and do things that are forbidden, they prefer to chat idly in cafes rather than carry out their duties towards their families. ” ( 16 ) taking careful note of what family members are up to. who are your children ’ s friends? have you met them before? what do your children bring home from outside? where does your daughter go, and with whom? some parents do not know that their children have in their possession bad pictures, pornographic movies and even drugs. some of them do not know that their daughter goes with the ( female ) servant to the market, then asks the servant to wait with the driver whilst she goes to her appointment or “ date ” with one of the shayaateen ( devils ), or to smoke and mess about with her bad friends. those who neglect their children will not be let off on that terrible day, nor will they be able to flee from the horrors of the day of reckoning. the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : “ allaah will ask every shepherd ( or responsible person ) about his flock ( those for whom he was responsible ), whether he took care of it or neglected it, until he asks a man about his household. ” ( hasan. reported by al - nisaa ' i, 292, and ibn hibbaan from anas ; saheeh al - jaami ’, 1775 ; al - silsilat there are some important points to note here : this supervision must be subtle. there should be no terrorizing atmosphere the child must not be made to feel that he or she is not trusted. advice and / or punishments must be measured against the ages of the children, their levels of understand and the extent of the wrongful behaviour. beware of negative methods of checking on children and making them feel that their every move is being watched. i have been told of a person who has a computer in which he records every mistake his children make in detail. if one of his children does something wrong, he sends him a memo requesting his presence, then he opens the child ’ s file in the computer and tells him all his previous mistakes, as well as the current note : we are not talking about a company here. the father is not the angel whose job it is to write down bad deeds. this father needs to read more about the principles of islamic upbringing and education. i also know of people at the other extreme, who refuse to get involved in their children ’ s affairs at all, claiming that the child will not


write down bad deeds. this father needs to read more about the principles of islamic upbringing and education. i also know of people at the other extreme, who refuse to get involved in their children ’ s affairs at all, claiming that the child will not be convinced that a mistake is a mistake or a sin is a sin unless he does it and then finds out for himself that it is a mistake. this deviant idea comes from being weaned on ideas of western philosophy and notions of absolute freedom. some of them give their child free rein, fearing that the child may start to hate them, saying “ i will earn his love whatever he does. ” some of them give the child free rein as a reaction to their own over - strict upbringings, thinking that they have to do the absolute opposite with their own children. some of them take this stupid attitude to extremes by saying, “ let our sons and daughters enjoy their youth as they wish. ” do these people not think that their children might pull on their clothes on the day of resurrection and say, “ o my father, why did you leave me in sin? ” ( 17 ) paying attention to children at home. teaching them to memorize qur ’ aan and islamic stories. there is nothing more beautiful than a father and his children coming together to read qur ’ aan, with a simple commentary, offering rewards for memorizing passages. young children have memorized soorat al - kahf from hearing it recited repeatedly by their fathers every friday. you can teach children the basics of islamic ‘ aqeedah, for example as mentioned in the hadeeth, “ heed allaah ’ s commandments and he will protect you. ” you can teach children good manners and the adhkaar prescribed by islam, for example for eating, sleeping, sneezing, greeting, asking permission to enter. there is nothing more attractive or effective for children than telling them islamic stories, such as the story of nooh ( peace be upon him ) and the flood ; the story of ibraaheem ( peace be upon him ), and how he broke the idols and was thrown into the fire ; the story of moosa ( peace be upon him ) being saved from pharaoh, who was drowned ; the story of yoonus ( peace be upon him ) in the belly of the whale ; the story of yoosuf ( peace be upon him ) in brief ; the biography of muhammad ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ), such as the beginning


yoonus ( peace be upon him ) in the belly of the whale ; the story of yoosuf ( peace be upon him ) in brief ; the biography of muhammad ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ), such as the beginning of his mission and his hijrah ; some of the islamic battles such as badr and al - khandaq ; other stories from the prophet ’ s life such as the story of the man and the camel which he did not feed properly but abused it by making it work too hard ; stories of righteous people, such as the story of ‘ umar ibn al - khattaab ( may allaah be pleased with him ) and the woman and her hungry children in the tent ; the story of the people of al - ukhdood ( the ditch ) ; the story of the people of the garden in soorat al - qalam, and the three companions of the cave. there are many good stories which you can tell in a brief and simple manner, with a few comments. these are better for us and we have no need of the many stories that go against ‘ aqeedah, or frightening myths that distort children ’ s concept of reality and make them cowardly and afraid. beware of letting your children go out with just anybody, lest they come back home uttering bad words and behaving badly. be selective when choosing children of relatives and neighbours to invite to come and play with your children at home. make sure that your children ’ s play is both entertaining and purposeful. give them a special playroom, or at least a cupboard for their toys, where they can keep their toys tidy. avoid toys that go against sharee ’ ah, like musical instruments, or toys that have crosses or them, or games containing dice. it is also a good idea to make a corner where children can practice hobbies such as carpentry, electronics and mechanics, or play some permissible computer games. with regard to the latter, we should be alert to the fact that some computer games show the worst types of pictures of women on the screen, and other games have crosses in them ; one person has even told me that there is a game that involves gambling against the computer – the player chooses one of four girls whose pictures appear on the screen to represent the other player, and if he wins, his prize is to see the worst kind of picture of the girl. separating boys and girls in their beds or sleeping arrangements. this is one of the things


four girls whose pictures appear on the screen to represent the other player, and if he wins, his prize is to see the worst kind of picture of the girl. separating boys and girls in their beds or sleeping arrangements. this is one of the things that distinguish those who are committed to their religion from those who do not care. joking and showing affection. the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) used to play with children and pat their heads ; he would speak to them in a kind and gentle manner, giving the littlest one the first fruit, and even letting them ride on his back sometimes. there follow two examples of how he ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) played with al - hasan and al - husayn : abu hurayrah ( may allaah be pleased with him ) said : “ the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) used to stick his tongue out at hasan ibn ‘ ali, and the child would see the redness of his tongue, and would like it and come running to him. ” ( reported by abu ’ l - shaykh in akhlaaq al - nabi ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) wa aadaabuhu ; see al - silsilat al - saheehah, no. 70 ). ya ’ laa ibn murrah said : “ we went out with the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) and we were called to eat, when we saw husayn playing in the street. the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) rushed ahead of the people, holding out his arms, and the child was running hither and thither ; the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) was laughing with him until he caught him, then he put one of the child ’ s hands under his chin and other other on top of his head, and kissed him. ” ( reported by al - bukhaari in al - adab al - mufrad, no. 364 ; saheeh ibn maajah, 1 / 29 ). ( 18 ) being strict in adhering to a schedule for meals and bedtime. some houses are like hotels where the people who live there hardly know one another and hardly ever meet. some children eat whenever they want and sleep whenever they want, which leads to them staying up late and wasting their time, or eating on


bedtime. some houses are like hotels where the people who live there hardly know one another and hardly ever meet. some children eat whenever they want and sleep whenever they want, which leads to them staying up late and wasting their time, or eating on a full stomach. this chaos leads to a weakening of family ties and a waste of time and energy, and exacerbates the lack of discipline among family members. you could excuse those who have legitimate reasons, because students, male and female, may have different times of leaving schools and universities, and those who are employed or who run stores do not have the same work schedules, but still there is nothing nicer than a family gathering together at the table and making the most of this opportunity to ask how everyone is and to discuss useful topics. the head of the household has to be strict in setting a time for everyone to be back home, and in insisting that everyone asks permission before going out, especially those who are young, whether in terms of chronological age or mental age, as it were, for whom one might have fears. ( 19 ) re - evaluating women ’ s work outside the the laws of islam complement one another. when allaah commanded women to “ … stay in your houses … ” [ al - ahzaab 33 : 33 – interpretation of the meaning ], he also decreed that men, their fathers and husbands, etc., should be obliged to spend on them. the basic principle is that women should not work outside the home unless they have to. when moosa ( peace be upon him ) saw the two daughters of the righteous man keeping back their flocks and waiting to water them, he asked them : “ … ‘ what is the matter with you? ’ they said, ‘ we cannot water ( our flocks ) until the shepherds take ( their flocks ), and our father is a very old man. ’ ” [ al - qasas 28 : 23 – interpretation of the meaning ]. they were apologetic about the fact that they had come out to water their flocks, because the guardian [ their father ] was unable to do so due to old age. so they were keen to do away with the need to work outside the home as soon as the opportunity arose : “ and said one of them ( the two women ) : ‘ o my father! hire him! verily the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy. ’ ” [ al - qasas 28 : 26 – interpretation of the meaning ].


