More superstitious crap

[Lyzandra Daria]

Exorcist priest leads Catholic faithful in ritual outside CCP

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/229451/nati ... utside-ccp

An exorcist priest led a ritual to ask for God’s forgiveness outside the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) where the controversial "Kulô" art exhibit was held.

According to a report on the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the ritual or reparation rite on Sunday sought God's forgiveness for those who “dishonored the image of Christ."

Despite the presence of exorcist Father Michelle Joe Zerrudo, the CBCP did not call it an exorcism, or the religious act of expelling demons from a person or place believed to be possessed.

In the report, Father Zerrudo said the ritual of reparation was "an act of love for God to make up for the lack of love. This is not a political rally but simply a religious event."

One of the artworks included in the exhibit was artist Mideo Cruz's mixed-media "Poleteismo" which was criticized as "blasphemous" as it showed, among others, a crucifix draped with a pink, stretched-out condom, a Jesus image with a penis for a nose, and various other religious images placed alongside pictures of women modeling underwear.

The CCP on August 9 closed down the main gallery where the art exhibit was on display. In a statement, the CCP said threats to persons and property compelled the management's to close down the gallery.

'Reparation'

“Regardless of what has been done, we would like to tell the Lord that we would like to do reparation for whatever has been done against Him… this is a public manifestation," Zerrudo was quoted as saying.

Before the reparation rite, Zerrudo led some 200 lay people in a Tridentine Latin Mass at the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) in Pasay City, the CBCP said.

After the Mass, they held a procession around the CCP, carrying religious images as they prayed.

The participants included nuns, seminarians, and lay organizations, the CBCP said.

Zerrudo is one of less than a dozen Catholic priests authorized to perform exorcisms in the Philippines. The Manila Archdiocese maintains an Office of Exorcism, the only one in the country. It has conducted hundreds of exorcisms, many of which have been documented on video.

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Can't they just get the artist 'excommunicated'?
But...if the exorcism works...will the artist cease creating art or disavow the art he previously created (repent). How about if he just starts creating art that doesn't offend the superstitious catholic sensitivities. Will that be sufficient 'proof' that the exorcism has been successful?

[Lyzandra Daria]

Offended Filipino Catholics turn to internet to assail CCP over ‘penis art’


http://technology.inquirer.net/2865/off ... %E2%80%99/

MANILA, Philippines—Slighted Filipino Catholics are furious over a “penis art” exhibition and they turned to the internet to assail the Cultural Center of the Philippines for fomenting “blasphemy” and “religious bigotry” by hosting the exhibit.

“Blasphemy!!!” wrote Antonio Recososa, reacting to the ‘Blasphemous’ Philippine art riles Catholics story published on INQUIRER.net.

One of the artworks, an installation piece by artist Mideo Cruz, shows a poster of the image of Jesus Christ with a penis-shaped ashtray glued to His face.

Derp Trollingderp commented: “The only thing I could say is… This is offensive and tasteless.”

“Pure rubbish, the artists who (made this) ’art’ is sick, mentally, morally, (never mind spiritually) and socially maladjusted,” said Max. “I think, the artist doesn’t believe in Christ as a divine being, and they have lots of fun poking jokes to the believers. @#$!&&^%(*&) you dirty, gutter artist.”

CCP president Emily Abrera defended the work on Wednesday, saying it was part of the artist’s duty to challenge prevailing beliefs.

“We see nothing wrong with it. It is part of our culture to question, to seek answers, to look behind the surface and try to dig out what our real values are,” she said.

Marore protested: “you call this art??? freedom of expression??? Mr. Cruz and Ms. Abrera there are more subtle ways to question other’s beliefs. freedom is not absolute, both of you should know that … may GOD have mercy on your souls, including your children’s…..”

For Harold Bautista, the exhibit is an affront to the people’s beliefs.

“Art should not be made an excuse to launch an attack on a group of people whose only crime is they are peacefully practicing their religious beliefs,” he said.

“While the world works toward achieving religious harmony through interfaith dialogs, promoting political correctness in everything to foster respect for other people’s beliefs, ideologies, sexualities, here in the country we have the publicly-funded Cultural Center of the Philippines nurturing animosity and bigotry, all ‘in the name of culture and arts’,” he said.

Juan dela Cruz appeals: “Can we just call it ‘art’ in whatever form it is, and agree that we may or may not have the same appreciation of it like we do in most movies, books and music?”

Ricardo Reyes believes that art sometimes needs “to shock people to convey a strong statement.”

“But this freedom to express stops when it violates the rights and sensibilities of another group,” he said.

PaulGr questioned Cruz’s artistry. “This is no longer art but an abuse of art. No true artists in their right mind would put any value to this. This is purely shock for the sake of shocking people. It is both disgusting and distasteful,” he said.

“Art is definitely overrated, in my opinion. What has the artist had to say now? That this is his interpretation of Pepe Smith hitting a bong shaped phallus? Well, excuse me while I kiss the sky!!!” alice_in_chains said.

Bishops and lay groups have demanded the CCP close the exhibit on grounds it is blasphemous, immoral, illegal and offends the country’s Catholic majority.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said on its website that Christian lay groups were also preparing a lawsuit.
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If an exorcism doesn't work...sue.

I'm not saying I am an art expert/critic. His popeness has some masterpieces in Rome. Is that the measuring stick by which all art should be measured (according to catholics at least)?

IMO, this art is pretty crappy. I wouldn't have chosen these pieces to display in my gallery (if I had one).

