MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bible'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:00:53 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984544&cid=t_106212_113_f&fid=39280&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMarkHawker%2F%7E3%2FSvkIOYnAhx0%2F7056155435 (Source: Mark My Words 2.1) Mark My Words 2.1 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984544 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:09:30 +0100 4984544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762724&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fereading%2F I’m currently re-exploring the world of ereading. Although I’m usually a major early adopter of new technology I’ve been slow to jump on this bandwagon for two main reasons. One is that until I got my iPad recently I’ve not had a really suitable device for ereading. I’ve tried reading on my iPhone and haven’t found it a super comfortable experience (although I did read the entire Dune series of novels on my Palm Pilot whilst working in ICU back in 2002).   The other reason is that I like physical books – I like holding them in my hand and (perhaps more importantly for me) like collecting them. It’s the same reason I’ve never fully embraced digital purchasing of music (although I rip all my music to MP3) – I just love having t... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762724 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:44:21 +0100 4762724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653514&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fspiderweb-sleep.html A nightmare descends, all twisted up, pains of past and pains of present, and all the fear one length of sleep can heap on you.You're lost in a maze of the subconscious, clawing up for air through layers of sleep, trying to escape terrors you've repressed, suppressed, redressed.But sleep hangs on like the last tiny drop of ice melt to the tree branch, bent by the wind of your fear, but still persistent.And then finally it's over and you're the lone bud climbing for the sunlight of early spring. You wake to memories appalling and chew them over all day trying to wrap arms around the lessons wrapped in the velvet darkness of the night.Sometimes, after nights like these, the only thing that breaks the spell is the familiar. Verses memorized, prayers holy and hushed, said in unison. This morni... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653514 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:37:00 +0100 4653514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152172&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fin-which-aaron-texts-and-i-have.html ...having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. (II Timothy 3:5-7)Do you ever have the sense that you have just witnessed worlds colliding in such an explosive manner that, had you been living in a sci-fi film instead of reality, there would have been some giant sucking noise as one world was pulled into a black hole of unknown dimensions?  I could almost hear the giant swirling-the-drain sound effect when I received a text message from my husband. Who was in a deer stand dressed in blaze orange as he typed it. And the text was about Scripture. Three very ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152172 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:24:00 +0100 4152172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134161&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fnew-page-for-our-hymnal.html It was a long day of testing. She drew circles, squares, crosses. She stacked blocks, arranged them by color, counted them out loud for the bird-thin woman whose body had miraculously housed three children but seemed hollow now as it bent unnaturally into a "C" around Amelia's small hands. They measured how those coils of brain matter communicated, how they functioned all by themselves, which coils are damaged, which coils show promise, which coils came through the fire of brain infection unscathed.It is her left brain that is hurting. The part she inherited strong from both parents - the logical, orderly, sequential, analytical, words-and-numbers side of the brain. Her right brain is fine (thus her left hand, her left eye, her left leg). This is why she stumbles to the right, her right ha... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134161 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:11:00 +0100 4134161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119582&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fwaking-up-is-hard-to-do.html At the conference I recently attended, a writing workshop yielded the suggestion that using Wordle might lend insight into our language skills, vocabulary, common overuse of certain words.  This service creates a cloud of your most commonly used words; you do have to click "do not exclude common English words" if you are using it as a tool to see where your writing weaknesses are.Suffice it to say I was pleased with my word usage...except for one word, that showed up nearly as large as the word "Jesus".That words was "BED".  Ouch.  How embarrassing - and telling!I have always had a problem getting out of bed - ever since my heart condition slowed me down at around 16.  It's no different now.  With a tendency to burn the candle late into the night in that blissful q... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119582 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:32:00 +0100 4119582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045144&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F08%2Fblack-pain-an-african-american-woman-exposes-stigma-in-the-black-community%2F I first learned about the (even greater than among white folks) stigma of mental illness in the Black community when I participated in a six-week outpatient program at Laurel Hospital. Half the group was African American, and I got to hear their stories, which horrified me. Most of them could not reveal to any member in their family what they were doing (the outpatient program) because the stigma is so deep and tall and wide. My heart went out to them. Without support from the community, or at least family and friends, how does a person recover? So I was delighted to hear bestselling author and licensed social worker Terri M. Williams speak at the Mental Health America this summer. She inscribed for me a copy of her evocative and insightful book Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re N... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045144 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:55:03 +0100 4045144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3861997&cid=t_106212_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXBJxksfw9xI%2F By David BoazCal Thomas, who bills himself as “America’s #1 nationally syndicated columnist,” rose to fame as the vice president of Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority in its heyday, though you won’t find that fact in any of his official biographies. But you could figure it out by reading his columns. In his latest, on the California gay marriage decision, he ranges from factual inaccuracy to a revelation of just how reactionary and authoritarian he really is to a really striking biblical citation. He starts by denouncing the “decision by a single, openly gay federal judge.” Not true. Judge Vaughn Walker may be gay, but he has never said so. And Salon magazine demonstrates that any such “evidence” is extraordinarily thin. So this is an extra... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3861997 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:06:16 +0100 3861997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3795063&cid=t_106212_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fyou-say-and-the-higher-power-says%2F It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. Whether its alcoholism, addiction, depression, gambling, co-dependency or relationships we shouldn’t lose heart. The Higher Power is at work in our lives, helping us in recovery even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the goodwill of The Higher Power. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, The Higher Power has a positive answer for it. Here is one example from Christianity; “It’s impossible” Bible says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27) “I’m too tired” Bible says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30) “Nobody really loves me” Bible says: I love you (John... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3795063 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:34:01 +0100 3795063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776378&cid=t_106212_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flife-without-a-mental-disorder-is-it-possible%2F2010.07.21 There’s a noteworthy column in Psychiatric Times, “Normality Is an Endangered Species: Psychiatric Fads and Overdiagnosis,” by Allen Frances, M.D. He was chair of the task force that worked on the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual — DSM-IV — one edition of the “bible of psychiatry.” He is professor emeritus of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine. There’s a lot of common ground between what Dr. Frances writes and what Dr. Daniel Carlat (the subject of an earlier blog posting) writes about. Dr. Frances is concerned about the directions that might be taken in the authoring of DSM-V, now underway. Excerpts: “Fads in psychiatric diagnosis come and go and have been with us as long as there has been psychiatry. The fads meet a d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776378 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:00:01 +0100 3776378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3743726&cid=t_106212_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FlWJaVkFRVIE%2F 1 – We admitted we were powerless over alcohol … that our lives had become unmanageable. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18) 2 – Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. “… my grace is sufficient for you, for my POWER is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) ..for it God Who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose.. (Phil. 2:13) 3 – Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of GOD as we understood Him. “… If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23**) 4 ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3743726 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:48:01 +0100 3743726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648760&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fprayers-as-incense.html Oh, the beauties of home-school! Lessons with half the kids in their pajamas, readings during which the teacher has an epiphany and the whole class goes running to gather supplies for an object lesson instead. Lessons with cousins along, just for fun. Lessons where your stuffed animals get to play the starring role. We read today about Abraham, in Genesis 22, destroying myths early. Ideas of a warm, fuzzy God come crashing down as we read: God tested Abraham, Abraham carried the knife, Isaac asked, "But where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"We talk about Amy's encephalitis and the 5 days when we talked about the fact that she might die. I remember the moments so vividly - holding Katy on one side, and Rosy on the other, and talking about what the doctors were about to do in surgery, and the... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648760 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:51:00 +0100 3648760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566577&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F05%2F15%2Fyoda-bible%2F The other night some of us were commenting that some Bible translations sound a bit like they were spoken by Yoda (and no I’m not going to explain who Yoda is… if you don’t know, go back and hide under the rock you’ve been under for the last 30 years…) A little bit of searching, and I have discovered Yoda’s own bible translation – the Yoda Language Translation (YLT). Unknowingly, I had it on my iPhone the whole time. At time’s it sounds like Yoda is reading from the King James Version, so unfortunately there’s a few “ye” type words in there, but then again Yoda is a pretty old dude, so maybe he wrote it a few hundred years ago in his younger days when such language was more widely used. Here’s a few sample verses for y... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566577 Sat, 15 May 2010 01:21:00 +0100 3566577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526702&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34967&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdocisinblog%2FwNlq%2F%7E3%2FYkfQsRrwBRU%2F An ongoing study of the epistle 1 Peter. Letter from an Apostle – Background 1:1 — This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the lands of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia. The apostle Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, appears frequently throughout the Gospels and the book of Acts. He was a fisherman, chosen by Jesus, and one of the inner circle of the disciples. He was present at the transfiguration of Jesus; in the garden of Gethsemane; at his trial, where he denied Jesus; and was appointed by Jesus to lead his Church. By declaring himself an apostle (apostolos)– a specific claim to have been appointed directly by Christ to teach and lead Hi... The Doctor Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526702 Mon, 03 May 2010 05:28:37 +0100 