( the two women ) : ‘ o my father! hire him! verily the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy. ’ ” [ al - qasas 28 : 26 – interpretation of the meaning ]. this woman made clear her desire to go back to staying at home to protect herself from the vulgarity to which she could be exposed if she worked outside the home. in modern times, when the kuffaar needed women ’ s labour after the two world wars, to make up for the resulting lack of men in the workforce, and there was a critical need to rebuild their economies, this coincided with the jewish plots to “ liberate ” women and advocate their rights with the aim of corrupting them and consequently corrupting society as a whole. thus the idea of women going out to work was established. in spite of the fact that the same motives were not present in our lands, and that muslim men protect their womenfolk and spend on them, the women ’ s liberation movement developed in the muslim world too, and even reached such an extent that women are sent abroad to study, then are expected to work so that these degrees will not go to waste. the muslim societies are not in need of such a thing on such a grand scale as is the case, and one of the signs of this is the fact that there are men who are without work whilst fields are still being opened up to women. when we say “ not on such a grand scale ”, we mean that there is a need for women to work in some fields, such as teaching, nursing and medicine, within the conditions set out by sharee ’ ah, and when there is a need for them to do so. but we started by saying that there is no great need, because of the fact that we notice some women going out to work when there is no need, and sometimes they work for very low wages, because they feel that they have to go out to work even when there is no need to do so, or they work in places that are not suitable, which leads to much fitnah and trouble. one of the main differences between the islamic view on women ’ s work and the secular view is that the basic principle in islam is to “ … stay in your houses … ” [ al - ahzaab 33 : 33 – interpretation of the meaning ], although women may go out when they need to – “ and permission has been given to you to go out for your needs ” ( hadeeth ).


houses … ” [ al - ahzaab 33 : 33 – interpretation of the meaning ], although women may go out when they need to – “ and permission has been given to you to go out for your needs ” ( hadeeth ). the secular principle, on the other hand, is to go out no matter what the circumstances. to be fair, we should say that there may indeed be a need for women to work, such as a woman who is the breadwinner for her family after her husband has died or her father has become too old to work, and so on. indeed, in some societies which are not based on islamic principles, a woman may find herself forced to work to help her husband cover the living expenses of the family. a man may not propose to a woman unless she is working, and some men may even make it a condition of the marriage contract that the wife in conclusion : a woman may work if she needs to or for some islamic purpose, such as calling others to allaah in the field of teaching, or to make use of her time, as some women do who do not have with regard to the negative aspects of women working outside the home, these include : § what often happens of things that are forbidden in islam, such as mixing with men, getting to know them and being alone with them, wearing perfume for them and starting to show one ' s adornment to strangers ( non - mahrem men ), which can ultimately lead to § not giving the husband his rights, neglecting the house, not giving the children their proper rights. ( this is our basic point here ). § undermining the feeling in some women ’ s minds that the husband is the qawwaam ( protector and maintainer ). let us take the case of a woman whose qualifications are equal to those of her husband, or even higher ( although there is nothing wrong with that in and of itself ), and who works and earns more than he does. will she feel the proper need towards her husband and obey him properly, or will she feel that she is independent of him, which could rock the household on its foundations, unless allaah wills good for her? these arguments about spending on the working wife and how much she should spend on the family may never end. § physical exhaustion and psychological and nervous pressure which do not befit the nature of women. having briefly discussed the pros and cons of women ’ s work, we conclude that we have to fear allaah


on the family may never end. § physical exhaustion and psychological and nervous pressure which do not befit the nature of women. having briefly discussed the pros and cons of women ’ s work, we conclude that we have to fear allaah, and to weigh the matter up according to sharee ’ ah, and to know the circumstances in which a woman is permitted to go out to work, and when she is not. we should not be blinded by worldly gains or allow them to distract us from the truth. this advice to women is in their best interests and in the interests of the family. husbands should also stop thinking in terms of taking revenge and should not consume their wife ’ s wealth unjustly. ( 20 ) confidentiality : keeping family this includes a number of things, including : not disclosing intimate secrets. not disclosing marital conflicts. not disclosing any secrets the exposing of which could cause harm to the family or to any of its members. with regard to the first matter, the evidence that this is haraam is the hadeeth : “ one of the most evil of people in the sight of allaah on the day of resurrection will be a man who went in unto his wife and she went in unto him, then he disclosed her secret. ” ( reported by muslim, 4 / 157 ). the meaning of going in unto one another is that he approaches her and has intercourse with her, as in the aayah ( interpretation of the meaning ) : “ … while you have gone in unto one another … ” further evidence is to be seen in the hadeeth of asma ’ bint yazeed, who said that she was with the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ), when men and women were sitting with him, and he said : “ i think there are some men who talk about what they do with their wives, and that there are some women who talk about what they do with their husbands. ” the people stayed silent. [ asma ’ ] said : “ yes, by allaah, o messenger of allaah, [ women ] do that and [ men ] do that! ” he said, “ do not do that, for it is as if a male devil met a female devil in the street and had intercourse with her whilst the people were watching. ” ( reported by imaam ahmad, 6 / 457 ; also reported in aadaab al - zafaaf by al - albaani, p


met a female devil in the street and had intercourse with her whilst the people were watching. ” ( reported by imaam ahmad, 6 / 457 ; also reported in aadaab al - zafaaf by al - albaani, p. 144 ). according to a report narrated by abu dawood, he said : “ are there men among you who when they have intercourse with their wives, they close their doors and lower their curtains and ask allaah to conceal them? ” they said, “ yes. ” he said, “ and then do they sit and say, ‘ i did such and such, and i did such and such? ’ ” they kept silent. then he turned to the women and said, “ are there any among you talk [ about intimate matters ]? ” and they kept silent. then a young girl sat up on one of her knees and craned her neck so that the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) could see her and hear her, and said, “ o messenger of allaah, indeed the men talk and the women talk. ” he said, “ do you know what that is like? it is like a female devil meeting a male devil in the street and having intercourse with him whilst the people are watching. ” ( sunan abi dawood, 2 / 627 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, 7037 ). with regard to the second matter, which is disclosing marital arguments outside the home, in many cases this only makes matters worse. involving outside parties in a marital conflict usually deepens the split, and it reaches a stage where the couple will only communicate via intermediaries when they should be the closest of all people to one another. this should not be resorted to except in cases where they cannot resolve matter face to face, in which case we should act in accordance with the aayah ( interpretation of the meaning ) : “ … appoint ( two ) arbitrators, one from his family and the other from hers ; if they both wish for peace, allaah will cause their reconciliation … ” [ al - nisa ’ 4 : 35 ]. with regard to the third matter, which is harming the family or one of its members – by spreading their secrets – this is not permissible, because it is covered by the words of the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) : “ there should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm. ” ( reported


by spreading their secrets – this is not permissible, because it is covered by the words of the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) : “ there should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm. ” ( reported by imaam ahmad, 1 / 313 ; al - silsilat al - saheehah, no. 250 ). an example of this was narrated in the tafseer of the aayah ( interpretation of the meaning ) : “ allaah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve, the wife of nooh and the wife of loot. they were under two of our righteous slaves, but they both betrayed their [ husbands ] … ” [ al - tahreem 66 : 10 ]. ibn katheer ( may allaah have mercy on him ) reported the following in his tafseer of this aayah : “ the wife of nooh used to know about his secrets, and whenever anyone believed in him, she would tell the oppressors among the people of nooh about it. as for the wife of loot, whenever loot welcomed anyone as a guest, she would tell the people of the city who used to do evil things ” ( tafseer ibn katheer, 8 / 198 ), i. e., to come and do immoral things to them. manners at home ( 21 ) spreading kindness in the home. ‘ aa ’ ishah ( may allaah be pleased with her ) said : “ the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : ‘ when allaah – may he be glorified – wills some good towards the people of a household, he introduces kindness among them. ’ ” ( reported by imaam ahmad in al - musnad, 6 / 71 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, 303 ). according to another report : “ when allaah loves the people of a household, he introduces kindness among them. ” ( reported by ibn abi al - dunya and others ; saheeh al - jaami ’, no. 1704 ). in other words, they start to be kind to one another. this is one of the means of attaining happiness in the home, for kindness is very beneficial between the spouses, and with the children, and brings results that cannot be achieved through harshness, as the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : “ allaah loves kindness and


home, for kindness is very beneficial between the spouses, and with the children, and brings results that cannot be achieved through harshness, as the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : “ allaah loves kindness and rewards it in such a way that he does not reward for harshness or for anything else. ” ( reported by muslim, kitaab al - birr wa ’ l - sillah wa ’ l - aadaab, no. 2592 ). ( 22 ) helping one ’ s wife with the housework. many men think that housework is beneath them, and some of them think that it will undermine their status and position if they help their wives with this work. the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ), however, used to “ sew his own clothes, mend his own shoes and do whatever other work men do in their homes. ” ( reported by imaam ahmad in al - musnad, 6 / 121 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, 4927 ). this was said by his wife ‘ aa ’ ishah ( may allaah be pleased with her ), when she was asked about what the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) used to do in his house ; her response described what she herself had seen. according to another report, she said : “ he was like any other human being : he would clean his clothes, milk his ewe and serve himself. ” ( reported by imaam ahmad in al - musnad, 6 / 256 ; al - silsilat al - saheehah, 671 ). she ( may allaah be pleased with her ) was also asked about what the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) used to do in his house, and she said, “ he used to serve his family, then when the time for prayer came, he would go out to pray. ” ( reported by al - bukhaari, al - fath, 2 / 162 ). if we were to do likewise nowadays, we would achieve three things : we would be following the example of the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) we would be helping our wives we would feel more humble, not arrogant. some men demand food instantly from their wives, when the pot is on the stove and the baby is screaming to be fed ; they do not


