholar, Hose Miranda, who said (in ‘Marx and the Bible’) that this passage illustrates how the God of the Bible does not really care about prayer and worship. I think this is an exaggeration. The practices being referred to were God-ordained, and there is no doubt, I think, that God delights in the prayer and worship of His people, but NOT when those who are worshipping are simultaneously profiting from injustice, from the systematic oppression of the poor.

These issues of injustice, corruption and hypocrisy all come together in the reading we had this morning, from Amos chapter 8:

Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?” and keep our thumbs on the scales, and outsource all our manual labour to Gabon, and take control of those oil-fields in Iraq, and make a killing on the stock exchange while we‘re at it! (nb. I am ad-libbing a bit) The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.” (Amos 8:5-7)

Sisters and brothers, some people says to me, “Dave, as a Christian I am not interested in politics”, and I can say to them in all honesty, “neither am I”.

If by ‘politics’ you mean the way governments work and way bureaucracies function, I agree, I find the whole science of these things entirely boring, and I suspect that Amos did too. But what I am interested in, and what I think Amos was interested in, and what we all must be interested in, is people.

And when people are being destroyed - whether it be by acts of individual violence, through the drug trade, through relationship breakdown, or through the legalised violence of an unjust political or economic system, none of us can turn a blind eye.

Saying, ‘that’s just the way things are’ is no excuse. Hiding behind company policy or blaming the system will not cut it with the Almighty, says the prophet Amos.

The people of Northern Israel ultimately had to learn this lesson the hard way when their Assyrian neighbours came down and crushed their system and destroyed their nation about 30 years after Amos came and warned them. Let us hope and pray that in our case we can come up with a less brutal solution for bringing life and health and humanity back into our economic and political systems.



By: David B Smith

About the Author:

It’s football season once more and do you know what that means, other than cooler weather? It means that when you watch a college or professional football game, and they’re getting ready to kick a field goal or extra point, that you’ll see a familiar sign in the stands. It will read- JOHN 3:16! And probably more often than not, the person holding the sign is one of the most intolerant persons you’ll ever meet!  

God is love so is it so hard to fathom that God loves the world?

Consider your answer now. That means God loves you spouse, your defiant son, your gay daughter, your greedy boss, and your trash mouth talking neighbor who never mows his lawn. It’s much worse though. God loves Hitler, Ahmadinejhad, Chavez, Jack the Ripper and all of the worst kinds of people that you’ll get to meet in the next world- the real one!

Cuts against the grain doesn’t it!

This very world, or parts of it that you’ve been calling hell or a hell-hole God loves! The world wherein you see so much EVIL, God loves. Maybe it’s because we are seeing through a glass darkly. Maybe it’s because we don’t have the love or mind of Christ to see with God-consciousness. And then we must ask ourselves, do we really love God- I mean REALLY LOVE GOD! If we cannot love  those that we see, how can we love Him-It which we cannot see?

It’s the power of LOVE that heals! Jesus could heal because he was LOVE!

Walter Lanyon put it this way, “The power of love that is within every man is the power to transform appearances.” Got it? Well, get it- the love of Christ. See the world as God does and there will no longer be any duality, two powers- just I AM!



By: Ernie Fitzpatrick

About the Author:

A beautiful woman can inspire a person to do just about anything. But it is their heart that reveals the character of the person. Beware she can capture you through lies of love. She can be an instrument of Satan who wants to deceive you and lead you down to a trap that is meant for your destruction.

In the game of life one of the biggest players is our emotions. Feelings can make a person become jealous and words of love can make a soul willing to give anything in order to have that love.

When I was young I fell head over heals in love. This person made my heart jump. She made me want to defy all things just to have her love. But after many years of being together we both went our separate ways.

But the love never ended between us. It stayed in both of our hearts and we would talk often on the phone. She was a decorator and I was an upholster and it was only natural for us to continue our mutual business even though she was with another person. She ran the business and paid me for my upholster services. We worked as business partners and best friends who shared a past, that was all.

Over the years we shared stories about our children and we prayed together for their lives and for each of our grandchildren as each of them were born. We always stated our love for each other. Even though we were going down different roads.

After three and a half years everything changed she broke up with the person she was with. It seemed only natural for me to believe that we could once again be together. But this time things were very different.

When we first departed company, finances were tight, so in an effort to help I took out a mortgage on my home and I handed over the money to my ex, with the understanding that she would make the mortgage payment every month.

But she was desperate again and as a result I began making the payment. That wasn’t enough, she needed more money in order to pay bills that she had that were outstanding so she could leave the person she was with.

