Eye on Faith

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Yoga teacher: 91 and stretching

Yogi sculpture (Photo: Deepak)

Bernice Bates is making headlines these days - not because she’s young and firm, but because she’s old and flexible.

Fifty years ago, she was flexible enough to take up the practice of yoga, and she hasn’t stopped since. In her own words to Today.com: Yoga gives you flexibility like you’ve never had before, and it makes you healthy because you’re working on the whole body, inside and out.

And not just the body, either. Bates is a Methodist who believes that “her decades of physical activity have only added” to her strong faith. She explains it this way to Jezebel.com: It gives you a good outlook. It involves your mind. Your mind, your body and your spirit. They all work together and they’re all coordinated.

Which is her way of saying that the very word “Yoga” means “yoke” (from the Sanskrit root yug, meaning “to join, to unite, to attach”)… Although yoga can help to make you feel like you’re half your age, the original goal of this ancient discipline was “the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility…”

Wikipedia reports that this lofty goal necessitated a great deal of self-discipline (i.e. “the ‘yoke’ that one puts upon oneself for the purpose of attaining moksha”). Some also interpret the original Vedic meaning of yoga to include a harnessing of the lower self to the higher one. A sense of “exertion, endeavor, zeal, diligence” was later added, as well as a Buddhist emphasis on “the cessation of mental activity.”

Bates, on the other hand (or foot, elbow, knee, etc.), tends to follow a broader yogic philosophy. She tells Lisa Flam of Today.com that yoga is “for everybody,” and then explains: There’s thousands of postures. You can pick and choose. You do what you can.

Bates not only practices what she preaches, but also teaches what she preaches. She currently leads a

weekly class within her retirement community. Most of her students are in their 60s and 70s, and several

are in their 80s and 90s.

Resources

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/oldest-yoga-teacher-91-awarded-guiness-world-records-article-1.995712

http://jezebel.com/bernice-bates/

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45484875/ns/today-today_health/t/-year-old-yoga-teacher-asks-why-should-i-quit/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga

Monday, December 26, 2011

War Horse: Or is it war on horses?

Napoleon Bonaparte (Painting by J. L. David)

The Christmas Day release of War Horse in United States

theaters brings to mind other recent horse-related news.

On December 18, 2011, The Oakland Press published an article titled “Emotions soar after Congress lifts horse

slaughter ban.” The article contains this vivid description of how horses have often been slaughtered: Typically, horses were rendered unconscious by a captive bolt gun or blow to the center of the forehead. They were then hung with hind legs shackled, and their jugular was severed before being exsanguinated (bled out). Sadly, not all died instantaneously and many were known to suffer unimaginable, inhumane deaths as they remained conscious during dismemberment.

Tragically, horses have also been collateral victims of human wars. Michael Morpurgo, author of the original War Horse children’s novel, drew upon accounts of horse brutality that were told to him by British veterans of World War I. Wikipedia reports that “a million horses died on the British side,” and there was likely “an overall figure of 10 million horse deaths on all sides.” World War I horses “were used for cavalry, and as draught animals, pulling guns, ambulances and other vehicles.”

Prior to World War I, Napoleon Bonaparte’s military horsepower was known as “the most remarkable cavalry force in history.” In her treatise about Napoleon’s “horse of a different color” Marengo, author Jill Hamilton writes: Napoleon was an intrepid rider who usually rode stallions… even at breakneck speed no obstacle worried him. Although Napoleon had some humane equestrian tendencies (such as

forbidding his soldiers to cut the tails of their horses) and believed that horses have “memory, knowledge, and love,” his battlefield strategies were ruthless.

As did his hero, Alexander the Great, Napoleon exploited the natural herd instincts of horses. Both leaders knew all too well that “when one horse charged the rest followed.” Hamilton describes this scene from Napoleon’s decisive battle against the Turks at Aboukir Bay near Alexandria, Egypt: Horses, already hit, blood pouring from their bellies, kept galloping, bursting their hearts to keep pace with the horses beside them. Due to this cavalry strategy, the French won the battle (even though they were initially outnumbered by more than two to one). However, Hamilton reports that “thousands of men and horses perished.”

Horses haven’t always been the recipient of human abuse. In fact, horses have also been worshipped by

Indo-European and Turkic peoples. Wikipedia reports that in Gallo-Roman religion, the goddess Epona was “a protector of horses, donkeys, and mules.” The name “Epona” means “Great Mare” in the Gaulish language. Rhiannon (“a prominent figure in Welsh mythology”) is often shown riding a white horse, and is sometimes identified as “a horse goddess cognate to Gaulish Epona…”

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_worship

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/12/18/life/doc4eedf73ecb83e523879205.txt?viewmode=fullstory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Horse_(film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epona

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhiannon

http://www.jill-hamilton.com/pdf/marengo-the-myth-of-napoleons-horse.pdf

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Famous Christmas birthdays

Isaac Newton at 46 (Portrait by Kneller)

Some celebrities with the distinction of being born on Christmas Day seem to have taken that honor quite seriously.

