The Holy Prophet (saws) said, only the Munafiq can be inimical to Hazrat Ali (r.a.). On the day of Mubahala with the Christians, the Holy Prophet (saws) took with him only Hazrat Fatema (r.a.), Hazrat Ali (r.a.), Hazrat Hasan (r.a.) & Hazrat Hussein (r.a.), and wrapped those 4 with himself and said "this is my family". The Holy Prophet (saws) did not include any of his wives in his family. So obviously the position of these four is higher than any of the followers of the Holy Prophet (saws). Therefore the incident of the Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein (r.a.) and his family members and partisans at Kerbala during Muharram is a milestone in the process of the purification of the Muslims and the promotion of the Divine Religion of Islam which is the only religion acceptable to Allah since the time of Hazrat Adam (a.s.) to the End Time. We humbly disagree with any effort to belittle the Martyrdom of Imam Hussein (r.a.) on the Ashura of Muharram. One may disagree with the excesses of the Shi’ites. May be Allah has kept the Shi’ites to keep the memory of the Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein (r.a.) alive to keep a process of purifying the followers of the Holy Prophet (saws). There was an octogenarian Sunni saint in Bangladesh who during Muharram for the love of the family of Holy Prophet (saws) decreased his use of water as much as he could. This is Islam and surrendering to the Will of Allah.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Abrahamic Religions versus Adultery
"The Bible prescribes the death penalty for a large number of offences including religious offences such as idol worship and the profaning of the Sabbath. .. According to the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 1:4) the death penalty could only be inflicted, after trial, by a Sanhedrin composed of twenty-three judges and there were four types of death penalty (Sanhedrin 7:1): stoning, burning, slaying (by the sword), and strangling." -By Rabbi Louis Jacobs
EXCERPTS From Wikipedia
...The Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh or Old Testament) prohibits adultery in the seventh of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14). ..
..Adultery is considered by many Christians to be immoral and a sin, based primarily on passages like 1 Corinthians 6:9–10...
Rabbinic Judaism
Adultery in traditional Judaism applies equally to both parties, but depends on the marital status of the woman (Lev. 20:10). Though the Torah prescribes the death penalty for adultery, the legal procedural requirements were very exacting and required the testimony of two witnesses of good character for conviction. The defendant also must have been warned immediately before performing the act.......
According to Judaism, the Seven laws of Noah apply to all of humankind; these laws prohibit adultery with another man's wife.
Seven Laws of Noah
- Prohibition of Idolatry: You shall not have any idols before God.
- Prohibition of Murder: You shall not murder. (Genesis 9:6)
- Prohibition of Theft: You shall not steal.
- Prohibition of Sexual immorality: You shall not commit any of a series of sexual prohibitions, namely adultery, certain types of incest, anal sex between men and bestiality.
- Prohibition of Blasphemy: You shall not blaspheme God's name.
- Dietary Law: Do not eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. (Genesis 9:4, as interpreted in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 59a)
- Requirement to have just Laws: Do not punish by these lessons
Ten Commandments
1. I am the Lord your God2a. You shall have no other gods before me
2b. You shall not make for yourself an idol
3. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
5. Honor your father and mother
6. You shall not kill/murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
10a. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
10b. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor
Exodus 20:2–17
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
Do not have any other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
For six days you shall labour and do all your work.
But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not kill/murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Deuteronomy 5:6–21
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
you shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me,
but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.
For six days you shall labour and do all your work.
But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you.
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not kill/murder.
Neither shall you commit adultery.
Neither shall you steal.
Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.
Neither shall you covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
---
Although the Hebrew term "Torah" is often translated as "Law", its actual meaning is "Instruction" or "Teaching". Rabbinic Judaism holds that the books of the Tanakh were transmitted in parallel with an oral tradition, as relayed by the scholarly and other religious leaders of each generation. Thus, in Judaism, the "Written Instruction" (Torah she-bi-khtav תורה שבכתב) comprises the Torah and the rest of the Tanakh; the "Oral Instruction" (Torah she-be'al peh תורה שבעל פה) was ultimately recorded in the Talmud (lit. "Learning") and Midrashim (lit. "Interpretations"). The interpretation of the Oral Torah is thus considered as the authoritative reading of the Written Torah. Further, Halakha (lit. "The Path", frequently translated as "Jewish Law") is based on a "Written Instruction" together with an "Oral Instruction". Jewish law and tradition is thus not based on a literal reading of the Tanakh, but on the combined oral and written tradition.
---------
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/About_Death_and_Mourning/Death_Penalty.shtml
The Death Penalty in Jewish Tradition
Though the Torah prescribed capital punishment for certain crimes, the rabbis moderated its use.
By Rabbi Louis Jacobs
Reprinted with permission from The Jewish Religion: A Companion, published by Oxford University Press.The Bible prescribes the death penalty for a large number of offences including religious offences such as idol worship and the profaning of the Sabbath.....