I believed everything she said, trusting that she was telling me the truth when she said that she was coming back to me. She kept assuring me that she loved me and she would use the money to get untangled from the person she was with. Out of complete trust and love, I gave her several thousand dollars.

A month passed and she continued to tell me of how bad it was to be where she was and how the person she was with didn’t love her anymore. She explained how hard it was for her to leave because everything in the house was hers, but the house itself was the other persons.

She complained the business they ran together was failing and the upholstery business wasn’t doing well either. She said in order for her to leave she needed to get the taxes done and lay down guidelines for her partner of how to pay each bill since she had always handled the business side.

Everything she said made since and being of high moral character, I didn’t want to bring harm of any kind on the person she was with. So I began doing all upholstery free of charge and I paid for supplies, material, foam and even gas to go pick up the furniture I was doing for them.

I could see their relationship was strained. But I was careful not to ask how they were doing respecting their privacy and knowing the plans that we were making after they had totally parted company.

Two more months passed and she continued to state her love to me and that she was coming back to me. So when her partner went on a trip she invited me to her house. I went because we hadn’t been together for several years and that way we could talk about the next step of her getting out of the house.

I was disturbed that she was still wearing a wedding ring on her hand and that she still slept in the same bed with her partner. She handed me a group of pictures she had kept of myself and my children and I asked her if she was still coming back to me?

She assured me that she was coming back to me. She had had enough from the emotional ups and downs of her partner, who was eighteen years younger than her and she felt a deep connection and love between us. She said that she was wearing the rings out of habit. And that she was just protecting the pictures she had of me from her partner. She denied that she was sleeping in the same bed.

Then she told me she had come up with a plan to get her furniture out of the house. She would tell her partner that she was selling the furniture we had once owned together back to me. I listened to what she said but I was unwilling to give her money at that time. I left her house and went four hours back to my home.

Everything she said to me made my heart break. I loved her and I wanted her back and if this is what it was going to take, I was willing to give her everything I had to help. She called me telling me that her partner would break her stuff if I didn’t do this. Priceless memories of our life together would be destroyed.

Plans were made, and I met them with the newly reupholstered furniture. I wrote another check for the furniture, pictures and art pieces that were suppose to be the beginning of her leaving her partner.

In two days we were to meet again with another load until we had emptied the house of everything we had together as a couple. She said her partner was stupid and would never suspect what she was doing until she was out of the house for good.

We made plans to rendezvous together on the in between days. So we could be together and talk out plans. It all seemed fair and reasonable to me. Or maybe I am the most gullible person in the world. She called and wanted to postpone us meeting together until the next week, I agreed.

The check I wrote to her cleared the bank and suddenly she stopped calling me. I emailed her to see what was happening and she had cut off the email. I was stunned and shocked over her behavior and I did not understand what was going on.

I left messages on the phone and my calls were not returned. She had stated over and over again that she loved me. She assured me that she was coming back to me.

I didn’t know how to handle her betrayal and her utter contempt for my feelings. The pain I felt was a crushing blow when I realized she not only had stabbed me in the heart, but she had taken ten’s of thousands of dollars from me without any intention of paying it back.

I felt ashamed and asked God to help me to survive the pain. I wasn’t allowed to communicate and the pain of heart break brought an emptiness inside of my being that was excruciating. I felt as if I was being punished for love.

There is no justice for fools. The check could not be stopped because it already cleared. Going to an attorney to sue would just prolong my pain from the deceit and cost me more money. The agreement we had together was verbal. Even though I confessed my plans to my children I did not tell them I was giving her money and all of my services, free.

I was totally humiliated for having been so gullible. I couldn’t believe she was doing this to me. She was suppose to love me. I was afraid for her soul.

As a Christian I believed that she loved me. In my Spirit, I believed that her coming back to me was only right. I had a vision of her partner giving her back to me. I had a dream of Satan attacking her and that I was her only hope.

I was truly committed to doing whatever was necessary to get her out of her mess. And even though she and her family had changed, I was willing to start again and love all of them unconditionally. But I am a fool and because I know I am not alone I write this to all the people who are as gullible as me.

God is love, but Satan can even deceive a good person. Beware of love! I talk a lot of the game of life and how each thing we experience has a purpose. We must not be defeated no matter what happens to us.

Many people who have been betrayed by love have committed suicide because of the pain. Believe me it sounds like a great option when you are in the throws of anguish, but it is not God’s will.