of allaah be upon him ) we would be helping our wives we would feel more humble, not arrogant. some men demand food instantly from their wives, when the pot is on the stove and the baby is screaming to be fed ; they do not pick up the child or wait a little while for the food. let these ahaadeeth be a reminder and a lesson. ( 23 ) being affectionate towards and joking with the members of the family. showing affection towards one ’ s wife and children is one of the things that lead to creating an atmosphere of happiness and friendliness in the home. thus the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) advised jaabir to marry a virgin, saying, “ why did you not marry a virgin, so you could play with her and she could play with you, and you could make her laugh and she could make you laugh? ” ( the hadeeth is reported in a number of places in the saheehayn, such as al - bukhaari, al - fath, 9 / 121 ). the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) also said : “ everything in which allaah ’ s name is not mentioned is idleness and play, except for four things : a man playing with his wife … ” ( reported by al - nisaa ' i in ‘ ushrat al - nisa ’, p. 87 ; also in saheeh al - jaami ’ ). the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) used to treat his wife ‘ aa ’ ishah affectionately when doing ghusl with her, as she ( may allaah be pleased with her ) said : “ the messenger of allaah and i used to do ghusl together from one vessel, and he would pretend to take all the water so that i would say, ‘ leave some for me, leave some for me, ’ ” – and both of them were in a state of janaabah ( impurity ). ( muslim bi sharh al - nawawi, 4 / 6 ). the ways in which the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) showed affection towards young children are too famous to need mentioning. he often used to show his affection towards hasan and husayn, as mentioned above. this is probably one of the reason why the children used to rejoice when he came back from travelling ; they would rush to welcome him, as reported in


he often used to show his affection towards hasan and husayn, as mentioned above. this is probably one of the reason why the children used to rejoice when he came back from travelling ; they would rush to welcome him, as reported in the saheeh hadeeth : “ whenever he came back from a journey, the children of his household would be taken out to meet him. ” he ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) used to hug them close to him, as ‘ abd - allaah ibn ja ; far said : “ whenever the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) came back from a journey, we would be taken out to meet him. one day we met him, hasan, husayn and i. he carried one of us in front of him, and another on his back, until we entered madeenah. ” ( saheeh muslim, 4 / 1885 - 2772 ; see the commentary in tuhfat al - ahwadhi, 8 / 56 ). compare this with the situation in some miserable homes where there are no truthful jokes [ i. e., jokes that do not involve lying ], no affection and no mercy. whoever thinks that kissing his children goes against the dignity of fatherhood should read the following hadeeth : from abu hurayrah ( may allaah be pleased with him ) who said : “ the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) kissed al - hasan ibn ‘ ali, and al - aqra ’ ibn haabis al - tameemi was sitting with him. al - aqra ’ said : ‘ i have ten children and i have never kissed any one of them. ’ the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) looked at him and said : ‘ the one who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy. ’ ” ( 24 ) resisting bad manners in the home. every member of the household is bound to have some bad characteristics, such as lying, backbiting, gossiping and so on. these bad characteristics have to be resisted and opposed. some people think that corporal punishment is the only way to deal with such things. the following hadeeth is very educational on this topic : from ‘ aa ’ ishah ( may allaah be pleased with her ) who said : “ if the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) came to know that one of his


very educational on this topic : from ‘ aa ’ ishah ( may allaah be pleased with her ) who said : “ if the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) came to know that one of his household had told a lie, he would try to ignore him until he repented. ” ( see al - musnad by imaam ahmad, 6 / 152. the text of the hadeeth is also in saheeh al - jaami ’, no. 4675 ). it is clear from the hadeeth that turning away and forsaking a person by not speaking to them, rather than resorting to punishment, is effective in such circumstances, and may be more effective than physical punishment, so let parents and caregivers think about this. ( 25 ) “ hang up the whip where the members of the household can see it. ” ( reported by abu na ’ eem in al - hilyah, 7 / 332 ; al - silsilat al - saheehah, no. 1446 ). hinting at punishment is an effective means of discipline, so the reason for hanging up a whip or stick in the house was explained in another report, where the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : “ hang up the whip where the members of the household can see it, for this is more effective in disciplining them. ” ( reported by al - tabaraani, 10 / 344 - 345 ; al - silsilat al - saheehah, no. 1447 ) seeing the means of punishment hanging up will make those who have bad intentions refrain from indulging in bad behaviour, lest they get a taste of the punishment. it will motivate them to behave themselves and be good - mannered. ibn al - anbaari said : “ there is nothing to suggest that it should be used for hitting, because [ the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) ] did not command anyone to do that. what he meant was : keep on disciplining them. ” ( see fayd al - qadeer by al - mannaawi, 4 / 325 ). hitting is not the way to discipline ; it is not to be resorted to, except when all other means are exhausted, or when it is needed to force someone to do obligatory acts of obedience, as allaah says ( interpretation of the meaning ) : “ … as to


to discipline ; it is not to be resorted to, except when all other means are exhausted, or when it is needed to force someone to do obligatory acts of obedience, as allaah says ( interpretation of the meaning ) : “ … as to those women on whose part you fear ill - conduct, admonish them ( first ), ( next ), refuse to share their beds, ( and last ) beat them ( lightly, if it is useful ) … ” [ al - nisa ’ 4 : 34 ] – in that order. there is also the hadeeth : “ order your children to pray when they are seven years old, and hit them if they do not do so when they are ten. ” ( sunan abi dawood, 1 / 334 ; see also irwa ’ al - ghaleel, 1 / 266 ). as for hitting unnecessarily, this is aggression. the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) advised a woman not to marry a man because he always had his stick on his shoulder, i. e., he used to beat his wives. on the other hand, there are those who think that they should never use this method of discipline at all, following some kaafir educational theories ; this is also a mistaken opinion that goes against the evils in the home beware of non - mahrem relatives entering upon women when their husbands are and women should sit separately during family visits. aware of the dangers of having male drivers and female servants in the house. kick immoral people out of your houses. beware of the dangers of tv. beware of the evils of the telephone. have to remove everything that contains symbols of the false religions of the kuffaar or their gods and objects of worship. removing pictures of animate beings. not allow smoking in your homes. not keep dogs in your homes. avoid too much decoration in your homes ( keep it simple ). the home inside and out ( 37 ) choosing a good location and design of no doubt the true muslim pays attention to the choice and design of a home in ways that others do not. with regard to location, for example : the home should be close to a mosque. this has obvious advantages : the call to prayer will remind people of prayer and wake them up for it ; living close to the mosque will enable men to join the congregational prayers, women to listen to the qur ’ aan recitation and dhikr over the mosque ’ s


the call to prayer will remind people of prayer and wake them up for it ; living close to the mosque will enable men to join the congregational prayers, women to listen to the qur ’ aan recitation and dhikr over the mosque ’ s loudspeakers, and children to join study - circles for memorization of qur ’ aan, and so on. the home should not be in a building where there are immoral people, or in a compound where kuffaar live and where there is a mixed swimming pool and so on. the house should not overlook others or be overlooked ; if it is, he should put up curtains and make walls and fences with regard to design and lay out, for example : he should pay attention to the matter of segregating men and women when non - mahrams come to visit, e. g. separate entrances and sitting areas. if that cannot be done, then use should be made of curtains, screens and so on. covering windows, so that neighbours or people in the street will not be able to see who is in the house, especially at night when the lights are on. the toilets should not be sited in such a way that one faces the qiblah when using them. choosing a spacious house with plenty of amenities. this is for a number of reasons : “ allaah loves to see the signs of his blessings on his slave. ” ( hadeeth narrated by al - tirmidhi, no. 2819. he said : this is a hasan hadeeth ). “ there are three elements of happiness and three elements of misery. the elements of happiness are : a righteous wife, who when you see her she pleases you, and when you are absent from her you feel that you can trust her with regard to herself and your wealth ; a compliant riding - beast that helps you to keep up with your companions ; and a house that is spacious and has plenty of amenities. the elements of misery are : a wife who when you see her you feel upset, she keeps attacking you verbally, and when you are absent from her you do not feel that you can trust her with regard to herself and your wealth ; a stubborn riding - beast that if whip it, you get tired, and if you do not whip it, it does not help you to keep up with your companions ; and a house with few amenities. ” ( hadeeth narrated by al - haakim, 3 / 262 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, no


not whip it, it does not help you to keep up with your companions ; and a house with few amenities. ” ( hadeeth narrated by al - haakim, 3 / 262 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, no. 3056 ). paying attention to health - related matters such as ventilation, natural light and so on. these matters depend on financial ability and feasibility. ( 38 ) choosing the neighbour before the house. this is a matter which has to be singled out for discussion because of its importance. nowadays neighbours have more impact on one another, because houses are closer together and people live together in buildings, apartments and compounds. the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) told us of four causes of happiness, one of which is a righteous neighbour, and four causes of misery, one of which is a bad neighbour. ( reported by abu na ’ eem in al - hilyah, 8 / 388 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, 887 ). because of the seriousness of the latter, the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) used to seek refuge with allaah from bad neighbours in his du ’ aa ’ : “ allaahumma innee a ’ oodhu bika min jaar al - soo ’ fi daar il - muqaamah fa inna jaar al - baadiyah yatahawwil ( o allaah, i seek refuge with you from a bad neighbour in my permanent home, for the neighbour in the desert [ i. e. on a journey ] moves on ). ” he commanded the muslims to seek refuge with allaah from a bad neighbour in a permanent home because the neighbour in the desert will eventually move on. ( reported by al - bukhaari in al - adab al - mufrad, no. 117 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, there is no room here to talk about the influence a bad neighbour may have on a couple and their children, or the kinds of nuisance he can cause, or the misery of living next to him. but applying these ahaadeeth quoted above to one ' s own life should be sufficient for the one who is possessed of understanding. another practical solution is that implemented by some good people who rent neighbouring homes for their families, so as to solve the neighbour problem. this may be an expensive solution, but a good neighbour ( 39 ) paying attention to necessary repairs in the home, and making


