Eye on Faith

Monday, April 7, 2014

Saintly priest slain in Syria

Syrian Soldier (Public Domain)

During this holy season of Lent, Father Frans van der Lugt sacrificed all that he had to give: his very life.

NBC News reports that he was "gunned down by a masked assassin in a monastery" today. This 75-year-old Dutch priest had resided in Syria for almost five decades, living alongside Christians and Muslims alike, advocating for "regular Syrians."

When repeatedly offered the opportunity to leave war-torn Syria for safer ground, Father Van der Lugt had refused. Remaining faithful to the Syrian people whom he had served for years had been his top priority.

Although the area in which he lived "was engulfed by some of the fiercest fighting of the conflict," Father Van der Lugt never gave up hope for a negotiated solution.

The Vatican described this saintly priest as "a man of peace."

Resources

http://www.nbcnews.com/#/news/mideast/gunman-slays-priest-who-remained-besieged-syrian-city-n73546

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Chariclo the Centaur

(Mythological Centaur)

If the title of this article conjures up images of nymphs and satyrs, then

you're somewhat on track.

One mythological Chariclo (there were two) was indeed a nymph. She

was also a devotee of the goddess Athena.

After becoming pregnant by the shepherd Everes, Chariclo bore a son named Tiresias. Apparently, Athena was a bit modest. As the story goes, she blinded Tiresias because he had happened to catch her naked.

Tiresias begged Athena to restore his sight, but she could not undo this curse. She instead bestowed upon him the gift of prophecy (inner sight, if you will).

The other Chariclo wedded the centaur (half man, half horse) Chiron. Now most centaurs (and satyrs) were not known for their marital fidelity. Chiron, however, was not only a good husband, but also a great healer.

If you're impatiently thinking that all this talk about Chariclos and centaurs is no longer relevant - think again. Just the other day, Chariklo the Astronomical Centaur (half planet, half asteroid) was making

headlines. It seems that her icy rings and "shepherd moonlets" have finally been scientifically verified.

Resources

http://news.yahoo.com/cronut-space-040103706--politics.html

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

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Autism: Blessings too

These'll do... (Public Domain)

Autism is so often portrayed as a disability in today's neuro-typical

(NT) society that its special blessings are generally overlooked.

It was therefore quite refreshing to come across an article by Sunday Stilwell in Parenting Magazine titled "The perks of autism." Some of these "perks" are quite in line with religious

precepts such as "Thou shalt not covet."

Stilwell talks about how her "two sons on the severe end of the autism spectrum" enjoy a profound lack of sibling rivalry. They are usually so tuned into their own independent activities that they are not worried about who gets how much of what.

This "lack of greed and competition" even extends to birthdays and holidays. When money is tight, the boys are more than content with what they do receive. Christmas morning is spent in other ways than "counting who has more presents than

the other."

Clothing, too, is exempt from comparisons. Because autistic children seem immune to the "crowd mentality," you won't hear them complaining that their jeans aren't quite up to fashion snuff. In fact, whining in general just isn't their style.

Resources

http://living.msn.com/family-parenting/raising-kids/the-perks-of-autism

Friday, April 4, 2014

Pass it forward: Bible stories too

Jonah Cast Forth by the Whale (Gustave Dore)

Whether today's children will be better or worse off than their parents depends very much upon what we as a society pass forward.

A recent study that was commissioned by the Bible Society reveals that today's youth are only about half as familiar with Bible stories as their parents were back

when. Classic stories such as Jonah and The Whale can therefore become lost to future generations unless decisive action is taken.

Graeme Paton of The Telegraph reports that 20 percent of the 800 children who were surveyed "could not identify Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve as a Bible story." Almost a third of them were unaware that the story of the Nativity was also in the Bible.

Even from a non-religious standpoint, the Bible has played an enormous role in Western history, literature, and overall society. To be unfamiliar with its contents is therefore to be missing out on an enormous trove of cultural treasure.