We must face our betrayals with perseverance. We must make up our minds to lean on God and trust in the end that He will fight for our cause. Don’t give up because Satan wants you to give up. Don’t allow anyone to destroy your faith in God and your knowledge that He cares for you. Pray for strength and remember above everything else that God will never let you down when you cast your cares and give them to Him.

Luke 12: 4-7, “‘I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterward do anything worse. I will show you whom to fear: fear God, who, after killing, has the authority to throw into hell. Believe me, he is the one you must fear!

Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!’”

Being betrayed by love is the hardest thing a person can endure! But God loves you and He is ready and able to defend your cause. God also loves the person who did you wrong, but unfortunately we always face the judge whether it is in this world or in eternity that is to come.



By: Linda Dipman

About the Author:

For those who reject His Creatorship and Godship, He has ordained a place for them in eternal isolation from Him. This eternal isolation is so intense that it is referred to in the Bible as a Hell, as a place of eternal torment. It will still be eternal life, but it will be eternal life in seclusion from our Lord and Maker.

Have you ever been alone? Really alone? You think no one cares? No one wants to talk? Imagine a place on this earth of isolation. Imagine the prisoner of war who is put into an earthen cell, and fed once a day. But even that prisoner, as alone as he may feel, is not truly alone. Perhaps he can see the soldiers when they come to bring his daily food. Perhaps the rats and cockroaches visit him in his cell. Perhaps he hears the tortured screams of other prisoners. Perhaps he converses with his God. He is not truly alone.

But nevertheless, he is experiencing a type of living hell. Now imagine what that same cell would be like with no food, no rats, no soldiers or fellow prisoners, and worst yet, no God. That is Hell.

You see, when God created us, He created us for Heaven, not Hell. He created us to always have communion, fellowship, and communication with Him. Starting with the first man and the first woman, Adam and Eve, man as a race has chosen to ‘eat of the forbidden fruit’, to sin, or turn away from God. Everyone who has ever lived to the age of understanding has done it, turned away from God, and failed to recognize Him as God and Provider. Not only failed, but purposely tested Him to show that they are in control of their own lives. The Book of Romans tells us: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3: 23).

Once we have sinned and rejected the promises of God, His life-giving power, once we eat of the forbidden fruit, so to speak, once we firmly establish that we own our lives and our futures, we effectively tell God that we no longer need Him, that we can do it on our own. And the natural and fair end of that decision is that God gives us exactly what we ask for and desire: eternal separation from Him. Because He is Holy, he cannot tolerate the presence of the unholy, of sin. The natural and normal result of the choice to sin, to refuse to accept His Creatorship and Lordship, is eternal separation from Him, which is effectively death (Rom 6: 23).

Fortunately, God in His infinite mercy has crafted a plan, one which He set into motion before He even created the earth, knowing what His creation would do. He ordained that His own Son would die to bridge the gap between God Himself, from whom every man chooses to separate, and man, the creation. By being God Himself and taking on the nature of man, when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was put to death, his death was able to pay the penalty, not of His own sins, because He had none, but our own sins, because He was pure in His death.

You see, the acceptance of His death for our sins is the same difference as not eating of the forbidden fruit (which we have all done, in one form or another). It is the same difference as paying a tithe of our property and our yearly increase. It is the ultimate form of recognizing that God created everything, including us, and that He gave us everything we have. It is simply saying that I cannot, as man, do it on my own; I need a mediator, someone to stand in the gap for my rebellion, and prevent eternal isolation from the Creator of the universe.

Questions for discussion:

Describe your view of the nature of God and His redemption plan.

Have you struggled with what you perceived as God’s wrathful and vindictive nature?

Does this lesson help you see that eternal separation is a direct result of our sin, not His vindictive nature?

Have you sinned (rebelled against the Creator of the universe)?

Can God, in His holiness, permit sin in His presence?

Have you accepted His loving plan to keep you from eternal separation?



By: Sean Mize

About the Author:

In “Christian Clichés that Contradict Christ” I questioned the truthfulness of six Christian clichés concerning God’s “unconditional” love. There was one more cliché that I wanted to mention but didn’t have enough space, the very common saying, “God loves the sinner but hates his sin.”

This particular cliché is actually more biblically accurate than the six I previously listed, because it attempts to affirm God’s love for sinners while at the same time upholding His holiness. Yet like the six clichés I listed last month, this one also falls short of the full truth, and it can thus be misleading to people and damaging to Christ’s cause. Why do I say this? One reason is because Scripture not only teaches that God loves sinners, but also that He hates them. Surprised? Read for yourself:

The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit (Ps. 5:5-6, emphasis added).

The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates (Ps. 11:5, emphasis added).