practical solution is that implemented by some good people who rent neighbouring homes for their families, so as to solve the neighbour problem. this may be an expensive solution, but a good neighbour ( 39 ) paying attention to necessary repairs in the home, and making sure that the amenities are in good working order. among the blessings of allaah in this modern age are the “ mod cons ” that he has bestowed upon us, which make many things easier and save time, such as air - conditioners, fridges, washing - machines and so on. it is wise to have the best quality of appliances that one can afford, without being extravagant or putting oneself under financial strain. we should also be careful to distinguish between useful extras and extravagant additions that have no real value. part of caring for the home includes fixing appliances and amenities that break down. some people neglect these things, and their wives complain about homes crawling with vermin, with overflowing drains and piles of stinking garbage, filled with broken and worn out furniture. no doubt this is one of the obstacles to happiness in the home, and causes problems in the marriage and health problems. the smart person is the one who hastens to fix these things. ( 40 ) paying attention to the family ’ s health and safety procedures. when any member of his family got sick, the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) would blow on them and recite al - mi ’ wadhatayn ( last two soorahs of the qur ’ aan ). ( reported by muslim, no. 2192 ). when one of his family members got sick, he would call for soup, and it would be made for him, then he would tell them to drink it, and he would say, “ it will strengthen the heart of the one who is grieving and cleanse ( heal ) the heart of the one who is sick just as any one of you wipes the dirt from her face. ” ( reported by al - tirmidhi, no. 2039 ; saheeh al - jaami ’, no. 4646 ). one of the ways of taking safety precautions is : the messenger of allaah ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : “ when evening comes, keep your children inside, for the shayaateen ( devils ) spread out at that time. then when an hour of the night has passed, let your children go, lock the doors and mention the name of allaah, cover


evening comes, keep your children inside, for the shayaateen ( devils ) spread out at that time. then when an hour of the night has passed, let your children go, lock the doors and mention the name of allaah, cover your pots and mention the name of allaah, even if you only place a stick across the top of your vessel, and extinguish your lamps. ” ( reported by al - bukhaari, al - fath, 10 / 88 - 89 ). according to a report narrated by muslim, he ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : “ lock your doors, cover your vessels, extinguish your lamps and tie your knots properly [ i. e., cover your jugs properly – in those days they would cover them with a piece of cloth and tie it ], for the shaytaan does not open a door that is closed, or uncover something that is covered, or untie a knot that you tie. and the mouse could set the house on fire ( i. e. it could pull out the wick of the lamp and set the house on fire ). ” ( reported by imaam ahmad in al - musnad, 3 / 103 ) ; saheeh al - jaami ’, 1080 ). the prophet ( peace and blessings of allaah be upon him ) said : “ do not leave fires lit in your houses when you go to sleep. ” ( reported by al - bukhaari, al - fath, 11 / 85 ). and allaah knows best. may allaah bless our


quant blogger half sigma and gnxp ' s jason malloy are quoted in a new york times article by amy harmon entitled " in dna era, new worries about prejudice " about what ' s happening now that " genetic information is slipping out of the laboratory and into everyday life, carrying with it the inescapable message that people of different races have different dna. " in case you are wondering, this article isn ' t written by nicholas wade, who i imagine has been put on heavy sedation by the nyt editors ever since the watson show trial. when scientists first decoded the human genome in 2000, they were quick to portray it as proof of humankind ’ s remarkable similarity. the dna of any two people, they emphasized, is at least 99 percent identical. but new research is exploring the remaining fraction to explain differences between people of different continental origins. scientists, for instance, have recently identified small changes in dna that account for the pale skin of europeans, the tendency of asians to sweat less and west africans ’ resistance to certain diseases. at the same time, genetic information is slipping out of the laboratory and into everyday life, carrying with it the inescapable message that people of different races have different dna. ancestry tests tell customers what percentage of their genes are from asia, europe, africa and the americas. the heart - disease drug bidil is marketed exclusively to african - americans, who seem genetically predisposed to respond to it. jews are offered prenatal tests for genetic disorders rarely found in other ethnic groups. such developments are providing some of the first tangible benefits of the genetic revolution. yet some social critics fear they may also be giving long - discredited racial prejudices a new potency. the notion that race is more than skin deep, they fear, could undermine principles of equal treatment and opportunity that have relied on the presumption that we are all fundamentally equal. “ we are living through an era of the ascendance of biology, and we have to be very careful, ” said henry louis gates jr., director of the w. e. b. du bois institute for african and african american research at harvard university. “ we will all be walking a fine line between using biology and allowing it to be abused. ” certain superficial traits like skin pigmentation have long been presumed to be genetic. but the ability to pinpoint their dna source makes the link between genes and race more palpable. and on mainstream blogs, in college classrooms and among the growing community of ancestry test


traits like skin pigmentation have long been presumed to be genetic. but the ability to pinpoint their dna source makes the link between genes and race more palpable. and on mainstream blogs, in college classrooms and among the growing community of ancestry test - takers, it is prompting the question of whether more profound differences may also be attributed to dna. nonscientists are already beginning to stitch together highly speculative conclusions about the historically charged subject of race and intelligence from the new biological data. last month, a blogger in manhattan described a recently published study that linked several snippets of dna to high i. q. an online genetic database used by medical researchers, he told readers, showed that two of the snippets were found more often in europeans and asians than in africans. no matter that the link between i. q. and those particular bits of dna was unconfirmed, or that other high i. q. snippets are more common in africans, or that hundreds or thousands of others may also affect intelligence, or that their combined influence might be dwarfed by environmental factors. just the existence of such genetic differences between races, proclaimed the author of the half sigma blog, a 40 - year - old software developer, means “ the egalitarian theory, ” that all races are equal, “ is proven false. ” though few of the bits of human genetic code that vary between individuals have yet to be tied to physical or behavioral traits, scientists have found that roughly 10 percent of them are more common in certain continental groups and can be used to distinguish people of different races. they say that studying the differences, which arose during the tens of thousands of years that human populations evolved on separate continents after their ancestors dispersed from humanity ’ s birthplace in east africa, is crucial to mapping the genetic basis for disease. but many geneticists, wary of fueling discrimination and worried that speaking openly about race could endanger support for their research, are loath to discuss the social implications of their findings. still, some acknowledge that as their data and methods are extended to nonmedical traits, the field is at what one leading researcher recently called “ a very delicate time, and a dangerous time. ” “ there are clear differences between people of different continental ancestries, ” said marcus w. feldman, a professor of biological sciences at stanford university. “ it ’ s not there yet for things like i. q., but i can see it coming. and it has the potential to spark a new era of racism


” said marcus w. feldman, a professor of biological sciences at stanford university. “ it ’ s not there yet for things like i. q., but i can see it coming. and it has the potential to spark a new era of racism if we do not start explaining it better. ” dr. feldman said any finding on intelligence was likely to be exceedingly hard to pin down. but given that some may emerge, he said he wanted to create “ ready response teams ” of geneticists to put such socially fraught discoveries in perspective. the authority that dna has earned through its use in freeing falsely convicted inmates, preventing disease and reconstructing family ties leads people to wrongly elevate genetics over other explanations for differences between groups. “ i ’ ve spent the last 10 years of my life researching how much genetic variability there is between populations, ” said dr. david altshuler, director of the program in medical and population genetics at the broad institute in cambridge, mass. “ but living in america, it is so clear that the economic and social and educational differences have so much more influence than genes. people just somehow fixate on genetics, even if the influence is very small. ” but on the half sigma blog and elsewhere, the conversation is already flashing forward to what might happen if genetically encoded racial differences in socially desirable — or undesirable — traits are identified. “ if i were to believe the ‘ facts ’ in this post, what should i do? ” one reader responded on half sigma. “ should i advocate discrimination against blacks because they are less smart? should i not hire them to my company because odds are i could find a smarter white person? stop trying to prove that one group of people are genetically inferior to your group. just stop. ” renata mcgriff, 52, a health care consultant who had been encouraging black clients to volunteer genetic information to scientists, said she and other african - americans have lately been discussing “ opting out of genetic research until it ’ s clear we ’ re not going to use science to validate prejudices. ” “ i don ’ t want the children in my family to be born thinking they are less than someone else based on their dna, ” added ms. mcgriff, of manhattan. such discussions are among thousands that followed the geneticist james d. watson ’ s assertion last month that africans are innately less intelligent than other races. dr. watson, a nobel prize winner, subsequently apologized and quit his post at the cold spring harbor laboratory on long island


thousands that followed the geneticist james d. watson ’ s assertion last month that africans are innately less intelligent than other races. dr. watson, a nobel prize winner, subsequently apologized and quit his post at the cold spring harbor laboratory on long island. but the incident has added to uneasiness about whether society is prepared to handle the consequences of science that may eventually reveal appreciable differences between races in the genes that influence socially important traits. new genetic information, some liberal critics say, could become the latest rallying point for a conservative political camp that objects to social policies like affirmative action, as happened with “ the bell curve, ” the controversial 1994 book that examined the relationship between race and i. q. yet even some self - described liberals argue that accepting that there may be genetic differences between races is important in preparing to address them politically. “ let ’ s say the genetic data says we ’ ll have to spend two times as much for every black child to close the achievement gap, ” said jason malloy, 28, an artist in madison, wis., who wrote a defense of dr. watson for the widely read science blog gene expression. society, he said, would need to consider how individuals “ can be given educational and occupational opportunities that work best for their unique talents and limitations. ” others hope that the genetic data may overturn preconceived notions of racial superiority by, for example, showing that africans are innately more intelligent than other groups. but either way, the increased outpouring of conversation on the normally taboo subject of race and genetics has prompted some to suggest that innate differences should be accepted but, at some level, ignored. “ regardless of any such genetic variation, it is our moral duty to treat all as equal before god and before the law, ” perry clark, 44, wrote on a new york times blog. it is not necessary, argued dr. clark, a retired neonatologist in leawood, kan., who is white, to maintain the pretense that inborn racial differences do not exist. “ when was the last time a nonblack sprinter won the olympic 100 meters? ” he asked. “ to say that such differences aren ’ t real, ” dr. clark later said in an interview, “ is to stick your head in the sand and go blah blah blah blah blah until the band marches by. ”