3526702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519403&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34967&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdocisinblog%2FwNlq%2F%7E3%2FWdcs-1ITDH8%2F I have been asked to lead our small group Bible study, and have chosen to study 1 Peter. This short letter is often overlooked, as much time in the New Testament is spent on the Gospels or Paul’s epistles. But 1 Peter is a very rich resource, and I’m looking forward to studying it in some depth. I thought I would share some insights from studying this book on the blog. I am not sure how well this medium will serve such a study, and I may experiment with some different formats and see how it plays out. I often find by writing my understanding of a topic deepens substantially, and it is my hope that any notes I post here will be helpful both to you as well as myself. I am currently using the New Living Translation (which, unlike the Living Bible is not a paraphrase, but rather a ... The Doctor Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519403 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:49:10 +0100 3519403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212281&cid=t_106212_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fchildhood-smut.html FilthAfter a few month's break, I am  feeling the need to start writing more regularly. To start on a light note. As so often, I am grateful to my ageing Greek friend, this time for reminding me of one of the forgotten, smutty pleasures of childhood: looking up rude words in the dictionary. It seems that this harmless pleasure is to be banned in the USA. And not in the bible-belt. Not in the boonies. Not in the flyover zone. In California, can you believe it?Dr Crippen's advice to these soon to be deprived children?  Try Leviticus. Even the Californians would not censor the Bible. (Source: NHS Blog Doctor) NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212281 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:41:00 +0100 3212281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3164012&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fhearing-call.html The naked wood, bare and brittle and dry, is as much a part of the tree's life as the sap's rising in the spring. The Lord is still in charge, still moving in mysterious ways even when He gives the enemy of our souls permission to trouble us...To ask why implies a conviction that there is a reason somewhere. Somebody must be responsible for this.~ A Path Through Suffering: Discovering the Relationship between God's Mercy and Our Pain, Elisabeth ElliotDid you know I was a librarian? For 8 years? It was my first job - a volunteer position my mother finagled for me at the local public library at the age of 12. I learned Dewey Decimal, card cataloging, and became intimately (and fearfully) familiar with the dusty, cob-webbed annex in the attic of a century old building on our town's tiny Main ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3164012 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:56:00 +0100 3164012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3122077&cid=t_106212_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fbible-verses-on-breastfeeding%2F As Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus, now is a good time to examine what the Bible has to say about breastfeeding. Photo by Amy BurtonIn researching these passages, it was quite interesting to see how different versions of the Bible translated the same verses in different ways — some referencing breastfeeding and nursing while other interpretations mentioning only “children whom they carry in their arms.” Here are a few of the quotes I came across. Bible Passages on Breastfeeding Luke 11:27 ~ “As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!’” 1 Samuel 1:22-23 ~ “Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, ‘Afte... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3122077 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:25:02 +0100 3122077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096902&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F17%2Fdsm-v-suggestions-for-change%2F With the recent announcement (PDF) by the American Psychiatric Association of a one year delay for the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM, as it’s known), a new round of commentary and articles have appeared questioning the usefulness of the DSM. The DSM is used by clinicians in the mental health field to diagnose mental disorders according to the symptom lists contained in the book. The DSM is also used by researchers to ensure that when one researcher is talking about treatments for “major depression,” another researcher will use the same definition for “major depression.” I’m no defender of the DSM revision process, as previous blog entries have noted. But I’ve noticed that sometimes the criti... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096902 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:09:35 +0100 3096902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044829&cid=t_106212_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FvHHaphWqF38%2F We’ve heard of the Bible Belt in the United States, but did you know there is a Stroke Belt too? The belt is made of the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. Not only is the danger higher among people born in the stroke belt, the risk rises even among those people who are born somewhere else and they move to the area. The risk is still higher though, among people originally born in the stroke belt. Researchers used census data from 49 states, looking at ages and stroke rates. What they found was The rate of death related to stroke was 74 per 100,000 for people who were born in the stroke belt and lived there in the year 2000, but only 47 per 100,000 for people who were neither born in the stroke belt nor lived there in the y... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044829 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:41:56 +0100 3044829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993933&cid=t_106212_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2F12-steps-of-alcoholics-victorious-with-biblical-references%2F 1 – We admitted we were powerless over alcohol … that our lives had become unmanageable. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18) 2 – Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. “… my grace is sufficient for you, for my POWER is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) ..for it God Who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose.. (Phil. 2:13) 3 – Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of GOD as we understood Him. “… If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23**) 4 ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993933 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:05:40 +0100 2993933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984997&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fcomforts-of-day.html Sugar on the rim of my Fireking sugar bowl during tea time this morning."God often digs wells of joy with the spade of sorrow."Why are you striving these daysWhy are you trying to earn graceWhy are you cryingLet me lift up your faceJust don't turn awayWhy are you looking for loveWhy are you still searching as if I'm not enoughTo where will you go childTell me where will you runTo where will you runAnd I'll be by your sideWherever you fallIn the dead of nightWhenever you callAnd please don't fightThese hands that are holding youMy hands are holding youLook at these hands and my sideThey swallowed the grave on that nightWhen I drank the world's sinSo I could carry you inAnd give you lifeI want to give you lifeBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great merc... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984997 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0100 2984997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902942&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fverse-1-even-though-i-walk-through.html Verse 1:Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:a)Your perfect love is casting out fear (1 John 4:18)And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life (Mark 4:35-41)I won’t turn back (John 6:66-69)I know You are near (Psalm 145:18)Pre-Chorus:And I will fear no evil (Psalm 23:4b)For my God is with me (Psalm 23:6)And if my God is with me (Psalm 46--especially verse 11)Whom then shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1)Whom then shall I fear?Chorus:Oh no, You never let go (Hebrews 13:5-6; Deuternomy 31:6; Joshua 1:1-9)Through the calm and through the storm (Isaiah 25:4)Oh no, You never let go (John 10:27-28)In every high and every low (Ecclesiastes 7:14)Oh no, You never let go (Psalm 55:22)Lord, You never let go of me (Matthew 28:20)Verse 2:And I can see a ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902942 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:59:00 +0100 2902942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858869&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fcompelled-beyond-yoke.html First, let me state the facts: everything I have belongs to the Source - my throat, my voice, my life, my husband, my children, my possessions, my future, my plans, dreams, ideas, intellect. It would be foolish to hold tightly in my fist what I have no control over and no ownership of. Regular, cheerful giving is something I have tried to incorporate in my life in a variety of ways - and I have been enormously blessed by doing so. What I am struggling to explicate as I study giving and fear is the cause-and-effect line that is sometimes drawn between giving and blessing. Just like my struggle of last year, when I tried to understand how some people came to think that faith equals healing or health and lack of faith equals cancer. My mother told me today that the issue lies in the fact that... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858869 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:50:00 +0100 2858869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858873&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Frole-of-wine-for-christian.html I unwittingly opened a Pandora's box in the Christian world with my last post, which included photos of chokeberries drying on our countertop, and a description of my husband's lovely Farmhouse Wines fermenting in our basement currently. I published a representative comment on yesterday's blog. I received six other similar comments, and so would like to take the time to post my position on wine. I believe wholeheartedly that Christians are free to consume alcoholic beverages in moderation. There are also plenty of examples in Scripture where wine in excess is damaging (for a summary of both the positive and negative references to alcohol in Scripture, read an excellent bulleted list here). Because I think we are more familiar with the arguments against the drinking of alcohol for Christian... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858873 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:25:00 +0100 2858873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800297&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F09%2F16%2Fpocketbible-for-iphone%2F Today a piece of software was released which I’ve been waiting for every since I got my iPhone – Laridian PocketBible. I’ve been a long time user of Laridian software on my Palm and Windows Mobile PDAs and phones and have acquired quite a large “library” of Bible versions, commentaries and other books from them. The great thing about this company is that when you switch to a different platform you don’t have to re-purchase all the books – you can download them all onto your new phone for free. So now I have my Laridian library on my iPhone at last! The bibles and books are stored on the memory of the iPhone, thus once you have downloaded them initially, an internet connection is not required, unlike the YouVersion Bible software I have been using o... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800297 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:51:29 +0100 2800297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2781966&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F09%2F10%2Fwhats-the-truth%2F A little bit of post-modern, post-emergent, post-whatever religious angst here so feel free to ignore this one if you are so inclined. One of the difficult things about Christianity, in particular the Protestant branch, is that there are so many different versions of it, which differ in so many ways in their interpretations of the Bible.  We’ve heard recently in our church about William Tyndale, the medieval saint who fought to bring an English translation of the Bible to the common man, setting in process a train of events that led through Henry VII and then King James right through to the abundance to different translations we have at our disposal today. This is a good thing. But, the inevitable and unavoidable side effect of this, along with Protestantism’s rejection of the... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2781966 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:07:03 +0100 2781966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2765952&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F09%2F04%2Fmedical-script%2F Here’s a cool passage we discovered the other night in our small group. How I wish this one had’ve made it into the canon 1Honour physicians for their services, for the Lord created them; 2for their gift of healing comes from the Most High, and they are rewarded by the king. 3The skill of physicians makes them distinguished, and in the presence of the great they are admired. 