That said...the artist is bold and IMO, making a statement based on recent outrageous (and embarrassing) disclosures about the sexual crimes of RCC priests around the world being covered up by church heirarchy...up to and including his popeness (the vicar of christ...blah).

Got to love the 'freedom of speech' aspect on both sides.
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Legal experts say Mideo Cruz, CCP did not violate law

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/330992/le ... iolate-law

apparently there has already been a Senate hearing

MANILA, Philippines – Some legal experts have come to the defense of controversial artist Mideo Cruz and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), saying they did not violate any law when the former’s collection of art works titled “Poleitismo” was allowed to go on exhibit recently.

Atty. Florin Hilbay of UP Law argued that "the right of Cruz to express himself through ‘Poleitismo’ is recognized by the constitution. It was not as if the CCP exerted extra effort to offend the feelings of subscribers to the Catholic faith."

This was also shared by another colleague at UP Law, Dean Raul Pangalangan.

“Cruz’s work, shocking as it may be, will fall within that protective clause,” Dean Pangalangan said on “24 Oras,” Aug. 16.

"The artist in question is...entitled to the protection of speech clause,” he said on “TV Patrol.”

Prof. Cecilia dela Paz, Head of University of the Philippines – Diliman’s Art Studies Department feels that there is a need for better understanding of the situation.

“It may violate and offend the community and common standards of morality but it would be more protective for us to bring the discussion in a well-informed manner,” she said.

But Sen. Jinggoy, who is tasked to investigate on the controversial art work, hears nothing of it. He is pushing for the CCP board members to resign.

CCP Chairman Emily Abrera, meanwhile, believes that it should not be Mideo who should bear the brunt of public ire.

“It is not Mideo who has to [deface] the face of Christ but his opinion that our own ways have defaced Christ. The way we have, you know pursued material things and so on, we, by our own actions, have defaced God,” she said.

Abrera explained her take on Mideo’s art.

"I did not take it as his comment against religion. I took it as his comment to society, about how society has treated the different things that we idolize.”

Abrera stood her ground for her decision not to resign amid the controversy despite call by Senator Estrada for the CCP to leave their post.

“I said no. I meant it in all modesty, in all humility. I recognize my responsibility in this case,” she said.

For National Artist for Sculpture Abdulmari Imao, however, Mideo is at fault.

And naturally, from the clergy’s point of view, Miedo committed a sin with his art.

"Look at the picture and there is violence done. A picture has to be considered very sacred. With any other picture, I will be a little bit more understanding. Never with a picture of God,” Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said.

"The picture of Jesus is not just any picture. He is the picture of God. Nothing like that should be repeated again,” he said on “TV Patrol” that same evening.

For National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose, the “artist is immature and juvenile in his attempt to express his views.”

Mideo did not attend the senate hearing and, instead, issued a statement to “24 Oras.”

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I tend to agree w/ CCP Chairman Emily Abrera, with the exception that it is only because of the depraved behavior of RCC priests and church heirarchy. Anybody ask the religious background of Mideo Cruz or for that matter Emily Abrera? In any event, it takes some serious thought to choose to make this 'caustic' type of art and to choose to display it. They both made a 'statement'.

[Lyzandra Daria]

2nd woman admits role in exorcism death

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/2 ... /308169967

FORT WAYNE – A Fort Wayne woman admitted Monday morning to her part in an “exorcism” act that led to a toddler’s death.

Natasha N. Hawkins, 31, pleaded guilty to a Class A felony battery charge in the death of 2-year-old Jezaih King. In June, a jury found Jezaih’s mother, Latisha Lawson, guilty of murder.

The two women were roommates. According to court documents and testimony during Lawson’s trial, Hawkins held Jezaih’s legs down while the child’s mother forced him to drink olive oil and vinegar, an attempt to exorcise Jezaih of a demon.
Hawkins faces 30 years in prison if Allen Superior Court Judge Frances Gull accepts a plea agreement that calls for seven other charges to be dropped. Hawkins’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for September.

In a soft monotone, Hawkins quietly answered Gull’s questions during Monday’s hearing and said she is on medication for bipolar disorder.

She originally had planned an insanity defense, but doctors had found her sane at the time of the offense and competent to stand trial, her court-appointed defense attorney, Quinton Ellis, said Monday.

During Lawson’s trial, she described Hawkins as a spiritual adviser. Lawson’s older child testified the two women slept in a bed alongside Jezaih’s lifeless body and later put him in a closet and eventually in 32-gallon plastic tub, wrapped in a sheet.

Lawson told police all the children in the home – her own two and Hawkins’ three – were suffering from demonic influences, according to court documents. The other children were given the mixture of oil and vinegar, but vomited, and watched as the toddler was forced to hold it down.

The charges against Hawkins that would be dropped as part of the plea agreement are neglect of a dependent resulting in death, assisting a criminal and five counts of battery resulting in bodily injury – all felonies.

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Oh yea...everybody knows that a concoction of vinegar and oil (salad or motor?) will get 'demons' to 'depart'. NOT!!!

PS: I thought bi-polar was a grounds for insanity plea? To bad...she might have gotten some help for her superstitious delusions in a mental health facility.
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[Lyzandra Daria]

And to the (borderline) dangerous behaviors being exhibited by the younger superstitious generation...

You can hire a teenage girl exorcist franchise to repel the Devil (UPDATED)

http://io9.com/5830999/you-can-hire-a-t ... il-updated

Teenage life is filled with nefarious temptations, such as premarital hand-holding, Mad Dog 20/20, and those burgeoning Juggalo communes which have riddled our nation like so many grease-painted termites, spreading their ongoing smear campaign against ferromagnetism.