| subject | | crown gall disease | severity varies greatly with factors such as locations of the galls, cultivars, cultural practices, and, most important, the influence of climate. the galls are typically found on roots and crowns, and sometimes on canes and stems. the disease is more common and the symptoms more severe in cold climates. latent infections of the bacterium are common in grapevines and many sources of planting stock harbor the bacteria. in california, the long term effects of crown gall are difficult to assess or predict, especially where winters are mild. even in vineyards where infection incidence is low, crown gall has the potential to cause problems when vines are grafted or budded with new scion varieties. other types of mechanical injury can also trigger the formation of galls. tom burr, cornell university video link : adobe presenter ( formerly macromedia breeze ) modules provide on - demand viewing of previously recorded powerpoint presentations with streaming video and audio on the web. they feature high - quality still images with synchronized audio and video ; automatic playback or manual navigation ; and a keyword search of slide text and notes. as flash movies they are platform independent, but they do require flash player 6 or higher, which is currently installed on most computers. these modules were produced by uc davis iet mediaworks. the speaker and presentation may be viewed in video on the following links : “ strategies for controlling crown gall in nursery stock ” - dr. tom burr, professor of plant pathology, cornell university. presented on june 20, 2006 at the grapevine clean plant workshop hosted by uc davis extension. video link : silverlight is a powerful development tool for creating engaging, interactive user experiences for web and mobile applications. silverlight is a free plug - in, powered by the. net framework and compatible with multiple browsers, devices and operating systems, bringing a new level of interactivity wherever the web works. the speaker and presentation may be viewed in video on the following link : " biology of crown gall disease and its management of grape nurseries and vineyards " - dr. tom burr, professor of plant pathology, cornell university. presented on october 11, 2012 at the 17th congress of the international council for the study of virus and virus - like diseases of the grapevine ( icvg ) hosted by uc davis foundation plant services. bini, f., kuczmog, a., putnoky, p., otten, l., bazzi, c., burr, t. and szegedi


i wanted to describe that 「 えっと 」 was similar to " ummm " in english when someone is trying to think about what they are going to say, but i wasn ' t even sure if that was correct. is that just a generalization? what does 「 えっと 」 actually come from? can it be considered to be a word or phrase? えっと is just a sound. yes, it is like " umm " in english and it is used when you ' re thinking of what to say, hesitating, or otherwise trying to fill the silence with something before you speak. as dono mentioned, you can find えっと ' s general form in the dictionary, so it can be considered a word. there is some discussion of this on the internet here, but this discussion also boils down to it just being a sound. えっと as just a sound is a satisfactory answer to me in terms of etymology. i ' m not sure if the と in it is related at all to the quotation particle と, but i have to wonder if anyone is sure. basically your description of えっと as " umm " is fine, and the dictionaries define it as something that you say to think before saying something else. えっと is related to えないと, which is no longer said. over time, it ' s just become something we say to fill the silence when thinking, like " anno ". in the edo times you would hear people say えないと, which would have sounded like, " yunaito " back then. think of how 行 かないと means " i have to go. "


introduction / history china is a land of great diversity in geography, climate, languages, and ethnic groups. it is home to approximately 180 distinct groups, including the 12, 000 mahei who live in yunnan province of southern china. they are generally included with the hani, one of china ' s 55 national minorities, although some scholars think they may be related to the akha, who live in the same area. their origin is not known, but legends say that their nomadic ancestors gradually migrated south from a far away northern plain. since their language is of the tibeto - burmese group, some believe that they originated in tibet. where are they located? the mahei live near the myanmar border in an area that is characterized by forested mountains, abundant rainfall, and rich soil. their farmers are noted for building tiered terraces along steep mountain slopes. their small farming villages usually consist of 30 to 40 homes. centuries of isolation in the high mountain terrain have left the mahei socially and economically backward. what are their lives like? the family unit is considered to be very important among the mahei. some aspects of family life, however, differ from region to region. for instance, monogamy ( one husband, one wife ) is the rule in some areas, while having multiple spouses is common in others. " family order " is both patriarchal ( male dominated ) and patrilineal, meaning that a male child becomes part of the father ' s lineage, while a female will become part of her husband ' s lineage. male children are given names that are connected with their father ' s name, but females are not. the mahei are well known for their sincere hospitality. when a guest enters a mahei home, he is offered wine and strong tea. if he declines the drinks, the family will be highly offended ; if he drinks them, the host will generously serve him with the finest he has to offer. the mahei celebrate several major festivals each year, the most notable being the new year festival. this seven day event is celebrated at harvest time, during the tenth month. at noon on new year ' s day, an announcer throws three balls of blackened rice behind him to bid farewell to the old year. he then greets the new year by tossing three balls of white rice in front of him. next, he pushes the ropes of a special swing and all of the people, regardless of sex or age, begin swinging. ( they believe that this will ward off disaster and ensure a prosperous year. )


balls of white rice in front of him. next, he pushes the ropes of a special swing and all of the people, regardless of sex or age, begin swinging. ( they believe that this will ward off disaster and ensure a prosperous year. ) that evening, the villagers stand around a bonfire eating, drinking, singing, and dancing. at midnight, the announcer cuts down the frame of the swing to signify the end of the festival and the beginning of a new work year. during times of celebration, the mahei wear attractive tribal costumes of hand - woven cotton dyed blue or black. the men wear distinctive jackets and turbans, while the women wear collarless blouses and special caps. what are their beliefs? traditionally, mahei beliefs were a combination of animism ( belief that non - human objects have spirits ), polytheism ( belief in many gods ), and ancestor worship ( praying to the dead for blessings and guidance ). trees in the " holy hills " were believed to be their guardian spirits. today, most still adhere to similar beliefs, however, approximately 28 % are buddhist. they are very superstitious and view certain events, such as the birth of twins or handicapped children, as unlucky. these children are killed, their parents banished, and their homes and possessions burned. they believe in the existence of many ruling spirits, such as spirits that rule over heaven and earth, spirits that protect their villages, and evil spirits that bring diseases. the mahei have three major religious leaders : the zuima ( a male elder who directs all religious activities ), the beima ( males who perform magic and exorcisms ), and nima ( fortune tellers and medicine men ). what are their needs? since china ' s government strictly forbids christianity, there are currently no missions agencies working among the mahei. the bible has not yet been translated into their language and there are no christian broadcasts in their area. intercession and missions activity are necessary for these people to hear the gospel. prayer points pray that god will reveal himself to the mahei through dreams and visions. pray that god will give the mahei believers boldness to share christ with their own people. ask god to speed the completion of evangelistic materials into the mahei language. pray that the doors of china will soon open to missionaries. ask god to strengthen, encourage, and protect the small number of mahei christians. pray that god will raise up qualified linguists to translate the bible into the mahei language


koreans have a long tradition of drinking teas and tisanes for health, enjoyment and rituals. even today, drinking tea is something many koreans do every day, whether at home or at one of the country ’ s many elegant teahouses. tea was first introduced to the korean peninsula during sixth or seventh centuries, and was probably brought to korea by buddhist monks. written records show that kings and queens during the silla period used tea as part of their religious and ceremonial offerings. by the goryeo dynasty, tea had become very important in korea and was strongly connected with buddhism. monks cultivated tea plants at their temples, and drank tea to help concentrate during their mediations. it was also an important part of many rituals, and even the charyeceremony many koreans perform nowadays on chuseok and seollal was originally an offering of tea instead of food and alcohol. during this period, tea was so important that people wrote poems and books about it, and much of the goryeo period ’ s celebrated pottery was intended as tea vessels. during the joseon period, tea culture began to decline in korea, partially because of the official suppression of buddhism. still, many scholars, like the great dasan ( jeong yak - yeong ), were interested in tea and studied how to make and drink it. the joseon court had its own tea rituals, as well, both for daily tea drinking and special occasions. korean tea culture experienced a revival during the 20th century, and is once again an important part of people ’ s daily lives. there are several active tea plantations around the country, with some of the most famous being in boseong in jeolla province, halla mountain on jeju island, and the areas around jiri mountain. there are also some people who gather wild tea leaves for an exceptionally delicate and delicious tea. in addition to true teas, which come from the leaves of the tea plant, koreans also drink a wide variety of tisanes. these brews are made with other medicinal herbs, roots and berries for delicious and healthy drinks. some of the most popular are made from quince, ginger, green plums, jujubes, citron or ginseng. in addition to tea leaves, other plants also popular for brewing, such as mugwort, lotus, bamboo and persimmon leaves. other popular traditional “ teas ” are complex brews made with different combinations of medicinal herbs for strong and bracing brews with an edge of bitterness, which have an


around the nation wed november 2, 2011 climate change has calif. vintners rethinking grapes prime california wine country areas like the napa valley could soon be facing rising temperatures, according to climate change studies. so some wineries are thinking of switching to grapes that are better suited to a warmer climate. but when vineyards have staked their reputations on certain wines, adapting to climate change is a tough sell. the specific type of grape, or varietal, is how most of us think about wine. at one recent meeting of the san francisco wine lovers group, for instance, members listed pinot noirs, sauvignon blancs or cabernets among their favorite kinds of wine. all are well - known varieties grown in the california region. " that ' s the big problem, " says andy walker, a grape breeder at the university of california, davis. " we ' ve spent the last 100 years emphasizing varieties, and we ' ve really marketed those names very effectively. " the university ' s test vineyard grows hundreds of different wine grapes from around the world. the vast majority are unknown to consumers because most wineries focus on only a handful of french grapes that prefer cool climates. extreme heat can be the enemy of good wine ; it destroys acidity, and changes color and aromatics, walker explains. resistance to grape breeding according to a recent study from stanford university, about 2 degrees of warming could reduce california ' s premium wine - growing land by 30 to 50 percent. that could happen as soon as 2040. water supply is also expected to be an issue. " i think the interesting thing for me as a breeder is to take advantage of this and say, ok, let ' s actually re - adapt varieties to california, " walker says. but walker says grape breeding is frowned upon in the industry. most vines are grown from a branch that ' s taken off an existing plant. " this essentially means that grapes have not really been having sex very much, " says sean myles, a geneticist at the nova scotia agricultural college. myles says breeding is big business for other crops like corn, but wine grapes miss that opportunity to develop adaptability. " that means that we ' re not allowing the genetic material to be shuffled anymore. that genetic material is now standing still in time, " he says. you could cross - breed today ' s varieties to make them more heat tolerant or drought resistant. but walker says there ' s a big problem with that : once you breed your pinot


genetic material is now standing still in time, " he says. you could cross - breed today ' s varieties to make them more heat tolerant or drought resistant. but walker says there ' s a big problem with that : once you breed your pinot noir with something else, you can ' t call it pinot noir anymore. " the last decision is the hardest, " walker says. " can we market this variety? " hurdles on the marketing side walker says there are wine grapes from italy and spain that would do well in a warmer california. " we could produce barbera instead, or negroamaro or nero d ' avola from southern italy, and we ' d be far better ahead, " he says. nick dokoozlian, a vice president at e & j gallo winery, the largest family - owned winery in the u. s., says in most cases the company is responding to a consumer demand for a certain cultivar. the company has been testing new wine varieties and has found some promising grapes, dokoozlian says. but the problem is that they can ' t necessarily sell those varieties. " consumers aren ' t aware of them. really, the hurdles on the marketing side are much, much more significant, " he explains. since vines can produce for up to 30 years, dokoozlian says switching varieties is a major financial gamble. " the wine business is an extremely capital intensive business. the financial risk of planting the wrong variety in the wrong place is pretty significant, " he says. still, given the temperature and water supply changes projected for california, dokoozlian sees the market shifting — eventually. andy walker says it ' s up to the industry to make it happen. " i don ' t think it ' s the consumer that ' s going to make the shift. they have to be directed, " walker says. and that means it could be some time before we see world - class nero d ' avola from california on store shelves.


chapter 5 : " conduct yourselves honorably among the gentiles " ( 1 peter 2 : 12 ), acculturation and assimilation in 1 peter seland read this paper in edinburgh in 1998, and so it is the second essay of the book taken in chronological order. i personally found this chapter the most interesting and helpful of all. in this chapter, torrey addresses the question of the degree to which the author of 1 peter intends for the audience to be assimilated to its non - christian environment. his thesis is three fold ( 148 ). first, he does not believe the terms acculturation and assimilation have been used thus far to great advantage in analyzing the social strategies of 1 peter. secondly, those studies that have used these terms in relation to 1 peter have not tapped into the extensive use of them in the social sciences. finally, he argues that they apply to the christians of 1 peter as " first generation christians... still in a process of being socialized into the christian world view. " torrey suggests they are in somewhat of a " liminal " situation as newly converted christians. as such, he sets out to review key literature on 1 peter in relation to its social situation, to dip into relevant social scientific research on acculturation and assimilation, and then apply these findings to 1 peter. seland ' s review of relevant new testament research leads him to three key players, namely, david balch, john elliott, and john barclay. balch ' s work focused primarily on the household codes of 1 peter, and his basic thesis is that " such codes were used in a apologetic and legitimating way in graeco - roman sources " ( 150 ). balch - - at least in his earlier work - - characterizes such a purpose as assimilation. the audience of 1 peter is being told to integrate themselves into society. elliott disagrees. the fact that the letter calls for christians to separate from the world, as well as its missionary emphases, indicate for him that the petrine house codes are discouraging assimilation for the purpose of avoiding suffering. seland ' s critique of both is that neither use the terms assimilation and accommodation with the precision of the social sciences. barclay, on the other hand, is more precise in his terms, although his well known work, jews in the mediterranean diaspora does not address 1 peter. barclay distinguishes three terms. first, barclay uses the word assimilation in reference to the category of social interaction and the adoption of social practices from one ' s


his terms, although his well known work, jews in the mediterranean diaspora does not address 1 peter. barclay distinguishes three terms. first, barclay uses the word assimilation in reference to the category of social interaction and the adoption of social practices from one ' s environment. acculturation then is used in relation to broader cultural features like the use of the same language. finally, accommodation has to do with the degree to which acculturation takes place, the level of separateness that either is or is not maintained. in the end, seland does not find this typology very helpful. he does not find barclay ' s distinction between assimilation and acculturation very clear. further, barclay ' s nomenclature does not mesh well with the social scientific use of these terms. and so seland embarks next on an exploration of recent research in the social sciences on acculturation and assimilation ( 156 - 66 ). his first stop is b. s. heisler, whose work analyzes the history of research on this topic in three stages. she dubs research up until the late 60 ' s the " classical period. " in this period, the process of assimilation was viewed as a one way process ending in complete assimilation. heisler dubs the second period the " modern " period, beginning in the seventies. in this period research focused more on conflict, particularly long term conflict, and less on equilibrium. the third period is the " post - modern period, " of recent origin ( which given the date of this article would be the 1990 ' s ). here we find the expectation of multicultural societies and ethnic pluralisms ( 158 ). seland mentions several other sources from which one might construct a model of acculturation / assimilation appropriate for 1 peter. these include the fields of social psychology and communication research. finally, he draws definitions of acculturation and assimilation from the international encyclopedia of the social sciences ( 160 ). acculturation : " those changes set in motion by the coming together of societies with different cultural traditions. " seland finds this statement in the article even more helpful : " acculturation comprehends those phenomena which results [ sic ] when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first - hand contact, with subsequent changes in the original cultural patterns of either or both groups. " assimilation : " a process in which persons of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds come to interact, free of these constraints, in the life of the larger society. " after all this background, seland ultimately turns to milton gordon '


or both groups. " assimilation : " a process in which persons of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds come to interact, free of these constraints, in the life of the larger society. " after all this background, seland ultimately turns to milton gordon ' s 1964 model ( from the so called classical period of such research ) with a few caveats. the main caveat is a warning that gordon was wrongly " deterministic " in his sense of inevitability to the process of assimilation. adjustment of two groups to each other is not the only option. gordon ' s model breaks down several different categories of assimilation : 1. cultural or behavioral assimilation ( = acculturation ) - - fitting in with the host culture in a most basic way ( presumably things like learning the language, getting the appropriate documents, etc... ) 2. structural assimilation - - participating in the clubs, institutions, etc. in large numbers. gordon believed that once structural assimilation had taken place, all the forms of assimilation below would inevitably follow. 3. marital assimilation ( intermarriage ) 4. identificational assimilation ( identity by way of host society ) 5. attitude receptional assimilation ( no prejudice toward immigrants ) 6. behavior receptional assimilation ( no discrimination toward immigrants ) 7. civic assimilation ( absence of power conflict ) john berry, in 1980, built on gordon ' s categories by posing two questions : 1 ) does the immigrant group wish to maintain its distinct cultural identity and 2 ) does the immigrant group wish good relationships with the host culture ( 163 - 164 )? the result are four basic relationships to the broader culture : 1. if the immigrant group does not want to maintain a distinct identity and does want good relationships with the host culture, the result is assimilation. 2. if the immigrant group does want to maintain a distinct identity yet also wants good relationships with the host culture, the result is integration. 3. if the immigrant group does want to maintain a distinct identity yet does not want good relationships with the host culture, the result is separation. 4. finally, if the immigrant group does not want to maintain a distinct identity and at the same time does not care about good relationships with the host culture, the result is marginalization. the final part of the chapter then takes all of the preceding processing of social scientific theory and attempts to use it in relation to 1 peter. here we arrive at one of seland ' s contributions to the balch / elliott debate. the question is not really one of assimilation to greco - roman culture, as this