4The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and the sensible will not despise them. 5Was not water made sweet with a tree in order that its power might be known? 6And he gave skill to human beings that he might be glorified in his marvellous works. 7By them the physician heals and takes away pain; 8   the pharmacist makes a mixture from them. God’s works will never be finished; and from him health  ... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2765952 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:36:05 +0100 2765952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683978&cid=t_106212_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F6ThXG3J7qZc%2F I’m all for spiritual exploration, but I think that taking the Book of Revelations too literally in a phone call between heads of state can make you look just silly in posterity. Incredibly, President George W. Bush told French President Jacques Chirac in early 2003 that Iraq must be invaded to thwart Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse. Honest. This isn’t a joke. The president of the United States, in a top-secret phone call to a major European ally, asked for French troops to join American soldiers in attacking Iraq as a mission from God. via Council for Secular Humanism. Related articles by Zemanta Bush told French President Iraq was a quest foretold in the Bible (inquisitr.com) Former French President says Bush invaded Iraq to thwart Gog and Magog&#82... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683978 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:55:16 +0100 2683978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2358352&cid=t_106212_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FKZf_CUSE96E%2F My fiance has a fascination with end times and the book of revelations - which I try to avoid due to its complete complexity.  But seeing as its 6:00 AM and I can’t sleep I was doing some Google searching and I found out theres a book writen about end times from the perspective of [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2358352 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:10:21 +0100 2358352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270054&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F03%2F16%2Fthe-blue-parakeet%2F Another great book from Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet challenges us to examine the way in which we read the Bible. Taking the obvious examples of the Mosaic law code, Scot forces the reader to acknowledge that no-one follows the Bible in a 100% literal fashion and we ALL pick and choose which parts we follow and which parts we ignore or sideline (these are the “Blue Parakeets” of the Bible that we cage up - if you read the book you’ll get the analogy). In particular Scot looks at some misguided methods of approaching the bible, like as a law book or manual for life, or as a puzzle to work out - these misguided methods too often result in fixed interpretations that become hardened traditions. McKnight’s preferred method of reading the Bible is to read scripture as... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270054 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:50:32 +0100 2270054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232543&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F04%2Ffour-steps-to-better-personal-boundaries%2F I feel like such a hypocrite when I write about boundaries because, while I am trying desperately to erect some in my life, it seems as though the plow comes through every day to make sure none stay up for longer than 24 hours. But after reading spiritual author Henri Nouwen this morning, I think I understand why boundary-building is so difficult for me, and why I feel so rejected when someone in my life holds up their sign “Sorry, closed for business.” In “The Inner Voice of Love” (my Bible if you haven’t already noticed): The great task is to claim yourself for yourself, so that you can contain your needs within the boundaries of your self and hold them in the presence of those you love. True mutuality in love requires people who possess themselves and who ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232543 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:24:53 +0100 2232543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1945329&cid=t_106212_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmNf59e4IplM%2F A reader, Rev nancy, recently commented on a post about Religious Education for Autistic Children: Hi I came to the website out of an experience last summer with a man in a parish I was visiting who had two autistic children. When I was in the inner city I wrote simple gospel plays for children with one line apiece for each character because the kids could not read. I used my imagination for most of them. I gave the parishioner two and he took them home and read them with his children He said they liked it very much. I gather these children are high functioning but it would be possible to do these with simple masks or puppets. What else are people doing to teach? Suggestions, ideas, thoughts much appreciated! Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, bible, Diagnosis, disabilities blog, d... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945329 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:16:22 +0100 1945329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1461032&cid=t_106212_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F295167223%2F A new study has found that burning incense—as in frankincense, the resin from the Boswellia plant— “activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses anxiety and causes other antidepressant activity in the brain.” We’ve already heard about this as an autism treatment so don’t be surprised if frankincense gets added to the list—-not that spikenard hasn’t already been proposed (if you read the matrixes in Revelation 13 about autism, dioxin, devoured souls, and metals.) Tags: anxiety, asd, asperger, autism, bible, brain, depression, frankincense, mind, myrrh, Neuroscience, Parenting, pdd-nos, plant, rev... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1461032 Wed, 21 May 2008 16:41:15 +0100 1461032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1402341&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2008%2F04%2F27%2Four-pain-gods-problem%2F Excellent ‘blogalogue’ series here at Beliefnet, between skeptical religious scholar Bart Ehrman and Anglican Bishop N T Wright on the problem of pain and suffering and it’s relationship to the claims of Christianity. Ehrman describes how his struggles with this issue ultimately wrecked his Christian faith. He comes from a Christian background, he knows his stuff, and he raises questions that we should take very seriously indeed. Pat answers just won’t do. EHRMAN : Suffering increasingly became a problem for me and my faith. How can one explain all the pain and misery in the world if God—the creator and redeemer of all—is sovereign over it, exercising his will both on the grand scheme and in the daily workings of our lives? Why, I asked, is there such rampant st... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1402341 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:17:43 +0100 1402341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1280701&cid=t_106212_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fdieting-is-more-popular-than-bible.html John Lennon caused a controversy when he claimed that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus. Whether or not it was true at the time, and amongst teenagers in the UK and USA, it probably was, he had to perform a swift Galileo like recantation.I hope Dr Crippen is not going to get into similar trouble when I tell you that dieting has now become more important and more popular than the Bible. I have strong authority for that statement from none other then Google. Search on "bible" and you get a mere 125 million hits. Search on "diet" and you get a staggering 161 million hits  starting with (in the UK at least) some wise words from the Foods Standard Agency which advises us all to "Eat well, be well"I cannot fault the general advice. I suppose it is all good stuff. But I am beginning to... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1280701 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:57:00 +0100 1280701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=992118&cid=t_106212_151_f&fid=35793&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejunkyswife.com%2F2007%2F10%2Flove.html My sister in law sent me to some Bible passages that she says she finds comforting, and I found a page I'd marked as a child when I still had a lot of belief in my heart. It's like I'd left a note for myself to find as a suffering, doubting grown-up. There was a little piece of paper in it, with my 8 year old's handwriting carefully spelling out "Love," and then pink highlighting over that sweet 1st Corinthians passage that folks always have read at weddings:Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.OK, higher p... Heroin Addiction Codependence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=992118 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:42:00 +0100 992118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=984059&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F10%2Fpissed-off-firs.html Don't worry, it's probably only a venial sin.  Proceed to the rail. And, judging from the look on the face of the girl in the background, I suspect there was a provocation. Back To Main Page (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=984059 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:00:41 +0100 984059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=892988&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F09%2Fworldnutdaily-w.html Ed Brayton reports on WorldNutDaily writer Ben Shapiro's shot at Hollywood spiritualism.  Who doesn't sense the possibility of something disturbed in Madonna Louise Ciccone Penn "Esther" Ritchie's association with the Kabbalah Center? One commenter at Brayton's site rightly observes that Shapiro's piece amounts to shooting fish in a barrell.  I suspect that what most irritates the conservative Shapiro is that Hollywood spiritualism isn't punitive or authoritarian enough to engender the sense of moral cleansing that can accompany old-fashioned moral chastisement. Shapiro's position isn't surprising since conservatives more than liberals tend to have an affinity for sanctification through suffering (it has its strengths), but theopolitical conservatives are more frequen... Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=892988 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:29:42 +0100 892988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888894&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F09%2Fcoerced-prayer-.html Is coerced prayer routine in the military or does this case represent an aberration? There is something morally inchoate about people who believe coerced or disingenuous prayer is desirable.  Do they have even the least bit of appreciation for the difference between goodness and mere obedience to human authority? Back To Main Page (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888894 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:58:56 +0100 888894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=856947&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F09%2Fintervarsity-pr.html InterVarsity Press announced the upcoming publication of a study that finds a high rate of religiously mediated change in sexual orientation: In September, InterVarsity Press will publish the results of a longitudinal study conducted by researchers Stanton L. Jones (Wheaton College) and Mark A. Yarhouse (Regent University). Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation directly addresses two of the most contentious and disputed questions of our day—Is change of sexual orientation possible? and Is the attempt to change harmful?—and the findings of the study appear to contradict the commonly expressed views of the mental health establishment. InterVarsity Press will hold a press conference at the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) Wor... Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=856947 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:45:13 +0100 856947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=854388&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F09%2Fa-discussion-of.html Discussion here. Back To Main Page (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=854388 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 16:02:41 +0100 854388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=819517&cid=t_106212_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F24%2Fwhat-dr-susan-love-thinks%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, BooksShe's the guru on breast cancer, the woman who writes the continually updated breast cancer bible. She's Dr. Susan Love, author of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, and in the May/June 2007 issue of MAMM magazine, she shares some of her latest thoughts.On milk ductsDr. Love says all breast cancer begins in the milk ducts. If we want to get rid of breast cancer, she says, we need to understand where it starts. Until recently, we weren't able to do that. Now, doctors can numb the nipple, thread a catheter into a milk duct and sample the fluid, cells, carcinogens, and hormones. By looking at the location where cancer develops, there's the potential to find out how it started and how to prevent it. In March, Dr. Love's Research Foundation