Luckily, some teenagers in Arizona are taking a stand against the filth overwhelming America and have found a higher calling...in demonology. Meet Reverend Bob Larson's Teenage Exorcist Girl Squad. Sabrina, beware.

Larson — whose fire-and-brimstone anti-Satan roadshow has not been without controversy — recently spoke with letter-of-the-day newspaper The Daily Mail about his five fresh-faced Satan-smashers, whom he trained at his Spiritual Freedom Church.

Although he manages oodles of exorcists, Larson maintains that this crack ingenue team is particularly proficient at compelling the power of Christ:

Think of it more of an exorcist franchise [...] The Church just can't keep up with demand. But I have 100 teams of trained exorcists working all over the world, and outbreaks of demonic possession are getting out of control.

Our phone lines are ringing constantly - we receive up to 1,000 individual requests monthly, and we travel to countries like Africa, Ukraine, England and even Australia. [...] We have found that our female, teenage exorcists are particularly effective at curing the possessed [...]

Larson's own daughter Brynne is among the Reverend's coterie of Teenage Prudent Ninja Girls. Sadly, the life of a pre-collegiate exorcist doesn't allow for much leisure time. When you spend your days off exorcising a woman "of an evil curse, after she was cursed by a Nigerian witchdoctor over the Internet" (Daily Mail's words, not mine), there's no time for ogling sparkling dream boat Robert Pattison:


I think Harry Potter and Twilight are instigators of evil [...] I don't watch any television at all. I'm much too busy praying and fighting the devil.

Brynne performed her first exorcism at the age of "13, in Africa, on a man possessed by terrible demons." She roped her friends into her dad's demonology racket after performing an exorcism on one of her classmates. Peer pressure, it can be used for anything!

Larson may owe some inspiration ducats to a certain dollar-store horror movie from 1991. Also, like all absolutely pressing news stories, the girls' Satanic duels have earned them NMA News immortality.

UPDATE 8/15: Aaaand the girls are getting their own (Canadian?) reality show. Will it be more successful than Canada's other forays into reality television? And isn't reality television Satan's dominion anyway?


Here's the synopsis (via eagle-eyed wunder-commenter TheRonaldBrown):


Canadian indie producer Cineflix is developing the series All-American Girls Fighting Satan, about five teen girl exorcists training to cast Beelzebub's black-winged minions from the lives of ordinary Americans under the tutelage of Reverend Larson of the Spiritual Freedom Churches [...] Cineflix added that, while the five teens are not fending off evil in suburban America, they find time to attend beauty pageants, or play sports like horseback riding and karate.

Will people watch this? Yes. Why? Because as a civilization we err towards the horrid. Also, everyone likes horseback riding.
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Have people really become this insipid? Put this on TV...I would be both embarrassed (that people would watch such crapola) and hopeful that a few might actually begin to realize what a farce is being enacted/perpetrated.

PS: I would program in some subliminal message for the viewing public. "Warning...DON'T DO THIS AT HOME. This is rational behavior for anyone who is mentally ill or delusional.

Child abuse?

What happens when the girls are invited to exorcise an exhibitionist? Daddy gets to kick-a$$...and we get to watch? Fun night at the fern bar. I'm in for that episode. Green tea on me.
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[Lyzandra Daria]

Is this how it got started?

Text of Jewish exorcism discovered

http://www.physorg.com/news180186353.html

A rare - and possibly unique - text describing a Jewish exorcism has been discovered by a scholar of medieval Jewish studies.

The 150 word neatly written fragment - discovered by Dr Renate Smithuis from The University of Manchester - describes a ceremony to dispel the evil spirit of Nissim Ben Bunya from his widow, Qamar Bat Rahma.

Dr Smithuis thinks the Hebrew document was most likely written in the eighteenth century and probably originated from Egypt or Palestine.

The fragment provides what is likely to be unique evidence of the prayer ritual's actual use in a synagogue.

It is one of the 11,000 manuscript fragments held at The University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library - rescued from a 1000-year old storeroom - or Genizah - at the Ben Ezra synagogue in Cairo.

The fragment contains the second part of a prayer ritual in which the husband - or husband-to-be - of a widow recites an exorcism prayer, to which the other men gathered in the synagogue respond with a similar prayer.

Apparently, Qamar had been possessed by the spirit - or dybbuk - of her late husband Nissim Ben Bunya while engaged to, or just married with, Joseph Moses Ben Sarah.

In the prayer, Joseph and the rest of the congregation ask God that the ghost may be expelled from Qamar and that the new family and all their possessions may be protected from the troublesome ghost also in the years to come.

Professor Gideon Bohak from Tel-Aviv University, who has worked with Dr Smithuis - discovered that the prayer is ascribed to the famous eighteenth-century Kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Shar‘abi.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council awarded The John Rylands Library over £ 361,000 to digitise and catalogue the Rylands Genizah in 2006.

The project - soon to be completed - provides high resolution images of the fragments on the website of The John Rylands Library for both researchers and the public. There will be at least 22,000 images.

Dr Renate Smithuis, who is based at the Centre for Jewish Studies at The University of Manchester , said: “From the second half of the sixteenth century onwards, there were lots of dybbuk stories across the Mediterranean, primarily in North Africa and Palestine.

“But this fragment is so exciting because it’s not a story, but the record of a real event using a prayer which was actually recited in a synagogue.

“The prayer was said in the presence of a minyan - the minimum number of ten adult Jews required for a communal religious service.

“We think it likely to have come from Egypt or Palestine not only because the fragment originates from the Cairo Genizah but also because Qamar (Arabic for “Moon”) and Rahma (“Mercy”) are names of Arabic origin.

”We know little more about what happened than what is contained within these 150 or so words - but it does throw some light on this mysterious and little known side of Jewish culture.”

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Doesn't say anything about 'oil & vinegar' purge?

This is quite funny to me. My version would be more like, a young woman is recently widowed and doesn't have any surviving male relatives to help her when another man wants to 'marry' her and claim any wealth that she might have inherited from her recently deceased husband. In that time/society, such a woman would be preyed upon quite easily. Females were considered no more than chattel. She (or her spouse-want-to-be) makes up some story about her dead husband being 'still present'. The next thing you know...to keep peace in an overly superstitious small/closed community, there must be a 'ritual' appropriate to insure that the man gets the woman.

Another version, the woman (again recently widowed...) wants to hook up with some local stud-muffin. It wouldn't be appropriate to be too hasty (cultural/religious prohibitions). Then again, she or he makes up the story about her dead husband needing to be exorcised so they can be 'free' to 'knock socks'.

Got to maintain order...that's all. Any excuse for a meaningless ritual to maintain the social order.
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[Lyzandra Daria]

NCSC enlists students' help in Udalguri witch-hunting fight

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... perstition

GUWAHATI: 'Catch 'em young' is the mantra with which the Udalguri district committee of the National Children's Science Congress (NCSC) has embarked on its fight against witch-hunting. The NCSC has targeted school students as the first cross-section of society to spread awareness in order to counter the social menace of witch-hunting, which has its roots in superstition.

The social menace has assumed alarming proportions in the state, with at least 10 deaths reported due to witch-hunting so far this year, and Udalguri is one of the worst-hit districts.

In an awareness event organized by the NCSC's district committee, more than 100 students from 26 schools in different parts of the district gathered at the Udalguri deputy commissioner's conference hall where voices were raised to condemn witch-hunting and other superstitious practices prevalent here.

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Does 'his popeness' know that this practice (of hunting/killing supposed witches) is being discouraged? He might ask to visit to let them know just how mistaken they are (to discourage the hunting/murder of witches). Can anyone afford to have 'his popeness' visit?
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[Lyzandra Daria]

Holey crap...now there is a certificate!!!

Islamic Foundation launches certificate course in use of incantations to cure black magic

http://minivannews.com/society/islamic- ... agic-24372

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) has said that it will commence a certificate level course on incantations, teaching the participants “spiritual healing” and how to cure diseases using “incantation”.

“Incantations consist of words said or written in the form of dud or Dhikr for the purpose of protection or cure. It is sometimes accompanied by other actions, such as blowing or wiping over the thing to which it is applied,’’ the Foundation explained on its website.

President of the Islamic Foundation, Ibrahim Fauzee, told Minivan News that the main reason why the organisation had decided to conduct courses on spiritual healing was that many people in the islands had become victims of black magic performed by their enemies.

“Sometimes people have lost their lives [to black magic], and sometimes people perform the black arts to ruin the life or family of others. Many do not know how to cure this,’’ Fauzee said.

“Many people have requested that we teach them this, so we decided to open a course for the public and we are receiving huge support for it.’’

The one month course, beginning September 15, costs Rf 350 (US$23). Fauzee said seats for the class had been limited to 30 students, and it had already sold out.

During the course, students will learn incantations, ayahs, “extracted from the Quran which were taught by the Prophet (PBUH) during the old days, which people have always delivered to the next generation.”

Practitioners of black arts, he explained, spoke with djinns and used them to harm others.

“The Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunnah as well as the Quran reveals many things about the existence of djinns,” Fauzee said.

“Djinns often cause trouble and disturbances to humans, so we know that they are there. The Quran and the Prophet (PBUH) has taught us ways to cure [these disturbances],’’ he said.

Fauzee said the course would teach participants basic cures, and would involve both theoretical and practical work.

The Islamic Foundation explained that the practical component would involve the students accompanying tutors to treat people victimised by djinns, during which they would be taught how to use incantations.

Well-known scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed and other senior members of the Islamic Foundation are scheduled to lecture the students during the course.

Sorcery, known locally as fandita, is widely practiced on many islands in the Maldives. In fact, the last person to be judicially executed in the Maldives was Hakim Didi in 1953, who was executed by firing squad after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder using black magic.

Didi’s daughter, Dhondidi, was also sentenced in 1993 for performing fandita on behalf of the former President’s brother-in-law Ilyas Ibrahim, in his bid to win the 1993 presidential election.

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So...IIUC...Islam (the Quran) contains spells and incantations both to protect and to cause harm. And only now, after over 1300 years, some Muslim 'scholar' is going to teach (only the good spells) to a bunch of kids so they can ward off evil.

[Lyzandra Daria]

Religious beliefs shape health care attitudes among Muslims

http://www.islamonline.net/cs/ContentSe ... 8408918922

In contrast to contemporary views, disease does not always have a negative connotation in Islam. According to the classical Islamic scholar Imam al-Ghazzali, "illness is one of the forms of experience by which man arrives at knowledge of God." Other Muslim scholars argue that falling ill may be Allah's way of forcing the person to rest or care for the body before it deteriorates further.

Both medical practitioners and patients must know the limits of the former's capabilities. From a Muslim point of view, life and death are ultimately derived from God. No human can give life or take death away. As such, medical personnel do not have the privilege of saying anything definitive about future prognosis. Instead, they are obliged to assist the patient to the best of their abilities and leave the rest to Allah.

With the growing Muslim population in the USA, the encounter between a Muslim patient and American hospitals and physicians is likely to increase. Knowing the religion of patients will improve the communication and health care. Muslims receive illness and death with patience and prayers. They consider an illness as atonement for their sins. They consider death as part of a journey to meet their Lord. However, they are strongly encouraged to seek treatment and care.

In addition to other factors, religion and cultural background influence individuals' beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes toward health and illness. That population is at an increased risk for several diseases and faces many barriers to accessing the American health care system.

Some barriers, such as modesty, gender preference in healthcare providers, and illness causation misconceptions, arise out of their cultural beliefs and practices. Other barriers are related to the complexity of the health care system and the lack of culturally competent services within it.

Nurses need to be aware of these religious and cultural factors to provide culturally competent health promotion services for this population. Nurses also need to integrate Islamic teachings into their interventions to provide appropriate care and to motivate healthy behaviors.

Muslims’ perception of disease

The perception the role of God in illness and recovery is a primary influence upon the health care beliefs and behaviors of American Muslims, a first-of-its-kind study has discovered. Outreach and education efforts by health care administrators can help address Muslim concerns and improve health care quality in this rapidly growing population, according to the report.

The traditional Ramadan fasting occurring this month, is just one of many aspects of the Islamic faith that might influence a patient’s health behaviors. However few studies have comprehensively examined how religious beliefs and cultural attitudes across the different sub communities among American Muslims shape a patient’s experience.

“The idea was to talk about the health care values of American Muslim patients and the challenges they face inside the health care system,” says Aasim Padela, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine and director of the Initiative on Islam and Medicine at the University of Chicago. “The findings can guide us as we move forward on accommodating these patients and others.”

For the report, “Meeting the Healthcare Needs of American Muslims,” researchers interviewed people who share Islamic faith from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to see how their faith influences behaviors and the cultural obstacles they face within the health care environment.

Looking for the commons

“We looked at American Muslims as a conglomerate and asked what was common,” Padela says. “We wanted to talk to each of these three large groups, which we know make up the majority of American Muslims, and look at what’s similar in terms of health care challenges and beliefs. What we found as similar is something we can attribute to their faith.”

One significant area of overlap was in the assignment of responsibility to God for health, disease, and healing. Illnesses ranging from influenza to cancer are attributed by many Muslim Americans to the influence of God, with some describing illness as “a disease of fate.”

“Most participants perceived illness through a religious lens as predestined,” according to the study, “a trial from God by which one’s sins are removed, an opportunity for spiritual reward, a reminder to improve one’s health, and sometimes a sign of personal failure to follow Islam’s tenets.”

These views were accompanied by a holistic view of healing involving a combination of spiritual and medical agents. The health care role of imams, the spiritual leaders of the Muslim community, was frequently discussed. “God also says to take care of your body and that means you have to go to people in this world,” Padela says. “Imams play a big role in healing in the sense that they help you understand disease and illness.”

Though imams are often consulted by patients for advice during illness, Muslim chaplains are a rarity in the American health care system. Improving communication between hospitals and community imams, Padela says, would help Muslim patients address spiritual concerns during times of serious illness and educate imams on how to counsel their patients on medical issues.

Islamic Approaches to Medicine

Muslims today approach medicine and health care in various ways. There are some Muslims, particularly those in rural areas with limited access to modern medical facilities, who completely reject modern medicine. Many of these people prefer to rely on a combination of supplications and traditional medical treatments. Accordingly, it is quite common to find traditional healers working today who continue to rely on a mixture of Qur'anic verses, water, local herbs, ornaments, oil, or honey for their medical treatments. Unfortunately, not all of these practitioners have medical training, and some become involved in superstitious practices that contradict Islamic norms and values.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are secular Muslims, with little knowledge of or regard for Qur'anic injunctions and Prophetic statements in the medical sphere, who prefer to rely completely on modern medicine. The vast majority of Muslims, however, fall somewhere between these two groups. They believe that prayer, supplications, Qur’an recitation, and dhikr (remembrance of Allah) play an important role in healing and recovery, but they also recognize the benefits of modern medicine.

The last few decades have witnessed a renewed interest in reviving traditional Islamic medical knowledge and combining it with the latest advancements in modern medicine. Many seminars, conferences, books, publications, and medical associations have been devoted to this revival, as well as to generating a precise definition of "Islamic medicine." For some, the term means a return to classical Islamic medicine.

Accordingly, institutes such as the Hamdard Foundation in Pakistan and the National Research Center and the Desert Institute, both in Egypt, were established to undertake clinical studies on the efficacy of the medical teachings found in the Sunnah.

For other Muslims, however, Islamic medicine entails applying Islamic values and paradigms to any type of medicine, thereby "Islamizing" it. Omar Kasule, the deputy dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the International Islamic University Malaysia, defines Islamic medicine as a system of basic paradigms, concepts, values, and procedures that conform to, or do not contradict, the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions. It is universal and can be defined only in terms of values and ethics, not as specific medical procedures or therapeutic agents.

The traditional Islamic medical system that developed in the classical period contains a mixture of spiritual and physical elements, including the use of natural substances and certain Islamic supplications for healing and cures. It includes preventive measures, curative medicine, mental healing, surgery, and most importantly, spiritual cures for both the body and the soul. The scientific and medical achievements made during the classical Islamic period had a significant influence on the formation and development of modern medicine in Europe.
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So...on one hand you have the 'you are sick because you are a sinner...get to the mosque and pray to be forgiven' group and on the other hand the 'you are sick because allah is testing you' faction.

I thought people realized that germs...not god caused the flu. Oh...but god created the germs and sent them directly at one person (or group) is that it? Maybe it was those nasty djinns.

Although I do agree that lifestyle...sanitation, clean drinking water, washing hands...does help along with a proper diet, etc. That part is important to keeping oneself healthy.

For me...you can keep your mumbo-jumbo incantations and hocus-pocus prayers. Since I don't need to be concerned about 'sin' against some megalomaniacal 'superfriend', I'm good with modern medicine (with the exception of needles). I hate needles.
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[Lyzandra Daria]

duplicate/sorry

[Lyzandra Daria]

Wahhabi & superstitious beliefs & practices...it's a blog, but I found it interesting

Q&A: Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin

http://blogs.wsj.com/dispatch/2011/08/2 ... ul-abidin/

Malaysia is known for its moderate brand of Islam and has been touted as a model for other nations. But government officials have recently warned that more conservative strands of the faith -– especially the Wahhabi version of Islam prevalent in Saudi Arabia -– are on the rise.

Malaysian Muslim scholar Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin is drawing attention across Malaysia for talking openly about conservative Islam, with his speeches drawing big crowds across the country. The Wall Street Journal’s Celine Fernandez recently spoke with Mr. Muhammad Asri about the changing role of religion in one of Asia’s key economies. Edited excerpts follow.

Q: Critics say your interpretations of Islam sets you apart from other Islamic scholars in Malaysia. What are your main religious beliefs and how are they different from Islam as defined by Malaysia’s religious establishment?

A: In Malaysia at the moment there aren’t many conservative Muslims — but they are in important government positions. While progressive groups have contributed a lot of significant reforms over the years, they are marginalized by conservative groups who control the institutions of religion in government and ensure that only their school of thought is given an opportunity. The government is probably concerned that members of the progressive movement will criticize things they see. Perhaps there is a tendency of certain parties to maintain elements of racism and extreme religious fanaticism to protect their political interests.

My grasp of Islam is that Islam is a religion that blesses everyone, regardless of race or religion. More than that, the blessing encompasses the entire universe. Any interpretation of Islam that leads to injustice, oppression, hostility to other people, ignorance, caste systems in society, racism, fanaticism that doesn’t respect the rights of others -– all of these must be rejected. Islam must be described as a religion of love for others, with a respect for rights, respect for knowledge, rejecting superstition and basing all practices on real arguments.

Q: A local newspaper quoted you as saying, “My duty is to present Islam in its modern face and get it out of the clutches of ultra-conservatives, who have made the religion look obsolete.” How do you propose to do this?

A: Some of the fundamental Islamic beliefs, ways of worship and principles of morality do not change. However, there are things that can be changed by factors of place, time and people. We must understand that some religious texts are actually based in a particular context during the Prophet’s time. We just have to take the spirit of texts only, not implementing the texts literally. Islam is not rigid. We live in a technological age. Islam has the approach and language to this age. Most of the texts of Islam have general meanings, and they are open to various interpretations because God knows people will live in a variety of conditions.

Q: You have said some of Islam’s traditions and rituals have no basis in the Prophet’s teachings. Some view this as extremist and allege that your views are linked to the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. Is that true?

A: If the talk is about how to worship in Islam, yes, there are many things I agree with in the schools of thought against innovation in worship. I cannot accept practices of worship that are not based on evidence from the Quran and the hadith. (But) I am not a Wahhabi. I am not a follower of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhabi. In fact there are many fatwas from Saudi scholars that I do not agree with. But I still think they have their own distinctive contribution for Muslim societies around the world. We should appreciate all the parties.

Q: Why is the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam not encouraged in Malaysia?

A: If “Wahhabi” means inviting people to be fanatical, rigid, stern, uncompromising, and the like, I oppose it. In my opinion some religious views in some Gulf countries are rather narrow, especially on women, non-Muslims and political issues and a few other things. There are also a lot of sound and relevant opinions among them. However, even if we disagree with their views, that doesn’t mean we can accuse them of terrorism.

In the context of Western journalism, the word “Wahhabi” has many connotations. All of them lead to an understanding that it is an Islamic movement perceived as strictly following the legal opinions and evidences from al-Quran and as-Sunnah in their literal senses, while refusing to consider more modern or Western-influenced interpretations. In Malaysia, the word “Wahhabi” is quite a mysterious term. Many use the term or slander others by it, without a clue about its meaning. In some places, a person is accused of being a Wahhabi for disagreeing with superstitious rituals and beliefs. This includes hanging pictures of certain individuals like the sultan or a sheikh in the belief that it brings good charm or increases their earnings, or tying a black thread on a newborn’s hand in the belief that it will protect the baby from bad luck, and many other erroneous beliefs haunting parts of our society. When people begin to criticize the practices, they simply say, “you are Wahhabi.”

Q: What do you think about the current political/religious situation in Malaysia more broadly? Do you feel free to practice your beliefs? Is Malaysia heading in the right or wrong direction, and why?

A: Religious authorities in Malaysia should be more open-minded. Their attitude is to force others to think in only one way, and that is not the attitude of a civilized people. They should remember what happened to the church when they refused to change and suppressed people who wanted to change.

Q: What is your long-term goal for Malaysia? Where would you like to see it go in terms of practice of religion here?

A: We need “tajdid” in Muslim society in Malaysia. There are two different definitions that can be assigned to tajdid. The first definition is to restore the religion’s original look just as we would restore the condition of something that has gone bad or has expired. A practical example is the renewal of our driving license.

The second definition of tajdid involves the innovation of certain elements to fulfill contemporary needs, such as the innovation of a modern vehicle. In this instance we’re talking about something that has never been created before, but it serves the same basic purpose required by humankind. In the context of Islam, innovation should be performed such that it does not change the religion but rather satisfies the new understanding or views brought about by changes in circumstances, though it should not deviate from the essence and the requirement of al-Quran and al-Sunnah. A lot of the contemporary issues we are encountering these days were not known in the past. To ensure a continuous survival of society, various new opinions are required. The opinions of preceding theologians may not be wrong, but may have expired due to changes in time and circumstance.

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[Lyzandra Daria]

More wasteful foolishness (IMO)

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Shabbat Elevator

Hotels are offering an innovative way for observant Jews to use elevators on the Sabbath.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1570061268/

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A 'two-fer' (peat and repeat). See below

[Lyzandra Daria]

Shabbat Elevator

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/shabbat-elevator.html

For many Orthodox Jews, conventional elevators and observing the Sabbath don't mix. So how can they get to the top floors of tall buildings after sunset on Friday while still being true to their faith? Hotel managers in Miami Beach, together with rabbis, have come up with a clever solution: It is called the Shabbat elevator, and it allows Orthodox Jewish guests to ride an elevator to their hotel floor while still properly observing the Sabbath, even though it often means a longer ride.

RABBI MANISH SPITZ: The Bible specifically says we do not make a fire on the Sabbath. When you push the button, you create electricity, you're creating a fire. The door opens, there is all types of electricity, all types of labors are being done, and therefore that would be forbidden on the Sabbath.

SKIP KEARNEY (HOTEL MANAGER): We do have a Shabbat elevator for our Jewish customer. Our maintenance staff typically around five-thirty in the evening before the sun will set will key the elevator where it goes straight to the rooftop, up to 17. And then will stop on every floor on the way down until it hits, actually, the basement.

NARRATOR: For those who live by ancient law, modern life can be a challenge. But elevators make modern life possible. And the Shabbat elevator is proof that people will always find ways to use them.

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I was lead to believe that a 'lie of ommission' was still a lie. This is plainly a waste of electricity just to appease some superstitious beliefs/practices.
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[Lyzandra Daria]

Yoga is the work of the devil, says Vatican's chief exorcist (and he doesn't like Harry Potter much either)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ither.html

Father Gabriel Amorth has carried out more than 70,000 exorcisms in his capacity as Chief Exorcist at the Vatican.

The 85-year-old can boast 25 years in the post after being appointed by the late Pope John Paul II.

At a conference today, he surprised the delegates by revealing some of his greatest dislikes - yoga and Harry Potter.

Father Amorth, a colourful and often outspoken personality, said: 'Practising yoga brings evil as does reading Harry Potter. They may both seem innocuous but they both deal with magic and that leads to evil.'

He added: 'Yoga is the Devil's work. You thing you are doing it for stretching your mind and body but it leads to Hinduism. All these oriental religions are based on the false belief of reincarnation.'

Father Amorth, speaking on the subject of People And Religion at a fringe event at the Umbria Film Festival in Terni, spoke of his distaste for JK Rowling's young wizard.

He said: 'People think it is an innocuous book for children but it's about magic and that leads to evil. In Harry Potter the Devil is at work in a cunning and crafty way, he is using his extraordinary powers of magic and evil.

'Satan is always hidden and the thing he desires more than anything is for people to believe he does not exist. He studies each and everyone of us and our tendencies towards good and evil and then he tempts us.

'My advice to young people would be to watch out for nightclubs because the path is always the same: alcohol, sex, drugs and Satanic sects.'

It is not the first time that Father Amorth has raised eyebrows with his forthright views - last year he said that the ongoing child sex scandals rocking the Catholic Church were evidence that 'the Devil was at work in the Vatican.'

While in 2006, Father Amorth, who was ordained a priest in 1954, gave an interview to Vatican Radio in which he said that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Russian dictator Josef Stalin were both possessed by the Devil.

According to secret Vatican documents recently released the then wartime Pope Pius XII attempted a 'long distance exorcism' of Hitler but it failed to have any effect.

It is also not the first time that Father Amorth, who is president of the International Association of Exorcists, has spoken out against Harry Potter saying in the past that it opens children's minds to dabbling with the occult and black magic.

Today Vanda Vanni, of the Italian Yoga Association, said: 'A Satanic practice? Pardon the pun but that is an accusation that is neither in Heaven or on earth. Father Amorth's accusation is completely without foundation.

'It is an outrageous thing to say - yoga is not a religion but a spiritual discipline. It is about freedom and a search to find one's inner self. It does not touch religion and has nothing to do with Satanic sects nor does it encourage people to join them.
Giorgio Furlan, who runs the Yoga Academy in Rome, said`: 'There are some paths of yoga which do lead towards Hinduism but other paths are more philosophical but their is no direct link with religion and certainly no link with Satanism.

'To say such things shows you have no idea of what you are talking about - yoga controls violent impulses of the nervous system and subconscious - to be honest with me it had the effect of bringing me closer to Christianity and in particular the Catholic Church which I had abandoned as a youngster.
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I do a little yoga for my sciatica. Yoga does more for my symptoms than praying to some invisible friend or seeking an exorcism of 'demons'.

Next, we will be back to the 'good ol days' when mental illness was considered demonic possession and physical disease was caused by the devil.

Break out the holey water...the cure for epilepsy and all diseases of mankind.