I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul [God’s people Israel] into the hand of her enemies. My inheritance has become to Me like a lion in the forest; she has roared against Me; therefore I have come to hate her (Jer. 12:7-8, emphasis added).

All their evil is at Gilgal; indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels (Hos. 9:15, emphasis added).

These verses of scripture are all in your Bible as well as mine! Your Bible declares that God hates “all who do iniquity” (Ps. 5:5). Since all unregenerate people “do iniquity,” we can conclude that God hates them all. (Incidentally, this verse among many others leads us to believe that God’s “free gift of righteousness” is more than just a legal standing of righteousness that results in no practical righteousness, otherwise God would hate His own children.)

But how can it be true that God both loves and hates sinners? The only way to reconcile this apparent contradiction is to once again recognize that not all love is the same. As I stated in last month’s e-teaching, some love is conditional, what I referred to as “approving love,” and some love is unconditional, what I referred to as “merciful love.” From the standpoint of His merciful love, God loves sinners (see Eph. 2:4-6; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:3, and look for the word mercy). But from the standpoint of his approving love, God utterly hates them—they are in fact abhorrent to Him. Can you imagine how you would feel if you had created a race of people who inwardly knew just how to please you yet who ignored and disobeyed you continually, even using your name as a curse word? Might you not be somewhat upset with them?

Note that all of the above-quoted scriptures do not say that God only hates what people do—they say He hates them.We cannot separate a person from what he does.What a person does reveals his character—who he is. Thus if God disapproves of sin He of course must disapprove of sinners. God is so pure that His disapproval is very strong, and the word hate describes it well.To separate the sin from the sinner by saying “God loves the sinner but hates the sin” is potentially misleading.

Other scriptures declare that certain people—not just what those people do—are an abomination to God.See, for example, Deut. 22:5, 16; Lev. 26:29-30; Ps. 5:5-6; Prov. 3:32, 11:20, 16:5, 17:15. Beyond that, there are many other expressions of God’s hatred of certain people in Scripture. For example, when we read, “the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah” (2 Kin. 23:26), we don’t get the impression that we are reading about God’s love for sinners.

Regrettably,very little is said of God’s hatred or abhorrence of sinners among modern Christians. Most preachers, it seems, emphasize God’s love for sinners, and their audiences consequently are often misled into thinking that God approves of them in spite of their sin, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is that God utterly hates them, but He is mercifully giving them time to repent and gain His approval before they die, and only in that sense does He love them. When they die His mercy ends, and they will then experience the fullness of His hatred. The people in hell do not think that God loves them. They all know that He utterly hates them. And the truth is that when they were alive He hated them just as thoroughly, but then He showed them mercy, or merciful love. If unrepentant people who are still alive knew how much God hates them, they would be astounded at His merciful love towards them.

This also indicates to us that God’s holy hatred of sinners and His merciful love toward them are not contradictory aspects of His character. Rather, they perfectly blend together. God’s mercy is magnified even more by His holy hatred, and vice versa. Preachers who want to emphasize God’s true love for sinners must first emphasize His holy hatred for them.

If the history of revival teaches us anything, it teaches us that revival occurs when people are awakened, not to some false concept of a grandfather God who “loves everyone unconditionally,” but when they realize their present precarious condition before a holy and wrathful God. For example,Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards, whom God used as a instrument of revival during America’s Great Awakening in the 1740s, certainly didn’t mislead his congregation about their slippery state before God. In his classic sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Edwards simply affirmed biblical truth about God’s attitude toward the unrepentant:

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment….O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder…

What a picture of God’s anger and His mercy! Although Jonathan Edwards witnessed wonderful revival in his church and community, he was ultimately dismissed from his pastorate for holding to his biblical convictions. Only preachers who truly love their audiences and who aren’t afraid of losing popularity and money can possibly preach such truth. Of course, Jesus was one of those kinds of preachers. Never once did He tell an unsaved audience that God loved them, and there is only one record of His telling one unregenerate individual one time about God’s love for the world (and that is found in John 3:16). Rather, Jesus regularly warned sinners of God’s wrath and called them to repentance (see, for example, Matt. 4:17; 5:22, 29-30, 8:11-12; 10:28; 11:20-23; 13:41-42, 49-50; 18:19; 22:13; 23:33; 24:50-51; 25:30). What Jesus told one person one time we have made our universal theme to the unsaved, and what He constantly emphasized to them we have kept a secret! Are we really being seeker-sensitive with our non-offensive evangelistic sermons, or are we actually ashamed of Jesus and His words? (See Luke 9:26.) Why are so many pastors afraid to tell the biblical truth even to professing Christians in the church? What does that reveal about those pastors? What does that reveal about their congregations?