sponsored a conference on ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=819517 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 819517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817621&cid=t_106212_107_f&fid=35762&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Fgrrlscientist%2F%7E3%2F147312100%2Fdr_seuss_bible.php tags: humor, Dr Seuss Bible, streaming video Amusing and my my, those green uniforms near the end of the video are really quite revealing, aren't they? [2:29] Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)) Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817621 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:59:37 +0100 817621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817613&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F08%2F23%2Fhelp-for-perplexed-bible-readers%2F Ben Witherington: Hermeneutics– A Guide for Perplexed Bible Readers Great post this from Ben Witherington, giving a few basic principles to keep in mind for Biblical interpretation. His three main guidelines are : 1) ‘What it meant is what it means’. 2) ‘Context is king’. 3) Genre matters. Very sensible stuff and well worth reading through. He gives some entertaining illustrations along the way. Be prepared to be motivated to do more in-depth bible study though rather than settling for a superfical reading. (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817613 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:49:58 +0100 817613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815171&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F08%2F22%2Fpocketbible-for-windows-now-available%2F Laridian Electronic Publishing » PocketBible for Windows Now Available Laridian are my favourite Bible software company. I used their software on my Palm, now I have it on my PocketPC, and now I can have it on my Windows PC also, with the release of PocketBible for Windows. The beauty of this is that all the various Bible versions, commentaries, dictionaries and other books I have purchased from them can now be viewed on my PC without having to pay for them all over again. All I have to do is login to their website and re-download the versions for Windows, saving me hundreds of dollars. Also they have a version for the iPhone coming out next week. No word about a Mac OS version though… (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815171 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:15:49 +0100 815171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811333&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F08%2Fdeath-of-eleven.html I'll bet you didn't know Egypt is peaceful and secure because of female genital mutilation:"If a girl is not purified, she will just go hook up with men. This protects women's honor. Otherwise it will become just like America here and girls will go with guys," said Asma Said, a 16-year-old secondary school student. "Those who say it doesn't happen are lying 100 percent. There is not one person here not circumcised, and it will continue." She like many of the schoolgirls in Maghagha who spoke to Reuters said they supported the practice, even if they were frightened of having it done. The only girl who spoke against the practice was shouted down by her classmates until she conceded that genital cutting was a necessity. "No one can get married without it," sa... Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811333 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:22:37 +0100 811333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=777923&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F08%2Ftaliban-spokesm.html Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi has invoked the religious tenet of an "eye for eye'' to justify, in advance, the murder of female Korean hostages held by his comrades.  Qari suggested that killing the hostages would be morally justified because western military forces are holding female prisoners in Bagram and Kandahar, Afghanistan.  Even though the South Korean hostages have not been accused of kidnapping or murdering anyone, sociopaths like Qari freely apply this religious principle of retribution to persons on the basis of nothing more than a perceived tribal affiliation between their intended victims and other persons deemed guilty of some offense. But, leaving aside the morally vacuous assignment of guilt by perceived association, invoking the principle of an eye ... Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=777923 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:36:38 +0100 777923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=775583&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F08%2Fxtreme-mormans-.html The pitch: against all odds, these Xtreme Mormons are saving souls in Sin City. Back To Main Page (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=775583 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:37:46 +0100 775583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=770850&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F07%2Fwhile-they-are-.html While they are being called "aid workers," the primary mission of the South Koreans held hostage in Afghanistan appears to have been the conversion of Muslims to Christianity.  Although their mission was illegal under Afghan law, the Koreans decided that going to a very dangerous place to illegally gain converts superseded any concern about the personal dangers, the dangers to others and the political ramifications of their actions:The hostages, members of Saemmul Church from Bundang, near Seoul, appear to have been somewhat naive. They were traveling from Kabul to Kandahar on one of the most dangerous routes in Afghanistan. They rode a charter bus often used by foreigners, immediately attracting attention, and they did not alert local police to their presence for fear of be... Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=770850 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:30:18 +0100 770850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=765058&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F07%2Fthe-bahai-templ.html Click photos to view full-size. Located Wilmette, IL, a suburb north of Chicago, the temple was designed by Canadian Louis Bourgeois.  The corner stone was laid in 1923 by Abdu’l Baha, son of Bahá’u’lláh, the Persian founder of the Bahá'í faith.  It took 30 years to complete construction of the temple. Continue To More Photos of Bahá'í House of Worship...Click photos to view full-size. Back To Main Page (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=765058 Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:09:19 +0100 765058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=761724&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F07%2Fbomb-class.html When I was a kid growing up Catholic, we took our religious faith seriously, but we loved a good Catholic joke.  