[Lyzandra Daria]

Santa concerns led to deadly Conn. fire

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-573 ... conn-fire/

Smoldering embers blamed for a Christmas morning house fire that killed three girls and their grandparents had been taken out of a fireplace so the children would not worry about Santa Claus coming down the chimney, two officials told The Associated Press Tuesday.

Two officials briefed on the investigation say the ashes were removed out of concerns for Santa. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the investigation is still under way.

Authorities say embers in a bag of discarded ashes started the blaze in Stamford that killed 10-year-old Lilly and 7-year-old twins Grace and Sarah Badger and their grandparents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson.

The girls' mother, Madonna Badger, escaped the fire along with a friend, Michael Borcina. Borcina and Badger were treated at a local hospital and released.

Fire officials have said Borcina is believed to have placed the ashes in or outside an entryway, near the trash.

A funeral service will be held Thursday in New York City for the girls.

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Tragic accident; ignorant mistake

So...my take is...if you are going to 'feed' the delusions of children who 'believe' in the 'Santa' superstition, make sure you handle the embers safely. Otherwise, superstition kills. Or, ignorant people shouldn't be allowed to have fireplaces in their homes.

I heard of another situation where the parents built a facade for their chimney because their kid was afraid that Santa couldn't get his fat a$$ down the little chimney.

It would have been easier/cheaper to just tell the kid another lie...like Santa can morph into a smaller size or Santa turns into a puff of smoke to enter the chimney and then re-materializes as Santa to deliver the presents the greedy kid wants to find under the tree. If you are going to maintain the superstition...get creative not 'stupid', IMO.
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[Lyzandra Daria]

Just found this one...couldn't believe it was true...

http://sacredspace102.blogspot.com/2011 ... laise.html

February 3rd: Memorial of St Blaise & the Blessing of Throats

Through the intercession of Saint Blase, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

February 3rd is the feast of St Blaise - bishop - and most people would generally associate it with the blessing of throats. Saint Blase was the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia during the fourth century. Very little is known about his life. According to various accounts he was a physician before becoming a bishop. His cult spread throughout the entire Church in the Middle Ages because he was reputed to have miraculously cured a little boy who nearly died because of a fishbone in his throat. From the eighth century he has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with illnesses of the throat.

"Suffering and illness have always been among the greatest problems that trouble the human spirit. Christians feel and experience pain as do all other people; yet their faith helps them to grasp more deeply the mystery of suffering and to bear their pain with greater courage. . . . Part of the plan laid out by God's providence is that we should fight strenuously against all sickness and carefully seek the blessings of good health, so that we may fulfill our role in human society and in the Church". The blessing of the sick by ministers of the Church is a very ancient custom, rooted in imitation of Christ himself and his apostles"


The blessing may be given by touching the throat of each person with two candles blessed on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) and which have been joined together in the form of a cross. If, for pastoral reasons, each individual cannot be blessed in the manner for example when great numbers are gathered for the blessing or when the memorial of Saint Blase occurs on a Sunday, a priest or deacon may give the blessing to all assembled by extending hands, without the crossed candles, over the people while saying the prayer of blessing.

As we gather to celebrate to invoke the intercession of this saint, how well do we welcome people who may not be frequent visitors to church who may come for traditions like the blessing of the throats? And aside from February 3rd, how many other times of the year do you remember to pray for the intercession of St Blaise?

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

Saint Blaise (Armenian: Սուրբ Բարսեղ, Sourb Barsegh; Greek: Άγιος Βλάσιος, Agios Vlasios; Turkish: Aziz Vlas) was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea (modern Sivas, Turkey). According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded.

In iconography, Blaise is often shown with the instruments of his martyrdom, steel combs. He blessed throats and effected many miracles according to his hagiography. The similarity of these instruments of torture to wool combs led to his adoption as the patron saint of wool combers in particular, and the wool trade in general. He may also be depicted with crossed candles. Such crossed candles are used for the blessing of throats on his feast day, which falls on 3 February, the day after Candlemas on the Roman Catholic calendar of saints. Blaise is traditionally believed to intercede in cases of throat illnesses, especially for fish-bones stuck in the throat.[1]

Indeed, the first reference we have to him is in manuscripts of the medical writings of Aëtius Amidenus, a court physician of the very end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century; there his aid is invoked in treating objects stuck in the throat. He cured animals and lived in a cave. Before being killed, he spoke to a wolf and told it to release a pig it was harming. The wolf did so. Blaise was going to be starved but the owner of the pig secretly gave him food in order to survive. After a while, he was tortured because of his Christian faith but did not give up his beliefs. He died in the year 316.

Marco Polo reported the place where "Meeser Saint Blaise obtained the glorious crown of martyrdom", Sebastea;[2] the shrine near the citadel mount was mentioned by William of Rubruck in 1253.[3] However, it appears to no longer exist.

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The first evidence of something like the Heimlick maneuver (just a logical suggestion on my part) and some guy who died 200-300 years earlier is given credit? Bet Aetius Amidenus was PISSED (or maybe that was his explanation to avoid being declared a witch?). Just as plausible an explanation...I'm just saying.

So...all because some guy(court physician) in late 5th c CE-early 6th c CE 'invokes' this 'saint' while performing a up to then unknown procedure to unblock someones throat...people today are going to get their throats 'blessed' by a priest who puts (hopefully unlit) candles on either side of the supplicant's neck and recites a prayer. Oh...but the candles have to have been previously 'blessed' by some other priest on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) and which have been joined together in the form of a cross.

If this weren't so 'sad' (and scary) I would be and peeing my pants.
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