As Bible Society Chief Executive James Catford explained: The Bible's contribution to our culture –

language, literature, the visual arts and music – is immense. It doesn't matter who you are or where

you come from… The Bible enriches life…

Resources

http://wwrn.org/articles/41671/?place=uk-ireland

The whole Enceladus

Enceladus (Cassini Photo)

American and Italian researchers recently announced that "a vast ocean" lurks beneath "the icy surface of Saturn's little moon

Enceladus."

This was discovered using data from the "NASA-European spacecraft" Cassini. Cassini has been going strong since its launch from Cape Canaveral 17 years ago.

Enceladus himself has been around much longer than that. He and the other Gigantes were born of the blood of castrated Uranus and culprit Gaia. (This ill-fated "power couple" had already spawned the Titans.)

Although the Gigantes weren't all that large, they were all that strong. However, "strong" is a relative term. Enceladus and his kin got their own special lesson in relativity when they took on the Olympians.

Unfortunately for the Gigantes, they were no match for these mighty gods and goddesses. Once Athena got a hold of Enceladus, there was simply no contest. She pierced him right through with a spear, and then buried him under Sicily's Mount Etna.

It is said that Enceladus is still writhing with pain, which accounts for Mount Etna's rumblings. His fiery volcanic "breath" is in stark contrast to his namesake moon's icy exterior.

Resources

http://news.yahoo.com/vast-ocean-found-beneath-ice-saturn-moon-181143390.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceladus_(mythology)

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Zebras: Black and white and striped all over

(Photo by Paul Mantz)

"How the zebra got its stripes" sounds more like the title of a fable than like the title of a scientific inquiry.

Nevertheless, Alan Boyle of NBC News reports that research scientists have been debating this very issue "ever since Charles

Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace started the argument in the 1870s."

Three of the most prevalent theories of why zebra have stripes have been these: a. Costumes for courtship? b. Camouflage to confuse lions and other predators? c. A natural way to cool

off? d. Bug repellent?

Interestingly enough, "bug repellent" seems to be gaining the most scientific credibility these days. According to Swedish researcher Susanne Akesson, "dark and light patterns" are less attractive to pesky flies than either light or dark surfaces. Perhaps a dual-color pattern confuses their navigational flight sense.

If this means that zebras will thrive for years to come, all well and good. According to Ina Woolcott of shamanicjourney.com, they are "power animals" whose stripes "represent the blending and balancing of opposites, yin yang, harmony – enabling us to see a deeper truth."

Resources

http://www.nbcnews.com/#/science/science-news/why-do-zebras-have-stripes-mystery-solved-scientists-say-n68836

http://www.shamanicjourney.com/article/6062/zebra-power-animal-symbol-of-individuality-balance

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

April 1: Fools on the Hills

Nasrudin (Photo by Nevit Dilmen)

As the story goes, Paul McCartney was walking his dog one fine morning on a hill overlooking London.

McCartney and his friend Alistair Taylor happened to be discussing "the beauty they observed… and the existence of God." A stranger ("dressed respectably in a belted raincoat") suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere. He verbally reiterated Paul's sentiment of how beautiful the view was - and then seemed to quickly vanish.

This event was said to have prompted the song "Fool on the Hill." Paul himself allegedly stated, "…I think I was writing about someone like Maharishi [Mahesh Yogi – the Transcendental Meditation guru whom the Beatles visited with in 1968]."

The "wise fool" paradigm has shown up in many a religious teaching over the years. Nasrudin from the Sufi

tradition is one such example. Here is a Nasrudin anecdote:

Nasrudin and his buddies were discussing death one day. They asked one another: "What would you like to hear people say about you at your funeral?"

One buddy said, "I would like to hear them say that I was a great singer." Another said, "I would like to hear

them say that I was a great scholar."

Nasrudin thought for a moment, then replied: "I would like to hear them say…

LOOK!! HE'S MOVING!!!"

Resources

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=134

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Sufism/Nasrudin