Leading the pack, at would-be age 368, is Sir Isaac Newton. Newton, who is mostly known for harvesting apples from the ground (while transforming the science of physics), was also an enthusiastic theologian. That is to say, he wasn’t only interested in the universe – but also in its Creator. According to Wikipedia, Newton “wrote a number of religious tracts dealing with the

literal interpretation of the Bible.” (However, many of his Antitrinitarian views were kept private since they would have been considered heretical by orthodox standards.) Although “Newton” and “gravity” were practically synonymous for years, he also had this to say: Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs

all things and knows all that is or can be done.

Then there was Pope Pius VI, born a mere 75 years after Newton. He has the distinction of reigning longer than practically any other pope (for 24 years, 6 months and 15 days – surpassed in this regard only by Leo XIII, John Paul II, Pius IX, and most likely St. Peter). He also stood up to no less than Napoleon Bonaparte after Italy was invaded by France. Because Pope Pius VI refused to renounce his temporal authority, he was taken prisoner and died soon afterwards.

Believe it or not, Robert LeRoy Ripley was also born on Christmas Day. In many ways, his own life was as extraordinary as his research findings. Ever wonder how The Star Spangled Banner became America’s national anthem? It had a lot to do with the 1929 Ripley cartoon caption: “Believe It or Not, America has no national anthem.” However, Ripley’s focus went way beyond nationalism. Along with such radio-show guests as self-made, conservative, “God is My Partner” R. G. LeTourneau, Ripley promoted “a classically evangelical vision of a good society built on the relationship between each individual and God.”

Resources

http://www.pubquizhelp.com/christmas/births.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_VI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ripley

http://readperiodicals.com/201109/2494300681.html

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Miley Cyrus: Curses and blessings

The Beatitudes Sermon (by James Tissot)

During a September 2011 interview with Prestige magazine, Miley Cyrus spoke frankly about her difficulties with being in the public eye 24/7. She didn’t discredit her popularity, yet explained: I’ve obviously been very blessed, but with every blessing there’s a curse.

One of the “curses” quite literally occurred during her recent

vacation in Costa Rica. The Nation reports that she and boyfriend Liam Hemsworth were vacationing in Costa Rica “when a group of fans approached them for photos and autographs…” After cordially complying, Miley had to get going. At that point, one of the group cursed at her. Miley’s initial reaction was to curse back. The incident yielded international headlines and viral videos. Miley later “defended her actions via Twitter” and wrote: I can’t tolerate that kind of rudeness.

For the record, few people can.

And yet, some of the most famous biblical passages sound like this: Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:28)… But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)… A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11)… Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong; but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

These quotes are not meant to be finger-pointing jabs at any one of us, but rather reminders to many of us that loving thy enemy is central to the Christmas message. But how can we humans accomplish this feat – especially when it often seems difficult enough to act loving with friends and family?

Practicing this skill (and it is – at least in part – a skill that can be developed) can help. Doing good to those who hate you and praying for those who mistreat you are not signs of weakness – but are rather signs of ultimate strength.

Resources

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/62503901.html

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/entertainment/23-Dec-2011/miley-cyrus-defends-fan-outburst

http://bible.cc/matthew/5-44.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Plain

Friday, December 23, 2011

Famous Christmas deaths

(View from Elisabeth Petrovna's mirror)

Being born on Christmas Day is often looked upon as an honor. Logic might then dictate that dying on this day could be viewed as quite the opposite. Ironically, the deaths of three historical leaders who were known for their persecution of religious minorities occurred on Christmas Day.

First there was Pope Adrian I. True, he had his problems. Shortly after his accession, the papal territory was invaded. Adrian I had to beseech Charlemagne for help with this situation. After Charlemagne successfully quelled the invasion (and then some), he and Adrian I remained on friendly terms despite their differences regarding the veneration of images (Charlemagne: strongly against,

Adrian I: okay with). In fact, Wikipedia reports that Adrian I was so okay with the veneration of images that he anathematized “all who refused to venerate the images of Jesus, or the Virgin Mary, or saints.”

Then there was Elisabeth Petrovna, Empress of Russia for over 20 years (being the daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I didn’t hurt her resume any). When she wasn’t primping in front of the mirror or showing off the results to Count Razumovsky, she managed to do a fairly good job of running the empire. For example, Wikipedia reports that she abstained “from executing a single person during her reign.” However, her compassion did not seem to embrace religious minorities. History of the Jews in Russia and Poland, Volume I by Dubnow, Dubnow and Friedlaender reports on Petrovna’s assiduous practice of religious intolerance. Muslims and Jews were especially targeted. Mosques were destroyed,

and Jews “were expelled with one hand and pushed into the doors of the church with the other.”