Talmudic Restrictions
According to the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 1:4) the death penalty could only be inflicted, after trial, by a Sanhedrin composed of twenty-three judges and there were four types of death penalty (Sanhedrin 7:1): stoning, burning, slaying (by the sword), and strangling. .......it is ruled that two witnesses are required to testify not only that they witnessed the act for which the criminal has been charged but that they had warned him beforehand that if he carried out the act he would be executed, and he had to accept the warning, stating his willingness to commit the act despite his awareness of its consequences. The criminal's own confession is not accepted as evidence. Moreover, circumstantial evidence is not admitted. ...
------------
Islam
Main article: Zina (Arabic)
Zina (زنا) is an Arabic term for extramarital or premarital sex. Strict Islamic law prescribes severe punishments for men and women for the act of Zina. Premarital sex may be punished by up to 100 lashes, while adultery is punished by Rajm (stoning), according to some interpretations of the Islamic law. Punishing by stoning is not mentioned in the Qur'an, and is based solely upon hadith.Under Muslim law, adultery and extramarital sex in general is sexual intercourse by a person (whether man or woman) with someone to whom they are not married. Adultery is a violation of the marital contract and one of the major sins condemned by God in the Qur'an:
Qur'anic verses prohibiting adultery include:
- "Do not go near to adultery. Surely it is a shameful deed and evil, opening roads (to other evils)."[Qur'an 17:32]
- "Say, 'Verily, my Lord has prohibited the shameful deeds, be it open or secret, sins and trespasses against the truth and reason."'[Qur'an 7:33]
- "Women impure are for men impure, and men impure are for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity."[Qur'an 24:26]
Monday, November 22, 2010
Judaism versus Idolatry
EXCERPTS from Wikipedia
Judaism strongly prohibits any form of idolatry. Judaism holds that idolatry is not limited to the worship of an idol itself, but also worship involving any artistic representations of God. In addition it is forbidden to derive benefit (hana'ah) from anything dedicated to idolatry. ..
...
The Ten Commandments prohibit belief in, or worship of, any deities, gods, or spirits, other than the God of the Bible, the God of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob).
----
When Jewish monotheism was threatened by conquering Syrians and Romans, the Jews revolted, refusing to permit Roman troops to enter their territory with flags. Jews even considered the portraits of the Caesars stamped on coins to be banned graven images the Romans worshipped their emperors as divine. To further reduce the risk of idolatry intimate association with non-Jews mas made very difficult.
......
Although Jews were forbidden to mock anything deemed holy by Judaism, it was a merit to deride idols (Talmud Meg. 25b). It was forbidden to look upon images (Tosefta to Talmud Shabbat (Talmud) 17.1), and even thinking of idolatrous worship was prohibited (Talmud Berakhot 12b); if one saw a place where an idol had once stood, he was commanded to utter a special prayer (Talmud Ber. 61a). Sacrifice to an idol or anything which in any way might be associated with idolatry was forbidden. It was even insufficient to reduce an idol to powder and scatter it to the winds, since it would fall to earth and become a fertilizer; but the image must be sunk in the Dead Sea, whence it could never emerge (Talmud Avodah Zarah 3.3); nor might the wood of the "asherah" be used for purposes of healing (Talmud Pesachim 25a). Among the three cardinal sins for which the penalty was death, idolatry stood first (Talmud Pes. 25a and parallels).
According to the Midrash, a few people made themselves deities: Pharaoh King of Egypt (see Ezekiel 29:3: "The Nile is mine and I have made myself", understood by the Midrash as a claim that he created himself); Hiram King of Tyre (see Ezekiel 28:2); Haman the Aggagite (see Esther 3:2).
Maimonides, however, goes further in defining idolatry than other Jewish thinkers before or since; he states that it is idolatry to hold that God is subject to any affections at all. Not only believing that God has a body, but merely believing "that one of the states of the body belong to Him, you provoke His jealousy and anger, kindle the fire of his wrath, and are a hater, an enemy and an adversary of God, much more so than an idolator."
Maimonides spends the first one-third of the Guide attempting to show that a literalist understanding of the metaphores, idoms, and homonyms in the Hebrew Bible are idolatrous in this regard. For Maimonides, and other philosophers in the neo-Aristotelian mold, it is idolatry to believe that God has positive attributes. Maimonides' negation of positive attributes to God reaches its epitomes in the Guide I:56, where he states that "the relation between us and God, may He be exalted, is considered as non-existent."
==0==
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3201/jewish/Whats-So-Terrible-About-Idolatry.htm
Judaism strongly prohibits any form of idolatry. Judaism holds that idolatry is not limited to the worship of an idol itself, but also worship involving any artistic representations of God. In addition it is forbidden to derive benefit (hana'ah) from anything dedicated to idolatry. ..
...
The Ten Commandments prohibit belief in, or worship of, any deities, gods, or spirits, other than the God of the Bible, the God of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob).