Recently, I found myself wondering if Muslims have a tradition of self-deprecating humor. Eric Rasmusen is wondering , too. The cartoon above is probably not produced by a Muslim and it deals with such a sensitive area that it might not draw a chuckle from the average Muslim.  The cartoon below capitalized on a sensitive subject and offended many Catholics, but it made me laugh.  Humor often draws upon matters that make us uneasy, resolving in juxtapositions that crack us up. Back To Main Page (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=761724 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:37:54 +0100 761724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=747357&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F07%2Fpost.html The Ecstasy Of St. Teresa, completed 1652 (Gian Lorenzo Bernini). The Ecstasy of St. Teresa was commissioned by Cardinal Federico Cornaro for Santa Maria della Vittoria. Teresa of Avila was a Carmelite mystic (I've always liked those Carmelites).  The Bernini work was inspired by a vision Teresa described in her autobiography:"I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is ... Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=747357 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:13:44 +0100 747357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=744973&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F07%2Fa-case-of-antis.html Ed Brayton reports on anti-Semitism in the case of Canadian Rabbi Jeffrey Goldman, a U.S. military chaplain who is listed as a deserter by the Army.  Brayton is usually a cautious reporter, so I take his comments on this seriously.  If the facts as he presents them are anything close to accurate, the conduct of the officers involved is reprehensible. For the most part, the military has been ahead of the curve in dealing with bigotry (homosexuality being a disgraceful exception), but disturbing reports of Christian bigotry in the officer corps have been surfacing with alarming frequency over the last ten years.  The military must be more transparent and vigorous in pursuing accusations of the sort Goldman has made. Back To Main Page (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=744973 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:10:20 +0100 744973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=730969&cid=t_106212_109_f&fid=35803&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrx.typepad.com%2Fpsychotherapyblog%2F2007%2F07%2Fbut-before-i-ki.html "Mati syahid" That was the reply given by a contestant on the Indonesian TV talent program, Pildacil, in response to a question about his desires.  Mati syahid means "to die as a martyr."  The contestant was competing in the show's young Islamic preacher contest. I don't know if he won the competition or if all of his dreams have come true yet, but here is more in a Jakarta Post editorial. Back To Main Page  (Source: Dr. X's Free Associations) Dr. X's Free Associations blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=730969 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:44:37 +0100 730969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716567&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F07%2F06%2Fchiefly-on-prayer%2F Here’s a parable that’s been on my mind lately : The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8 NIV)  1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’  4“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ”  6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And w... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716567 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 23:52:54 +0100 716567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=505067&cid=t_106212_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fwhere-have-you-been-moses-look-we-made.html Where have you been, Moses?Look, we made you something. With your brother's help.This year Parshes Ki Siso (Ki Tisa) almost makes me want to cry. The children of Israel made a mistake born of desperation and fear - they didn't know when Moses was coming back down the mountain. (Rashi says it was all because of a scheduling mixup, whether 40 days included the following night.) What were they supposed to do? And the worst of it is, their sin is a real sin, which shouldn't be blamed on the mixed multitude. They did it (we did it), and are to be blamed, but our reasons were understandable. We were scared and hopeless.It feels like all the stories I'm hearing from my patients, now that I know enough to ask about depression, suicidal thinking, drug and alcohol abuse, but don't yet have enough ex... Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=505067 Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:15:00 +0100 505067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=493263&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F03%2F02%2Fthe-king-bible%2F Just came across the most recent statistics for Bible sales from the Christian Booksellers Association of America, which is based on the number of Bibles sold in January in the USA and Canada : Ranking Title Author/Publisher 1 King James Version various publishers 2 New International Version various publishers 3 New Century Version Nelson 4 New King James Version various publishers 5 New Living Translation Tyndale 6 English Standard Version Crossway 7 Holman Christian Standard Bible B&H Publishing Group 8 New American Standard Bible update various publishers 9 The Message Eugene Peterson, NavPress 10 Reina Valera 1960 (Spanish) various publishers I must admit I’m a bit stumped by this. Why on earth is the KJV so popular? T... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=493263 Fri, 02 Mar 2007 06:29:37 +0100 493263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=493269&cid=t_106212_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F02%2F27%2Fthe-jesus-tomb%2F I haven’t seen it feature in the mainsteam media much as yet, but reports are beginning to circulate on the net about Titanic director James Cameron’s latest documentary, about a tomb unearthed in Jerusalem which they claim is that of Jesus and his family. For some reason this doesn’t seem to be garnering the kind of attention that the Gospel of Judas got last year, even despite the Hollywood clout of Cameron. Perhaps because their premise and logic is so far-fetched that it simply smacks of a pseudo-controversy drummed up to sell books and videos. Anyway, before this story gets any more attention, let me point you in the direction of some good blog entries on the subject by some reputable New Testament scholars : Ben Witherington: THE JESUS TOMB? ‘TITANIC’ TALPIOT T... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=493269 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:16:16 +0100 493269