John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest man who ever lived (Matt. 11:11), never mentioned God’s love when he preached the gospel (see Matt. 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-18). He sounded much like Jonathan Edwards, warning his audiences of God’s coming wrath. Likewise, there is not a single case in the book of Acts where anyone preaching the gospel told an unsaved audience that God loved them. Rather, the biblical preachers warned their audiences that God did not approve of them, that they were in danger, and that they needed to make dramatic changes in their lives. Had they only told their audiences that God loved them and all they need to do was “accept Christ as Savior” (as do so many modern ministers), they may have misled them into thinking that God approved of them, that they were in no danger, were not storing up wrath for themselves, and had no need to repent. This is of vital importance, because salvation cannot occur without repentance. Jesus told His apostles to “preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 24:47). We may be filling churches with evangelistic messages about God’s love, but are we filling heaven?

God’s love is greatly distorted when modern preachers, under the influence of pop psychology (whether they realize it or not) tell their unsaved audiences how Christ’s death proves their value before God. “You were worth dying for” they say. Even the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price is perverted to show supposedly that Christ gave up everything to gain what was of inestimable value—us! (Wasn’t God blessed to get YOU?) Paul, however, stood amazed, not at how the cross proved the alleged value of a race of rebels, but how it displayed God’s amazing merciful love, because Jesus wasn’t dying for good people, but for ungodly sinners(see Rom. 5:6-10). His death saved us, not from underestimating our true worth, but from God’s righteous wrath that we all fully deserve(see Rom. 5:6-10). Apart from God’s holy hatred of sinners, His love for them is essentially meaningless.

Why don’t we follow the example of Jesus and John the Baptist, telling the unrepentant the truth found in Scripture?:

God is a righteous judge,

And a God who has indignation every day.

If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;

He has bent His bow and made it ready (Psalm 7:11-12).

This is the biblical picture of God’s love toward the unrepentant. His merciful love restrains Him from releasing the arrow that He has already drawn in His bow, the arrow that is tenuously aimed in righteous indignation at every sinner. This is a biblical example that would have fit right into Jonathan Edward’s sermons, or John the Baptist’s.

The unsaved inside and outside the church are under a huge delusion as they mistake God’s mercy for His approval. They will be shocked at their judgment, just like the goats Jesus described in Matthew 25:31-46. They don’t understand that God is very kind to His enemies, so they imagine that they are at peace with Him. What a tragedy it is when the church reinforces this delusion. I’m afraid that the bumper sticker that says, “Smile, God Loves You!” speaks volumes about modern theology and evangelistic preaching. Should we really be encouraging hell-bound rebels whom God utterly abhors, to smile

“God’s Love/Hate Relationship with the World”, the 2nd article on the conditional love of God ©2007 David Servant and ShepherdServe.org. You are welcome to repost this article as long as the article is unaltered and kept in its entirety (with all links and credits attached), and is not sold for profit.



By: David Servant

About the Author:

Teaching children to pray is very important. The purpose of prayer is to help your child develop a relationship with the Lord. Teaching your child how to develop love and patience helps them better understand the nature of God. Here are some tips to help you.

Praying should be out loud. Your child may not readily understand what praying is. To help try replacing the word “pray” with the word “talk.” Encourage them to talk with God. It is said of men of old that they walked and talked with God.

Teaching your children love and patience is important when they are learning to pray. These two virtues when practiced keep our hearts soft and teachable. The prophet Samuel was able hear the still small voice of the Lord because his heart was teachable.

Part of praying is asking the Lord for the things we want and need. When we teach children what love is we help them feel positive and hopeful about their future. Their prayers will be more uplifting and from the heart.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe. When children are little they may not understand the word “love” but they certainly understand the emotion. You have been there for them from the beginning and you can share with them how God has been there for both of you from the beginning.

We all have learned patience when we pray because as we have grown older we have accepted that God does not immediately answer our prayers. A child, however, has not yet learned this. Therefore, we need to teach them patience.

Our children can learn to be patient when we set them a good example. When I look at the times I become impatient I see an opportunity to teach my children. When I am driving for example, I do not have to be the first guy there. You can share with your children that this is patient. You are willing to wait a little longer to arrive at your destination just like you are willing to wait on the Lord.

When we teach our children to pray we also need to teach them about love and patience. God is love and will always answer our prayers. We must be patient though and be willing to wait for him to answer us.



By: Zacharias Allred

About the Author: