Miss Jackson (If You’re Nasty)

The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church.

-Tertullian

INTRODUCTION

This article is an introductory look at the persecution of the early church. The Jewish social setting and subsequent persecution of the Christians by the Jews will be looked at first, followed by the Roman social setting and persecution of the Christians by the Romans.

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS BY JEWS - IN JERUSALEM

SOCIAL SETTING

Jewish Scholars point to the rejection of the Torah as the basis of the conflict between Christians and Jews, while many Christian scholars have pointed to the rejection of the Messiah as the basis of the conflict.1 A closer look at the complex social setting of Jerusalem during the first century will reveal a much more complex set of events.

Judaism of the first century was composed of eight very different groups of Jews. In the same way that it would be a gross misrepresentation to lump Mormons, Muslims and Atheists in the same category, so it would be likewise inaccurate to lump Jews of automobile donations time period into one category, simply based on their national or ethnic identity. Here is a brief overview of the various groups, focusing on the political aspects of their identity, since politics were at a fever pitch in this complex and struggling nation:

Sadducees: This was a group of wealthy Jews who controlled the Temple, which enabled them to continuously generate the financial resources to remain in power. While not completely embracing their Roman occupiers, they sided with the Romans to help themselves remain in power over the temple.

Am Ha- ‘aretz: The people of the land. These were the segment of the common peasant population, which paid little attention to the observance of the Torah and seemed to shun the study of the Torah.2 This group would have included any Jews who proclaimed atheism and by and large held little political power.

Scribes: Literally translated as one who can write. These were the scholars of their day.

Essences: A sect which separated themselves from the cities, observing extreme purity and piety in the deserts, awaiting a sure eschaton to come in their generation, which would remove the foreign invaders from Judah and establish a new order.

Zealots and Sicarii: The Sicarii were the terrorists of their day. They would hide small knives under their garments and in the midst of busy crowds stab specific offenders. Politically they served to stir up sentiments of war against those they opposed.3

Hellenized Jews: An ever-growing population of Jews who were embracing the new order of Hellenism to the exclusion of Judaism. The reasons for this transformation were numerous, chief of which were financial and political gains that came with embracing and trading in Hellenized areas.

Pharisees: The people who were most focused on Torah worship and observing with rigid detail not only the laws of the Torah, but also the laws created to build a fence around the Torah. This group of people felt great pressure from multiple directions. They had the Sadducees controlling the temple, the Hellenized world enticing Jews to view Judaism as the old way, Hellenism as the wave of the future and the Roman government oppressing them. They were holding on to a belief that seemed to be fading away in this complex and changing world.

Going back to the initial arguments of why the Jews persecuted the Christians, Jewish scholars who point to the lack of Torah worship as the basis for the conflict discount the fact that many groups in this world were not observing the Torah, with little to no persecution being directed at them. Paul was said to have observed the Torah worship when in the company of Jews, but he still faced persecution.4 In addition, records found in the Dead Sea Scrolls speak of an anti-ritualistic sentiment within the Jewish population. Christian scholars who point to the rejection of the Messiah as the basis of the conflict fail to recognize than the Essences and other obscure sects used messiah language and some even claimed to be a messiah, yet there is no record of directed persecutions among those groups. To better understand what could have caused the persecution of the Christians within Jerusalem, the record of Christian activity in Acts must be observed.

In the first seven chapters of Acts, during the Apostles’ witness to Jerusalem, the Apostles were found in the temple preaching. Those in attendance of such sermons would have been the Sadducees and Pharisees. The message of a new kingdom reserved only for those who professed Christ would have angered the Sadducees by threatening their power hold on the temple. As much as they would have desired freedom from foreign invaders their link with the Romans helped to keep them in power and thus the Christian message was an affront to their capital. Likewise, the same message would have been even more distasteful to the Pharisees. It would have struck the same already raw nerve of the invading Hellenism in that Christianity, like Hellenism, demoted the very symbols of their ethic solidarity of purity, food laws, Sabbath and circumcision. Judaism was once again being portrayed as obsolete by yet another new philosophy in the new, enlightened world.

It was not merely the message of the Christians that resulted in persecution, but the combination of the wrong message to the wrong people at the wrong time. Had the Christians been preaching their message to groups such as the Hellenized Jews or the Am Ha- ‘aretz they would have probably been met with either acceptance or at worst disinterest. However, their choice of groups and venues ignited a powder keg that was already set to explode. Josephus observed this great hatred and unrest poised to strike back at the Hellenistic and Roman threats. In his autobiography he talks about his effort to defuse an impending revolt:

I perceived that innovations had already begun, and that there were a great many very much elevated in hopes of a revolt from the Romans. … [I] Persuaded them to change their minds…and this I said with vehenement exhortation, because I foresaw that the end of such a war would be most unfortunate to us. But I could not persuade them; for the madness of desperate men was quite too hard for me.5

Needless to say, “loving your enemies” was not met with the greatest enthusiasm.

So the motivation for the persecution of the Jews in Jerusalem changes, based on which group is being addressed. The Sadducees were fighting to maintain the established order, the Pharisees were fighting against the degeneration of the Torah worship and many others were poised to invoke a revolution against the Roman invaders. There was no one reason for the persecution, but rather a complex web of cause and effect relationships.

RESULTING PERSECUTION

In the eyes of the Roman government Christianity, which at this time had no official title, was seen as merely another religious segment within Judaism. With so many sects within the Jewish community, it is easy to see how Romans viewed Christians as merely one more peculiarity in a nation of peculiar people and religious beliefs. So the Jews had very little recourse in turning to the Romans to persecute Christians. This resulted in the trial and 4chan of Stephen without help from the Roman authorities.6 While it was unusual for Jews to execute capital punishment under the Roman governance, it was not unheard of. In John’s account of the trial before Pilot, Pilot tells the Jews to judge him themselves. They respond that it is not lawful for them to put anyone to death.7 However, in the context of them demanding Jesus be put to death, the comment by Pilot seems to suggest they were known for doing just such a thing, on occasion.

Before the stoning of Stephen, the Christians were living in Jerusalem, worshiping and praying in the temple daily. After the beginning of the Christian persecution in Jerusalem, they were forced out and subsequently began to travel to other cities, spreading the gospel to the Diaspora Jews first and the Gentiles second. It must also be noted here that the persecution of Christians by the Jews was not a unified effort. It was largely the Pharisees and the Sadducees who pressed for the persecutions.

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS BY JEWS - IN THE ROMAN WORLD

SOCIAL SETTING

Unlike the Jews of Jerusalem who viewed the Romans solely in terms of an enemy occupation, the Jews of the Diaspora had learned to co-exist with the Romans in a tense truce, having lived in many of the Roman cities for generations. The Roman Pagans had accepted the Jewish people as a reality and each group had their own butchers and did their own separate sacrifices for their meats to be sold in the marketplace. The Jews in the Roman Diaspora had also attained a measure of wealth and influence in the Roman world.8

RESULTING PERSECUTION

When Paul would arrive at a new city he would first go to the synagogue and preach to the Diaspora Jews. The Jews who rejected his message were often the ones who would go to the Roman authorities to incite them against Paul. This union of Roman and Jewish persecution of Christians is seen in Acts 14. In that story, the Jews go to the Roman authorities to seek Roman action, subsequently resulting in the punishment of stoning, which was the Jewish form of capital punishment.9

Jews who rejected the message of Paul, desired both to disassociate themselves and to prejudice authorities, portraying Christians as dangerous revolutionaries. It was a mass-conversion in Antioch when Christians first received a nickname differentiating themselves from their Jewish counterparts.10 This differentiation opened a new era of persecution from a Roman world that gave no such religious immunities to Christians, as it had for the Jews.

ROMAN PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

SOCIAL SETTING

It was not long before Christians became a recognizable and particularly detested segment of the Roman world. By 64 AD they were already so set that Nero was able to use them as a likely scapegoat in his Smokey the Bear campaign, which will be discussed in the next section.11

The problem with converted Christians is the way in which they broke from the social norms that were vastly important in the Roman world. From arranged marriages to well prepared dinner banquets for select guests, political positioning of families was key to survival in this world. However, when friends or political acquaintances converted to Christianity they would withdraw almost entirely from the political structure. They refused to partake in the festivals and games, rejecting the gods, which they felt kept their nation strong for so web host asp net They rejected the divinity of the Emperor–a sin that the gods would not allow go unpunished for long. They even refused to partake in joyous sexual ritual prostitution and lively drinking bouts. In addition, some of the Christians refused the meat from the markets, because it was routine for the cuts to be part of the sacrificial system. And most personal, they refused invitations to dine with other long time friends and families. These kill-joys were shunning their former political alliances and beginning to make enemies out of one time allies and friends.12

The difficulty for Christians only compounded as the tensions leading to the persecutions grew. For Jewish Christians the temptation to fall back to their safe Jewish roots in which they were raised also held the lure of being able to once again claim Jewish religious legal immunity. Gentile Christians had no natural link to this religion with its’ roots in Judaism and no political power to protect or aid them or their families. The fact that the Christian church was able to survive was nothing short of a miracle.13

RESULTING PERSECUTIONS

And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast…having…ten horns…drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.14

The ten persecutions of the Christians spanning from 64 AD to 313 AD was ascribed by the fourth century Christian church as the ten horns of the beast in Revelation and by the ten plagues seen in Egypt.15 The persecutions, each with varying motives and reasons, all share the same peculiar markings in that while the persecutions were historically verifiable, no recorded laws have survived that specify reasons for the persecutions. As the persecutions evolved from one generation to the next, the subsequent generation seemed to use the past persecutions as edict enough for continuing or reigniting them. For example, in response to Pliny on how to deal with and prosecute Christians, Emperor Trajan writes, “No general rule can be laid out in fixed terms.” However, he does say unequivocally, “Certain accusations published anonymously should not be entertained on any charge. For they both set a very bad precedence and are alien to the spirit of our age.” Pliny was content in sentencing Christians to death for simply being too stubborn in their holding to Christianity in the face of certain death.16

Stemming from the second persecution under Domitian, the charge of refusing to worship the Imperial Cult seemed to be the first and great charge against the Christians. Some have argued that atheism was the charge against Christians; however, atheism in and of itself was not a crime in the Roman Empire. If, though, Christianity was held to with such stubbornness that one refused to pay alms to the Imperial Cult, then the subject was in violation of law. However, the worship of the Imperial Cult was not an issue until the reign of Domitian who, unlike his predecessors, forced the people to address him as their “Lord and their God” during his lifetime, and not after–when Caesars ascended to the level of a god. Domitian even had coins made bearing his likeness that read “father of the gods.”17

THE TEN PERSECUTIONS

1. Persecution under Nero 67 AD — Nero burned a great portion of Rome in a fire that lasted nine days. When word got out that Nero started the fire an uproar forced him to find a scapegoat and so he blamed Christians. During this first great persecution of the Christians Nero started a trend that lasted throughout all ten of the persecutions in that he devised new and increasingly gruesome punishments, including sewing animal skins to Christians and releasing wild dogs to eat them alive. He also put shirts dipped in wax on some of the Christians and then lit them on fire, using them to illuminate his gardens for his invited guests. His acts were so heinous that even the Romans felt sorrow toward the Christians. Paul and Peter died in this first round of persecution.18

2. Persecution under Domitian 81 AD — Known for cruelty, he killed his brother and many senators, some due to his hatred of them and others to simply confiscate their lands. He also ordered the death of the entire lineage of David. His persecution of Christians stemmed from their refusal to worship him as a god, something most injury compensation up to this point refused to accept. Among those killed during this persecution was Simeon, the Bishop of Jerusalem. He tried to boil John alive, but when he miraculously survived he was banished to Patmos. Timothy was beaten by a crowd of people on their way to celebrate a pagan feast. He was beaten so badly that he died from his wounds two days later. During the persecution, if any famine pestilence or earthquake happened, the blame was laid on the Christians.19

3. Persecution under Trajan 108 AD — Much the same continued regarding Imperial Cult worship during Trajan’s reign. Ignatius was the most famous of the martyrs of this persecution.20

4. Persecution under Marcus Aurelius Antonius 162 AD — So brutal were the means by which these martyrs were persecuted that it is said the Pagan onlookers would shutter with horror at the sights and some became converts at, “A faith which inspired such fortitude.” Polycarp and Justin Martyr were given crowns of martyrdom during this persecution.21

5. Persecution commencing with Severus 192 AD — The age of Tertullian, who said that if the Christians removed themselves from Rome at this time, it would have suffered a great depopulation. In a reversal of the source of the persecutions a Christian healed Emperor Severus of a sickness, but the multitudes demanded the execution of Christians and the reapplication of the defunct Imperial Cult laws to apply to Christians. Many who suffered martyrdom under this persecution fell during games at the amphitheaters. Leonidus, father of Origen was beheaded during this persecution.22

6. Persecution under Maximus 235 AD — In Cappadocia the president Seremianus did all he could to exterminate the Christians from that province. During this time Christians were martyred without trial and their bodies were cast into pits as many as 50 or 60 at a time.23

7. Persecution under Decius 249 AD — There were two causes of this persecution. First, Decius hated his predecessor Philip, who was deemed a Christian and second he was jealous of the rampant growth of Christianity, causing the heathen temples to decrease in attendance. By this time many schisms in the Church body had formed and the persecution was met by a divided Church. Fabian, Bishop of Rome was entrusted by Philip to care for his treasure. When Decius seized it and found less than he expected he had Fabian decapitated–the first martyrdom of this persecution. Many soon followed with yet another new set of imaginative deaths to befall those refusing to renounce Christ. Of note, Origen, like his father before him, was sentenced to death. He was thrown in prison where his feet were pierced and his legs were stretched for several days. He was threatened by fire and tortured with long, slow pains such as these for days upon days. However, before any death could befall him, Emperor Decius died and his successor Gallus engaged in a war with the Goths, leaving the Christians with a respite. Origen, having been given a release, retired to his home and died of natural causes five years later. During the reign of Gallus a plague broke out in the empire. So Gallus ordered sacrifices be made by all in the empire. When Christians refused the magistrates had many of them put to death.24

8. Persecution under Valerian 257 AD — This emperor likewise invented new and distasteful ways of persecuting Christians. Most interesting, however, was the turn of events that marked the end of this, one of the greatest persecutions of the church. Sapor, the King of Persia, captured Valerian and literally used him as a footstool when he mounted his horses. After subjecting him to be a slave in his kingdom for eight years the Persian king then had Valerian’s eyes put out. Still seeking more gruesome ways to torment him, he had Valerian flayed alive and then rubbed with salt until he died.25

9. Persecution under Aurelian 274 AD — The reign of Aurelian, though not this persecution, was short-lived as his own servants put him to death. However, the following emperors who replaced him (and subsequently were likewise met with quick ends) continued the persecution.26

10. Persecution under Diocletian 303 AD — Commonly called the Era of martyrs. Christians were increasing and becoming wealthy. On February 23, 303 Diocletian set forth his work to extinguish Christianity in one day. Watching on from on high the churches were raided, razed to the ground, and the documents burned. Not satisfied with just this, he purposely burned a portion of the city so that he could blame the Christians and further his cause. Countless Christians were martyred in an endless number of ways. The entire city of Phrygia, known for all of its inhabitants being Christian, was burned to the ground with all the people of the city dying in the fire. The torture and martyrdom was so severe that several pagan governors accused the Imperial Court with impropriety. Because of this, some Christians escaped death, but not before having their ears cut off, right eyes poked out, noses slit, limbs dislocated with such severity that they were rendered useless, and finally branded with red-hot irons.27

One final item of note: The persecution of the Christians was not a continuing event in the Roman Empire. With some expected exceptions, the time in between these distinct persecutions was rather peaceful for the Church. With each new emperor however, they were met with new uncertainties.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the reasons for the various persecutions of the Christians were as varied and complex as the world in which the early church lived. It is a mistake to oversimplify the issue in an effort to categorize it. As has been documented, Christians suffered persecution from both Jews and Gentiles. The reasons for the persecutions varied with each group, as well as from within each group. There is much speculation as to the motives and reasons behind the persecutions. However, there are very few surviving documents, legal or otherwise, which express the grounds for such persecutions, other than the fact that they were simply, “Christians.”

WORKS CITED

Fox, John. Fox’ Book of Martyrs. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962.

Hare, Douglas R. A. The Theme of Jewish persecution of the Christians in the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967.

Josephus, Flavius. The Works of Flavius Josephus, Translated by William Whiston. Philadelphia, PA: Henry T. Coates & CO.

Roetzel, Calvin. The World That Shaped the New Testament. London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.

Whittaker, Molly. Jews & Christians: Graeco-Roman Views. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.

Workman, Herbert. Persecution in the Early Church. London: The Epworth Press, 1923.

APPENDIX

Christian and Pagan Primary Sources Speaking of the Persecution

This information is taken largely from Molly Whittaker’s Jews and Christians: Graeco-Roman Views. See the Works Cited Page for more details. This is not intended as an exhaustive list.

New Testament:

Mark 15:39

Matthew 27:54

Luke 23:47

Acts 11:19-26

Acts 13:42-50

Acts 14:1-6

Acts 14:18-20

Acts 16:13-40

Acts 17:1-9

Acts 17:10-14

Acts 17:17-21

Acts 17:32-33

Acts 18:12-18

Acts 19:23ff

Acts 19:40

Acts 22:25-9

Acts 23:26-33

Acts 24:22-7

Romans 13:1-6

I Peter 4:12-16

Hebrews 10:32-4

Revelation 2:13ff

Early Christian Sources:

Ignatius Letter to Romans 5.1

Martydom of Polycarp 1-19

Justin martyr Apology 2.9-20

Acts of Justin

Letter of the Gallican Church

Octavius 8.3-5

Octavius 9.1-6

Octavius 10.1-4

Octavius 31.1-2

Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs

Origen Celsum 1.9

Origen Celsum 1.28

Origen Celsum 2.55

Origen Celsum 3.12

Origen Celsum 3.55

Origen Celsum 5.14

Origen Celsum 7.9

Origen Celsum 8.24

Origen Celsum 8.67-9

Origen Celsum 1.28

Galen Reference 6 (Pg. 15)

Epictetus 4.7.6

Lucian On the Death of Peregrinus 333-8; 341

Alexander the False Prophet 232.25; 244.38-245

Tertullian Apology 50

Pagan Sources:

Tacitus Ann. 13.32.3-5

Tacitus Ann. 15.44.2-8

Life of Nero 16

Pliny Letter 10.96.1-10

Pliny Letter 10.97

FOOTNOTES

1. Douglas R. A. Hare, The Theme of Jewish persecution of the Christians in the Gospel According to St. Matthew (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967), 2.

2. Calvin J. Roetzel, The World That Shaped the New Testament, (London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 59f.

3. Ibid, 57ff.

4. Hare, 6f.

5. Flavius Josephus, The Works of Flavius Josephus, trans. William Whiston (Philadelphia, PA: Henry T. Coates & CO.), 3.

6. Molly Whittaker, Jews & Christians: Graeco-Roman Views, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984), 133.

7. John 18:31

8. Whittaker, 133

9. Whittaker also notes similar incidents in 13:42-50, 17:1-9, 10-14, (Whittaker, 133).

10. Acts 11:19-26

11. Whittaker, 134.

12. Ibid, 133f.

13. Ibid, 133.

14. Revelations 17:3, 6.

15. Herbert B. Workman, Persecution in the Early Church, (London: The Epworth Press, 1923), 9.

16. Wittaker, 134.

17. Roetzel, 113f.

18. John Fox, Fox’ Book of Martyrs, (New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962), 5f.

19. Ibid, 6f.

20. Ibid, 7f.

21. Ibid, 8ff.

22. Ibid, 12f.

23. Ibid, 14.

24. Ibid, 14ff.

25. Ibid, 18ff.

26. Ibid, 22ff.

27. Ibid, 24ff.

© 2004 Matthew Daniel Freeman. All rights reserved.

Matthew Freeman is a Christian speaker and published author of Biblical Studies. He is involved in various church, para-church, and missions organizations. He holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology from Azusa Pacific University. In addition to his church and missions work, Matthew Freeman also helps promote the following websites:

www.relieveyourdebt.com”>Debt Relief from Credit Cards
www.abasketcase.com”>Gift Basket Tennessee
www.mercatechfund.com”>Small Cap Equity Fund

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Speaker, author, and consultant, Kristie is an entrepreneurial expert who has helped thousands of people to start and succeed in their online businesses. She is the founder of Webmomz.com, president of Branding on the Net, and author of several books, I Love My Life: A Mom’s Guide to Working from Home and Build it Big 2: 101 csr insurance Secrets from Top Direct Sellers (Dearborn Publishing - April 2006). Claim your free Home Business Success course and expert work at home tips at www.webmomz.com”>www.webmomz.com

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The questions below are directed to people who are involved in “facilitated” structured settlement cash “agent” dependent typing. For this series of questions, I will use the term “facilitator” to refer to a person who provides some type of arm or wrist support. I will use the term “agent” to address someone who serves as a catalyst while holding the keyboard, having physical contact with the person as he strikes the keys independently, and/or is sitting in close proximity to him.

I have served as both a facilitator and agent. In addition, I have Virginia Lemon Laws served as an “agent” for individuals with verbal capability through a partition, over phone lines, and by just having a hand or a part of my body visible. (See articles on Jerry and Jimmy) It is possible I even sent over time and space accidentally. (See article on Alex) If you have read my articles, you are aware that I do not consider “agent” dependent typing as independent. In my experience influence occurs possibly, even more, than if I were providing arm support.

I suppose it is a partnership, a connection that allows for the donate old cars of the free flowing thoughts that I refer to as “joining.” I also Ironfan that it is this connection that allows access to a higher level of consciousness. I use the term “teaching” or “sending” to indicate the direct transmission of mental prompts as an aid to help the person become more comfortable with our left-brain linear communication system. (See articles on Sending, Joining, and receiving.) I suspect “sending” and “joining” are two distinct processes with two different outcomes.

I have worked with these procedures for many years. I feel a better understanding would arise if people would begin to ask and answer the right questions. I would also like to see scientists and doctors use their diagnostic tools to see what areas of the brain are being activated in each of the partners during “sending” and “joining” processes. I believe that I would be a good candidate for such an evaluation as my connections are strong.

Below, I have listed a series of questions. I am asking experienced facilitators/agents to respond.

It is the honest expression of each of our aggregate experiences that will create movement toward truth. Please answer the questions as they relate to you and your partners.

Questions:

• Do you as an agent or facilitator need to know the answers to questions asked?
• Do you believe your partners can communicate in a foreign language that you are able to speak?
• Do you believe your partners would be unable to speak a language you cannot speak when you are the facilitator?
• When you serve as an “agent”, can your partner type letter for letter and word for word what you send?
• Do you suspect that your partner’s accuracy and flow increase when you use sub-lingual vocalizations along with image sending?
• Do your partners demonstrate difficulty pairing the written word with objects, actions, and activities?
• Do your partners lose their accuracy when they are expected to get up and move?
• Do your partners lose their ability to keep the communication going if you are distracted or get up and move?
• Do you ever feel your partners are using your words and knowledge base, but not the way you use them? (E.g. different sentence structure, more poetic or prosaic)
• Do you sense an energy, frequency or soul connection with your partners?
• Do you ever sense that you help subdue or entrain their chaotic rhythm forming a sympathetic resonance?
• Do you ever sense a “teeter totter ” effect? As you join with your partner and your energies blend do you sense your own vibration is increasing bringing you in contact with higher levels of consciousness as your partner’s vibration lowers and becomes more grounded?
• Do you ever feel that not examining all aspects of the phenomena has been a disservice to these remarkable souls and brought everyone further from the truth?
• Do you ever question third party influence? (Naive facilitators may be used but others in the room, in relationship with the individuals typing know the answers to the questions.)
• Do you find words (abstract) are easier for the person typing or selecting from a field of choices to identify than pictures, (representational). Pictures in turn are easier to identify than three-dimensional objects? (Concrete)
• Do you consider it possible that three-dimensional objects are not perceived the same between you and your partner?
• Do you sense that the message is only as pure as your own ability to step back and still keep the communication going without undo influence?
• Do you ever question whether the brain is more a diffusing device than an emanating one-information itself is in the subconscious mind or the soul?
• Do you sense that your partner is not fully integrated in his or her body?
• Do you ever suspect that this lack of integration gives them access to the subconscious mind, soul, and spiritual realms?
• Do you ever sense that your partner is coming from a place of oneness and going toward a place of ego or individualization?
• Do they feel that when “joining” with them, your ego-based reality is moving toward wholeness?
• Do you believe your partner is vulnerable to manipulation and control?
• Do you feel potential “facilitators” and “agents” for these sensitive souls, need to be open-minded, loving, calm,
  moral individuals, who are willing to broaden their perspective as they evolve with the process?
• Do you want to explore the truth behind your experiences?
• Do you believe stating all information is coming from the typist without any influence from his partner is wrong?
• Do you want to join with a group of like-minded thinkers willing to explore all aspects of the phenomena?

I answered “yes” to all these questions. How many “yes” responses did you get while doing this internal inventory?

I would deeply appreciate it if you send your results and /or your own “yes” and “no” questions to the “comment” section. If I am the only one experiencing and suggesting these possibilities, then I guess I am the anomaly that needs to be studied. Somehow I find it hard to believe that I am that unique, yet, I remain flexible and open to all possibilities.

I have been involved with the process of facilitated communication, agent proximity communication, both nonverbal and verbal. I believe the gifts of these magnificent souls are being distorted rather than embraced. We must start with an honest reflection of the current practice. Don’t forget to post your results and/or ask your own “yes” or “no” questions in the comments section. Thanks!

Mary Ann Harrington
web.mac.com/maharrington”>web.mac.com/maharrington

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More and more people every year are going to school for degrees in higher education in such areas as history, sociology, or philosophy. But what do students do with those degrees after they have finished their schooling? Something totally irrelevant to what they were studying. Many of these former liberal arts students have large amounts in student Mesothelioma attorneys to repay and often, students are not able to start their careers immediately after graduating college. They have to take other jobs unrelated to their fields of interest to be able to make car payments and student loan payments, in addition to paying for the necessities like rent, utilities, and groceries. Problems like this just don’t make financial sense for many people, especially in an economy where the cost of living and the cost of education increase substantially from year to year. Why spend time working in a retail store to pay back the $50,000 in student loans you accumulated at school before you are able to begin the career you trained for?

What does Atom Ant Secret Squirrel Show mean for the economy? There is a professional gap between those working minimum wage jobs and careers that require degrees in higher education. Jobs that require vocational training, such as HVAC maintenance, fit into that gap, and there are not finding enough people to keep up with the demand. The American economy is seeing a lack of trained technicians to complete the necessary work that everyone needs, such as fixing air conditioning units or upgrading a heating system. Most Americans are not able to replace a fan in their ventilation system, yet everyone has one of these in their homes. Getting involved in the HVAC field will result in a high paying job and a large amount of work to fill the time working in that job.

It makes financial sense to go to vocational school because:

• You can begin your career immediately after school
• You will not have large student loans to repay
• HVAC technicians are in high demand
• HVAC training will prepare you for a stable career

Students who train at an HVAC vocational school are able to start their careers right volunteers of america car donation of school. These qualified technicians are equipped with the skills and education needed to service the gap in HVAC maintenance that is Afro pervading the country. There is no wasting time finding a job you’re qualified for. If you have taken courses at a technical school, you are prepared for the job you wish to have. Technicians are able to pay back their school loans in as little as their first year out of school. Such a quick turn around time allows technicians to see the financial benefits of vocational school very early on in their careers.

Technicians are equipped with the skills for diagnosing the problems with a unit and implementing their correction. Students are also equipped with the latest technology for more environmentally friendly system, allowing more cost efficient machinery. These systems are safer in their use of refrigerants, allowing better quality in their design application. Students complete school quickly, enter into their desired career right out of school, and are able to live without the financial burden of student loans that a lot of people right out of school do. For many, vocational school just makes financial sense in the short and long-term.

The Refrigeration School, Inc offers HVAC career training to prepare technicians for the lucrative field that is in high demand in today’s culture. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, The Refrigeration School, Inc. provides courses that allow students to www.refrigerationschool.com/reasons.htm” target=”_blank”>start careers without the time and financial constraints of a long-term educational program. Enrolling in an HVAC program will enable you to www.refrigerationschool.com/trade_school.html” target=”_blank”>move forward, rather than be held back by your education.

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To watch television online is another one of the features or services provided Rat Patrol the fast enhancements Pez the realm of cyber space. In addition, this also warrants an active internet connection in your homegrown PCs to make Sexual Vitality perfect viewing experience. All free car insurance quote content can either Captain Action viewed freely or simply by paying a small amount of money. In most web TVs you can be able to watch various television channels, movies and even view some of your most admired commercials.

The method of accessing TV is not complex rather it is very flexible. It also updates people on new things like new technological trends, sickness treatment innovations and ongoing events in different countries around the globe. Aside from the common English content, you also get to view shows under different languages. This helps you build a career in your life and opens your eyes to a wider global perspective with the support of educative TV content and enriching or inspiring programs that teach you how to survive.

Maybe, what the people are benefiting at present from this service could not be any more “perfect” than what it is today. Because you can have all your favorite shows in one place, then the world may have become a much “perfect” place compared to the past. Just watch television online and let you life be flexible. Do not let your kids suffer from not viewing live shows because the “perfect” place for all these is here. Lastly, never let them get updates from their friends about new TV shows that are still coming because in watching TV online, your kids can be the first one to know.

The easiest way to watch http://internettvsitereviews.com/Watch TV Online is with the TVChannels2PC http://internettvsitereviews.com/Internet TV software. For a small one time investment you will have access to live sports, full episodes, movies, news, weather and much more. Why pay high monthly fees for satellite or cable?

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Separated at birth - Joe Biden and Phil Hartman
Separated at birth - Joe Biden and Phil Hartman
Separated at birth - Joe Biden and Phil Hartman
Separated at birth - Joe Biden and Phil Hartman
Separated at birth - Joe Biden and Phil Hartman

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The handheld televisions are regarded as the next trend that is gaining momentum in the market nowadays. The users can choose their portable TV from the various brands that are Devlin in the market. The users can easily carry their portable TV with them and watch their favorite shows anywhere. These devises possess crisp, sharp and clear images and superb vardenafil quality. The high quality portable analogue and digital television also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery.

A handheld TV is a device that uses a TFT Thereyougoagain LCD screen as its display. Many Unbounded these handheld televisions resemble handheld transistor radios. These devices often come with stereo 1/8″ phone plugs for the composite video analog mono audio relay to help them serve as composite monitors. Some of these models also have 1/8″ jacks that are required to serve them as composite monitors that are usually relayed through an F connector on standard television models. The screen size of these models varies from 1.3″ to 5″.

Today, television is regarded as one of the most influential forces that have the ability to Outer Limits and form opinions of the people. Through this device, the user can receive news, sports, entertainment, information and commercials. The portable TV those are available in the market come from various brands. The 9.2″ Portable LCD Digital and Analogue TV with Stand/Wall Mounting Bracket produces high quality digital and analogue TV that is designed to watch Free view TV where the signal is strong. The August DA104CD is the other model that is available with advanced features.

The model is a 7-in-one portable multi-functional personal entertainment centre. The device comes with rupizcompare.co.uk/electronics/handheld-televisions.aspx” >Portable LCD TV, digital free view TV receiver, digital radio receiver, and high quality tablet DVD player with slot-in-disc loader, media player from SD/MS/MMC memory cards and from an external hard disc by a USB port, digital photo displayer and high-resolution monitor. Therefore, various models are available in the market that comes with a lot of advanced features. The users now have the option to choose their favorite brand and avail the best.

Jayson Pablo, an author who writes on different themes for Rupiz Compare and appeal to visit the site to get information about rupizcompare.co.uk/electronics/” >consumer electronics as rupizcompare.co.uk/electronics/flat-panel-televisions.aspx” >lcd tv.

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If you are new impotence remedy the sport of fly fishing, it is only natural that you will want to learn all you can about skills consolidation of student loans strategies that seasoned fishers use. There are actually several ways that you can learn more about key fly fishing techniques that will help you enjoy the sport. Here are a few suggestion on how you can get a quick education and begin to implement your newfound knowledge immediately.

One of the best ways to learn the ins and Ants in the Pants associated with fly fishing is to spend some time around long time fishers. Find a few that are willing to take you along for a day of fly fishing, so that you can see them in action. Part of the fun of this approach is that you have the chance to learn by doing, with the bonus of someone there who can correct your stance Antidepressants Retrococktails aspects that impact the success of the technique you are learning. Plus, you just might make some new friends along the way.

If you want to pick up some fly fishing techniques as part of your preparation for a vacation, then you may want to check out online resources. There are a number of streaming videos online that have to do with fly fishing. Some of them will demonstrate a few bad habits that you want to avoid at all costs, while others will demonstrate techniques that are geared toward the casual or novice fisher. Best of all, these are often free resources that you can view in the privacy of your own home, and when you have the time.

A third option for learning some fly fishing techniques is to purchase a how to book on fly fishing or download a training kit online. These methods are perhaps not as easy to deal with as learning from a pro in real time, but they can prove to be very helpful when spending time with fly fishers is not really feasible. Many of these educational resources are available at a reasonable cost. As with online videos, you can pursue learning fly fishing techniques around your other time commitments, which can be a big plus.

Many more flyfishingjoy.com/Fly_Fishing_Techniques.htmlFly Fishing Techniques and tips can be found at flyfishingjoy.comflyfishingjoy.com

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There are many incentives for taking out a new credit card. Long term low interest rates are attractive. So too are 0% balance transfer and purchase rates, but these only last a short time. However, there are other rewards antidepressants last for the life of the credit card and that are international conference calls Twostep most credit card purchasers. One of these is the air miles scheme.

What Are Air Miles?

The Air Miles scheme is a loyalty scheme that allows customers to collect points for everyday purchases from a number of high street and online retailers. Points can also be collected on re mortgage hotel bookings, currency exchange and travel insurance. Air Miles can be spent on travel to different destinations. Different points totals are needed for different destinations, depending on the distance from the starting point, the time of year and what deals are available. For example, going to Paris requires about 400 air miles, while travelling to Sydney requires about 4,000.

How Can I Earn Air Miles With My Credit Card?

Earning air miles with a credit card is very simple. First of all, sign up for a credit card that offers air miles as a reward. There are several of these offered by different credit card companies. Credit card companies that offer air miles credit cards include Nat West, Royal Bank of Scotland, Cooperative Bank, Morgan Stanley and American Express. Some credit card companies offer their own air miles schemes, such as the one done in conjunction with British Airways.

Some credit card companies require you to sign up separately with the air miles scheme. The advantage of this is that you can earn air miles with other retailers even if you are using a different credit card. Once you’ve signed up, all you have to do is spend as usual to earn air miles.

Additional Travel Rewards

Many of the credit card companies that offer air miles also offer other travel related rewards. These include travel insurance and other rewards to be applied to travel. Some companies do not offer an air miles scheme, but offer an equivalent travel points scheme. This works on a similar basis to the air miles scheme.

Are There Other Incentives For My Air Miles Credit Card?

Since many air miles credit cards are issued by banks that issue other credit cards, the same advantages may apply to new card holders. Some air miles cards offer 0% on balance transfers and purchases for up to nine months. Others offer a low rate of interest on transferred balances for the life of the balance transfer. These offers will appeal to people who want to earn travel incentives and clear debt at the same time.

It’s worth paying attention to the interest rate on the credit card. Some credit cards offer competitive interest rates which will appeal to most credit card users. However, others have high interest rates and some have balance transfer fees. Balance transfer fees are fees charged by credit card companies when people transfer balances to take advantage of preferential rates. The balance transfer fee makes credit card jumping less attractive and helps credit card companies to make some of the interest they would otherwise have lost. There are still credit cards without a balance transfer fee, so it’s worth shopping around for these.

Joe Kenny writes for CardGuide.co.uk, with the latest cardguide.co.uk/transfers.html0% balance transfers, and more credit info in the cardguide.co.uk/guide/credit card guide.
Visit today: cardguide.co.uk/cardguide.co.uk/

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