of social scientific theory and attempts to use it in relation to 1 peter. here we arrive at one of seland ' s contributions to the balch / elliott debate. the question is not really one of assimilation to greco - roman culture, as this is the cultural background of the likely gentile audience ( 169 - 170 ). the question is that of the assimilation of the audience " to the ( still developing ) christian system of cult, beliefs, ethos and symbols " ( 168 ). so in relation to the host culture, the question is best put as, " how much did he, by his letter, intend his readers to retain of that culture? " ( 173 ). first, seland argues that they are first generation christians, " still in need of further acculturation / assimilation into the christian system " ( 169 ). he is surely more correct than not in the light of statements such as we find in 1 peter 1 : 14 and 4 : 3. however, we remember how large an area 1 peter addresses and are careful not to presume an audience of any monolithic kind. they are primarily gentile, and it is early enough in the christian movement for the author to presume that the majority converted from paganism. they are in a precarious social location. here torrey mentions briefly what he discusses more thoroughly in chapter 2. john elliott is once again his requisite dialog partner. on the one hand, he agrees with elliott that the phrase " aliens and exiles " in 1 peter 2 : 11 does not refer to exile from heaven, as if the audience is on a heavenly pilgrimage ( 171 ). yet he also finds unconvincing elliott ' s sense that they were strangers to these regions even before they converted. we will discuss this thesis in the next post as we review chapter 2. i am also unconvinced of elliott ' s thesis and remain puzzled that commentators like paul achtemeier and scot mcknight have followed elliott on this issue. at the same time, i ' m still struggling with seland ' s signature idea that this language in 1 peter evokes connotations of proselyte language ( more when we come to chapter 2 ). seland is spot on when it comes to the audience being " proselytes " to christian judaism. but i ' m having trouble seeing that the specific terms " aliens and exiles " carried those overtones. indeed, i don ' t think it is safe at all to assume that the audience, especially


being " proselytes " to christian judaism. but i ' m having trouble seeing that the specific terms " aliens and exiles " carried those overtones. indeed, i don ' t think it is safe at all to assume that the audience, especially in such a vast area, are relatively new converts. * * * coming articles the rest of the section then explores where 1 peter might fit in relation to john berry ' s four categories. seland immediately dismisses out of hand the options of marginalization and separation. the author wishes the audience to maintain good relationships with the host society. to address the question of integration versus assimilation, he switches back to gordon ' s more detailed delineation of the process of assimilation ( 173 - 87 ). the first stage is acculturation or cultural assimilation in matters such as language. they are to live honorably among the gentiles ( 2 : 12 ) while following a " new code of honor and shame " ( 176 ). seland thus considers their level of acculturation to be high with some significant modifications. he does not, however, consider their assimilation to be high in any of gordon ' s other categories. the strong sense of harassment and conflict evoked in 1 peter 2 - 3 do not reflect that of high assimilation between christians and their environment structurally, and certainly not in terms of attitude or behavioral reception, let alone civic assimilation. it is assumed that some women will be married to non - believers, but it is unlikely the author would encourage such if it were possible to avoid. and while the audience is not encouraged to withdraw from its societal relations, it is clear that its self - indentification departs quite dramatically from its host environment. the conclusion, which ironically seland himself never mentions explicitly, is that the audience would best be typified by " integration " in berry ' s typology. more to come...


maybe you ' ve seen them before : blue or purple squiggles on grown - ups ' legs that look like lines on a roadmap. and maybe you thought, " what the heck are those? " well, they ' re veins. but wait a second — why don ' t you have them? and why do they look different from the veins on the inside of your wrist or elbow? that ' s because those grown - up veins are varicose ( say : vair - uh - kose ) veins. blood vessel basics what is a varicose vein, anyway? it ' s a vein that has become stretched and swollen with blood. to understand how that happens, let ' s learn a bit about what veins do. you have veins and arteries running through your whole body. they are tiny tubes that carry blood to and from every part of your body, from your nose down to your toes. the flow of blood starts with the pumping action of your heart. when your heart beats, it pumps your blood and moves it through all those little tubes. the arteries carry the blood from your heart out to your body, and the veins carry the blood from your body back to your heart. the blood going out to your body in the arteries is full of oxygen, which makes the blood bright red. but the blood coming back from your body in the veins is darker because your body parts have used up the oxygen in the blood. that ' s why veins look purple or blue. what causes varicose veins? it ' s a lot of work to move all that blood. to do their job, veins are full of valves that help keep the blood flowing in the right direction. valves are like tiny doors that close after the blood has passed through to keep blood moving along and to make sure it doesn ' t flow backward. as people get older, though, the valves might not work as well. when that happens, some blood can stay in a vein instead of moving forward like it should. this makes the vein swell up, and that swollen vein is a varicose vein. the veins often show up on the legs, ankles, and feet because those body parts are farthest from the heart. gravity pulls blood down into your legs and feet when you ' re standing up or sitting down. so the veins have to work extra hard to get that blood back up to the heart, and some of those veins can wear out over time. varicose veins look twisted and purple or blue, and they ' re raised


up or sitting down. so the veins have to work extra hard to get that blood back up to the heart, and some of those veins can wear out over time. varicose veins look twisted and purple or blue, and they ' re raised, which means they look like they ' re sitting on top of the skin. they can be tender and painful, especially after sitting or standing still for a long time. people who have varicose veins might also have achy legs that feel heavy. varicose veins are more common in women, and people are more likely to get them as they get older. these veins can be genetic ( say : juh - neh - tik ). that means that if your mom or your sister has them, you might get them. things that put pressure on your legs and feet — like being overweight or standing for a long time every day without exercise — can also cause varicose veins. sometimes women who are pregnant get them, too. if someone you know has varicose veins, it ' s really no big deal. they ' re usually pretty harmless. but people who have problems like pain with their varicose veins will sometimes see a doctor to have them removed. to get rid of varicose veins, some of the things doctors can do is zap them with light from a special laser or use something called sclerotherapy ( say : skler - oh - thair - uh - pee ). in sclerotherapy, the doctor injects fluid into the vein that makes it shrivel up. both of these treatments are pretty common. luckily, there are things you can do now so you ' re less likely to have varicose veins when you ' re older. first, get your blood moving with regular exercise. keeping your body fit helps keep your veins fit, too! also, don ' t put a lot of pressure on your legs and feet by standing or sitting for too long without moving around. help keep your blood flowing and your body will love you for it!


constipation is not having a bowel movement as often as you usually do, or having a tough time going because the stool is hard and dry. it ' s a very common problem, and usually happens because a person ' s diet doesn ' t include enough fluids and fiber. constipation usually isn ' t a cause for concern — it ' s preventable and most cases can be resolved with healthy eating and exercise habits. after you chew and swallow food, it heads to your stomach. from there, it ' s on to the small intestine, then the large intestine ( or bowels ), and finally out of the body through the rectum and anus. as food moves through your digestive system, your body soaks up water and nutrients it needs from the food. what ' s left over comes out as stool. normal stool is usually soft and easy to pass, and it generally shouldn ' t be too difficult to have a bowel movement. but sometimes the bowels just don ' t move like they should. a person is considered constipated when he or she has had fewer than three bowel movements in a week ; when the stools are hard, dry, and unusually large ; or when it ' s hard for the person to have a bowel movement. unhealthy diet. most of the time, constipation is due to a diet that doesn ' t include enough water and fiber, both of which help your bowels move properly. people who eat a lot of fast food may find they ' re constipated more often. this is because fast food is full of fats ( burgers, fries, milkshakes ) and processed sugars ( candy, cookies, sugary soft drinks ). a healthier diet that includes high - fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can keep your stool from getting hard and dry. stress. people can get constipated when they ' re anxious about something, like a life change or a problem at home. research has shown that stress can affect how the digestive system functions and can cause constipation, as well as other conditions, like diarrhea. irritable bowel syndrome ( ibs ). some people have a condition called irritable bowel syndrome ( ibs ), which can act through stress or by eating certain " trigger " foods, which usually are fatty or spicy. a person with ibs may have either constipation or


people have a condition called irritable bowel syndrome ( ibs ), which can act through stress or by eating certain " trigger " foods, which usually are fatty or spicy. a person with ibs may have either constipation or diarrhea, as well as stomach pain and gas. ignoring the natural urge. avoiding going to the bathroom, even when you really have the urge to go, can cause constipation. when you ignore the urge to go, it can be harder to go later on. certain medications. sometimes, medications like antidepressants and those used to treat iron deficiencies can lead to constipation. in rare cases, constipation is a sign of other medical illnesses, so keep your doctor informed if you continue to have problems, or if the constipation lasts for 2 to 3 weeks. different people have different bathroom habits, so someone who doesn ' t have a bowel movement every day isn ' t necessarily constipated. one person might go three times a day, while another might go once every 3 days. the real sign of whether you ' re constipated is if you ' re going less than you normally do. a person with constipation might : feel full or bloated feel pain making a bowel movement have to strain to make a bowel movement notice a little blood on the toilet paper dealing with constipation to prevent and treat constipation : drink more fluids. drinking enough water and other liquids helps keep stools soft so they can move more easily through the intestines. when you don ' t drink enough, the stool can get hard and dry, and you might get stopped up. eat more fiber. foods that are high in fiber, like fruits, vegetables, and whole - grain bread, can help prevent constipation. fiber can ' t be digested, so it helps clean out the intestines by moving the bowels along, while a diet full of fatty, sugary, or starchy foods can slow the bowels down. try getting more fiber in your diet by eating apples, oatmeal, oranges, bananas, baked potatoes, and popcorn. make sure you get enough exercise. physical activity helps move food through your digestive system and nudges the bowels into action, so be sure to get plenty of exercise. it can be as simple as playing catch, cycling, or shooting a few hoops. develop a regular meal schedule


" simultaneously mitigating near - term climate change and improving human health and food security. " well, yes. what ' s new for science doesn ' t have to be new for klimazwiebel authors and readers. but finally, good to hear that other people, too, seem to give up their 2 - degree goals and become more pragmatic and realistic! here the abstract : tropospheric ozone and black carbon ( bc ) contribute to both degraded air quality and global warming. we considered ~ 400 emission control measures to reduce these pollutants by using current technology and experience. we identified 14 measures targeting methane and bc emissions that reduce projected global mean warming ~ 0. 5°c by 2050. this strategy avoids 0. 7 to 4. 7 million annual premature deaths from outdoor air pollution and increases annual crop yields by 30 to 135 million metric tons due to ozone reductions in 2030 and beyond. benefits of methane emissions reductions are valued at $ 700 to $ 5000 per metric ton, which is well above typical marginal abatement costs ( less than $ 250 ). the selected controls target different sources and influence climate on shorter time scales than those of carbon dioxide – reduction measures. implementing both substantially reduces the risks of crossing the 2°c threshold.


fri september 7, 2012 the 7 coolest presidents in american history originally published on fri september 7, 2012 2 : 34 pm when former president bill clinton referred to present president barack obama at the democratic national convention as " cool on the outside, " clinton was underscoring the notion that obama is, well, cool. obama was elected, much has been made of his coolitude. he listens to an ipod. he slow jams the news with late - night comic jimmy fallon. he wears shades, drinks beer, taps into social media and sings al green now and then. the new yorker referred to obama as mr. cool. which got us to thinking — and asking historians — who are the seven coolest presidents in american history? 1 ) bill clinton. after all, it takes a cool guy to know a cool guy. " obviously bill clinton, " says julian zelizer, a presidential historian at princeton university. during the 1992 election, clinton explored new ways to reach voters, like appearing on mtv and playing the saxophone on a late night talk show. clinton ' s popularity, zelizer says, " even in the middle of impeachment, demonstrated a kind of admiration many had for his personal style. " 2 ) john f. kennedy. the smoothie from massachusetts " was certainly cool in terms of charisma and demeanor, " zelizer says. the stark contrast between kennedy and richard nixon in the 1960 debates " might have set the standard for what it meant to be cool. " 3 ) theodore roosevelt. though teddy was " not cool by modern standards, " zelizer says, " clearly the curiosity many americans had for him as a person — famously with the teddy bear — signaled that tr was a man of his times. " 4 ) ronald reagan. the actor - turned - politician " attracted scads of young voters in the 1980 and 1984 elections, " says gleaves whitney, director of the hauenstein center for presidential studies at grand valley state university in allendale, mich. reagan " was a rock star when he went to moscow at the end of his presidency. young russians definitely thought him cool. " so did many americans. 5 ) thomas jefferson. the polymath from virginia " was cool in the early days of the new republic, " whitney says. " he broke with the aristocratic formalities of his predecessors, george washington and john adams, and introduced the revolutionary republican greeting from france — the hand shake — to welcome guests to monticello and the white house. quite hip


, " whitney says. " he broke with the aristocratic formalities of his predecessors, george washington and john adams, and introduced the revolutionary republican greeting from france — the hand shake — to welcome guests to monticello and the white house. quite hip in his day, he was a renowned musician and elegant dancer with whom women fell in love. " cool, of course, can have more than one definition, according to julia azari, an assistant political science professor at marquette university. on one hand, presidential cool can refer to a president ' s ability to charm others, defy convention and appear hip — exemplified by clinton ' s saxophone playing and kennedy ' s movie - grade glamour. but it also can refer to a president ' s unflappable and seemingly detached manner. in presidential politics, azari says, the two definitions are often at odds. the first definition " sets the president up as a celebrity, but also speaks to the intimacy of his connection with not only the people but also popular, ' low ' culture. " the second definition, she says, " positions the president as above the fray, impervious to petty political criticism. this is a key quality to cultivate during times when presidents have to make difficult political decisions. " 6 ) franklin d. roosevelt. using the second definition, azari says, " i would add fdr to the list. he told critics he ' welcomed their hatred. ' " he was " unflappable and in control, calm in a crisis. " 7 ) george w. bush. using the first definition, " i ' d add george w. bush, " azari says. " everyone wanted to have a beer with him. too bad he doesn ' t drink. " that likability quality seemed to serve bush well politically, she adds, " at least in the short term. " on a closing note, azari says, " i think a few presidents have suffered from a seeming lack of cool — in the sense of both hipness and unflappability : herbert hoover, richard nixon and jimmy carter. "


this is the first of several talks st. francis has with philothea about humility. in this first conversation, he tries to move her away from aspiring to superficial ( worldly ) virtues. philothea : st. francis. i just don ’ t understand humility. what does that mean? does it mean to hate myself? to be a doormat? does it mean to … to what? st. francis : “ borrow … empty vessels not a few, ” said eliseus to the poor widow, “ and pour oil into them ” ( 4 kings 4 ), and before we can receive the grace of god into our hearts they must be thoroughly empty of all self - glory [ vainglory ]. st. francis : the kestrel has a peculiar property of frightening away birds of prey with its looks and cries, for which reason the dove seeks it beyond all other birds, and lives fearlessly in its neighborhood ; and so humility repulses satan and preserves in us the gifts and graces of the holy spirit. for this reason all the saints, and especially the king of saints and his mother, ever honored and cherished this virtue above all others. philothea : i don ’ t get it. what does vainglory mean? how is it different from humility? st. francis : we call vainglory that which we seek for ourselves, either for that which is not in us, or being in us, is not our own, or being in us and our own, is not worthy to be glorified in. philothea : let me think a minute about what you just said … so that would be things such as … st. francis : noble birth, the favor bestowed by great men, [ and ] popular esteem are not in ourselves ; they either come from our forefathers or from the opinion of others. philothea : so our name or because an opinion from another makes us sound good to others, that does not mean much, or something like that??? st. francis : some are proud and conceited because they have a fine horse, a plume in their hat, or are magnificently attired, but who cannot perceive the absurdity of this, since if anyone has reason to be proud it is surely the horse, the ostrich, or the tailor! and how very contemptible it is to rest our hope of esteem in a horse, a feather, or a garment! philothea : true. it ’ s the same


it is surely the horse, the ostrich, or the tailor! and how very contemptible it is to rest our hope of esteem in a horse, a feather, or a garment! philothea : true. it ’ s the same as having a car, a hairstyle, or name - brand clothes. surely, it was not me who made any of those, or, even if i did, i cannot make those things be accepted as “ cool. ” things should not define me. mmmmm … st. francis : another thinks of his well - trimmed beard and mustache, or his well - curled hair, his delicate hands, or of his accomplishments in dancing, music, and so on, but is it not very contemptible to try to enhance his worth or his reputation through such frivolous and foolish things? philothea : i get it. i know the type of people you are talking about. they used to be called fops or dandies, but they are called something else today. st. francis : others who have acquired a little science demand the respect and honor of the world on that account, as if all must needs come to learn of them and bow before them. such men we call pendants [ those who present their knowledge in an ostentatious, dogmatic, or dull manner, often placing excessive emphasis on trivial details and formal rules ]. philothea : they tell others that all people need only learn from their studies and ask them to bow before them as if they knew everything? oh, my gosh. i never thought of people making science into its own dogmatic formulation of rules with its own high priests, but i guess it can happen to people in any discipline, and you know what? that actually makes a lot of sense! everybody only has a piece of knowledge, so if a person of science, literature, politics, prayer, psychology, religion, art, or anything claims they know everything, then persuades others to follow them with certain exacting behaviors, bowing to worldly mannerisms … anyone who is this extreme is a pendant! it doesn ’ t matter if they believe in god or not. if they claim to know more than every other person in the world with their one piece of knowledge, if they claim that they own all the rights to human progress because they think their one piece of a whole will lead the way, then they have succumbed to pedantry. sadly, i think anybody who falls into this pedantry works to persuade themselves and


claim that they own all the rights to human progress because they think their one piece of a whole will lead the way, then they have succumbed to pedantry. sadly, i think anybody who falls into this pedantry works to persuade themselves and others to give up on god by calling all believers ignorant fools and hypocrites. or if they are believers themselves, they believe they are better than all others who call themselves religious. they are creating their own dogma based on one piece of knowledge. is it because they are really worried about the honors part, or the opinion of others? are they going with the fads of the day? are they so worried about being accepted that they have to say they don ’ t believe or twist what they do believe because they want to be considered intelligent? are they so worried about fitting in that they make up a new way to pray, to learn, to teach, to be in order to be accepted by those who really don ’ t believe? are they compromising their integrity just to fit in? it is really silly if you think about it because all of the knowledge that they claim to have ( and they might or might not have a piece ) they make that one small piece become the entire scheme of all things, the key to everything, a mountain out of a molehill, a piece as the whole instead of a part of a whole. besides that, all these pieces were not discovered without the knowledge and work of others, many of those others were and are believers. how sad! to think that only one discipline has all the answers to all our human questions! there has to be at least as many questions as there are people on the earth, but i am sure each person has more than one question. how can one discipline possibly answer all these questions? but one discipline, one area of study, is making that claim – that they can answer that question – that they have all the answers to every human need. talk about dogmatic! sheesh … apparently these extremes can happen to anybody, even in the area of science, art, or whatever. any discipline, any piece of knowledge can become pedantry if we are not careful. sorry, st. francis. that was just a really thought - provoking piece of information. it really just got me thinking. usually, people accuse religious folk of being this way, but it can happen to even those who claim no religion. i can see why people could lose their way with this. they see a piece and run with