During the more recent past, there was Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania’s General Secretary of the Communist Party and long-term head of state. Wikipedia reports that his first decade in power was marked “by an open policy towards Western Europe and the United States,” and his second decade “was characterized by an increasingly brutal and repressive regime.” The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada reported in 1990 that Ceausescu had stated that “backwardness, superstition and religion had no place within the ideal of Communist Society.” In keeping with this stance, Ceausescu kept a tight rein on “admissions to seminaries, the construction of churches and the distribution of religious materials.”

Resources

http://www.pubquizhelp.com/christmas/births.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=vL60sEf7OPoC&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=elizabeth+petrovna+religion&source=bl&ots=wmYBBJQX7c&sig=-dJtBezEYXJWsARudHHQnBkaHjc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=J1nxTobKLIXr0gHivYXQAg&sqi=2&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=elizabeth%20petrovna%20religion&f=false

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_of_Russia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Adrian_I

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Ceau%C8%99escu

http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3ae6ac3758.html

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Frankincense: Frankly, it's long past time to regift

(Frankincense)

Although mankind has been literally milking Boswellia (from which frankincense is derived) for millennia, not much has been done to repay the favor. Frankly, if this trend continues, the precious gift of frankincense might be forever relegated to history.

Reuters reports that the “number of Boswellia trees could

decline by 90% in the next 50 years due to unchecked “fire,

grazing and insect attack.” This decline is happening so fast that production of frankincense “could be halved over the next 15 years.” Wikipedia reports that frankincense is

obtained by “slashing the bark, which is called striping, and

allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden.” These

hardened resins are (appropriately enough) called “tears.”

A few such tears just aren’t enough. The same trees are tapped two and three times a year. Often the final taps (rhymes with “spinal taps”) are considered to have the best quality tears. The tears of trees that sprout from rock in the most unforgiving of environments are the ones most highly valued. (Were they brought to the Christ child as a foreshadowing of the harshness that He, too, would encounter?)

Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the words and melody of We Three Kings of Orient

Are, stressed the priestly aspect of frankincense in his lyrics. Hopkins described this gift from the Magi with these words: Frankincense to offer have I Incense owns a Deity nigh Prayer and praising, all men raising Worship Him, God most high.

Certainly, the precious gift of frankincense deserves some sort of loving reciprocity. Reuters reminds us that it’s not yet too late for this. Incentives can be offered “to ensure farmers work harder to protect Boswellia trees.” More can be done to prevent fires and beetle attacks, and large areas could be “set aside and protected for five to 10 years to allow Boswellia saplings to become established.”

It’s well past the time to repay these giving trees for all the precious tears that they’ve shed on our behalf.

Resources

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45744432

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankincense

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boswellia_sacra

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Christian Scientologists: Is that like Christian Scientists?

Christian Science Mother Church (Bcorr)

As Scientologist Juliette Lewis told Vanity Fair interviewer Eric Spitznagel in December 2010, Scientologists can and do celebrate Christmas.

During this same interview, Lewis asserted: I’m a Christian! I think there’s so much confusion because people don’t understand a religion where you can be another religion…

That’s why it’s completely progressive. It’s just tools for

living… Lewis then attributed the “funny folklore” that is associated with Scientology (such as that concerning reincarnated alien ancestors) to the confusing of L. Ron Hubbard’s science fiction with his theology. She later concluded: You could be a Jewish Scientologist or a Buddhist Scientologist or a Christian Scientologist or anything else. (Perhaps, but would this be in keeping with Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, and/or “anything else” theology?)

A peek into the Cruise family’s Christmas might help to clarify the “progressive” nature of their faith. On the

one hand, it’s Christmas as usual: hanging together, playing games, having a “really nice, quiet time.” On the other hand, Suri Cruise’s Christmas wish list contains $130,000 worth of gifts - all of which she will reportedly receive from her parents. (Is this in keeping with “the policy of equal justice for all” from The Code of a Scientologist – point 9?)

Contrasting this approach with that of Christian Science becomes a relatively easy task. Belief.net reports that many Christian Scientists emphasize Thanksgiving far more than Christmas. In fact, “The Church of Christ, Scientist, is the only denomination in the United States that observes Thanksgiving as a religious holiday, one marked by church services, specially published Bible lessons, and personal healing testimonials.” This harkens back to Mary Baker Eddy’s “emphasis on gratitude.” As for Christmas? Here is the final statement from Eddy’s What Christmas Means to Me essay: Material gifts and pastimes tend

to obliterate the spiritual idea in consciousness, leaving one alone and without His glory.

Resources

http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/850025/how-scientologists-tom-cruise-and-john-travolta-celebrate-the-holidays

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/12/juliette-lewis

http://www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology/the-scientology-creeds-and-codes/the-code-of-a-scientologist.html

http://www.beliefnet.com/Love-Family/Holidays/For-Many-Christian-Scientists-Thanksgiving-Bigger-Than-Christmas.aspx?p=1

http://www.endtime.org/library/mbe/what_christmas_means_to_me.html