----
When Jewish monotheism was threatened by conquering Syrians and Romans, the Jews revolted, refusing to permit Roman troops to enter their territory with flags. Jews even considered the portraits of the Caesars stamped on coins to be banned graven images the Romans worshipped their emperors as divine. To further reduce the risk of idolatry intimate association with non-Jews mas made very difficult.
......
Although Jews were forbidden to mock anything deemed holy by Judaism, it was a merit to deride idols (Talmud Meg. 25b). It was forbidden to look upon images (Tosefta to Talmud Shabbat (Talmud) 17.1), and even thinking of idolatrous worship was prohibited (Talmud Berakhot 12b); if one saw a place where an idol had once stood, he was commanded to utter a special prayer (Talmud Ber. 61a). Sacrifice to an idol or anything which in any way might be associated with idolatry was forbidden. It was even insufficient to reduce an idol to powder and scatter it to the winds, since it would fall to earth and become a fertilizer; but the image must be sunk in the Dead Sea, whence it could never emerge (Talmud Avodah Zarah 3.3); nor might the wood of the "asherah" be used for purposes of healing (Talmud Pesachim 25a). Among the three cardinal sins for which the penalty was death, idolatry stood first (Talmud Pes. 25a and parallels).
Worship of humans
Worship of humans is considered idolatry in Judaism. See Sanhedrin 93a: "Daniel said: Let me go away from here, so that he shall not perform on me [the ruling] 'You shall burn in fire the images of their idols' (Deuteronomy 7:25)". Rashi explains that Nebuchadnezzar worshiped Daniel, as in Daniel 2:46.According to the Midrash, a few people made themselves deities: Pharaoh King of Egypt (see Ezekiel 29:3: "The Nile is mine and I have made myself", understood by the Midrash as a claim that he created himself); Hiram King of Tyre (see Ezekiel 28:2); Haman the Aggagite (see Esther 3:2).
Maimonides's view of idolatry
In his The Guide to the Perplexed, I:36, Maimonides holds that in the original form of idolatry, no one actually believed that their idols were gods; he states that idol-worshippers understood that their idols were only representations of a god, or God. Idols are "worshipped in respect of its being an image of a thing that is an intermediary between ourselves and God."Maimonides, however, goes further in defining idolatry than other Jewish thinkers before or since; he states that it is idolatry to hold that God is subject to any affections at all. Not only believing that God has a body, but merely believing "that one of the states of the body belong to Him, you provoke His jealousy and anger, kindle the fire of his wrath, and are a hater, an enemy and an adversary of God, much more so than an idolator."
Maimonides spends the first one-third of the Guide attempting to show that a literalist understanding of the metaphores, idoms, and homonyms in the Hebrew Bible are idolatrous in this regard. For Maimonides, and other philosophers in the neo-Aristotelian mold, it is idolatry to believe that God has positive attributes. Maimonides' negation of positive attributes to God reaches its epitomes in the Guide I:56, where he states that "the relation between us and God, may He be exalted, is considered as non-existent."
- "Know that likeness is a certain relation between two things and that in cases where no relation can be supposed to exist between two things, no likeness between them can be represented to oneself. Similarly in all cases in which there is no likeness between two things, there is no relation between them. An example of this is that one does not say that this heat is like color, or that this voice is like this sweetness. This is a matter that is clear in itself. Accordingly, in view of the fact that the relation between us and Him, may He be exalted, is considered as non-existent - I mean the relation between Him and that which is other than He - it follows necessarily that likeness between Him and us should also be considered nonexistent." (Translation by Shlomo Pines)
==0==
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3201/jewish/Whats-So-Terrible-About-Idolatry.htm
What's So Terrible About Idolatry?
Question:
Why is Judaism so intolerant of idolatry? I don't mean massive temples with human sacrifices. What about a civilized idolater, in the privacy of his own home. With a job, a family, a mortgage, donates to the World Hunger Fund and Greenpeace -- and instead of one G-d, he just happens to have two or three or even several dozen, all lined up on the dashboard of his car. Why does Judaism make a cardinal sin of it, demanding total eradication of idolatry in every corner the world? As long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, what's so terrible?
Answer:
There are many ways to answer this, but let's take a historical perspective. Historians agree that our current standard of ethics stems from the Jewish ethic. Yes, the Greeks gave us the natural sciences, philosophy and art; the Romans gave us governmental structure and engineering; from the Persians we have poetry and astronomy; from the Chinese, paper, printing, gunpowder, acupuncture and more philosophy, and so on. But the historical fact is that all those cultures (and all the other unmentioned cultures) sustained and even glorified attitudes and behaviors that today we universally find abhorrent. Today, if you dispose of your unwanted infants, practice pederasty, set humans to kill each other for sport, ignore the rights of those lower than you on the social ladder and refuse to acknowledge any social responsibility to the poor and the unhealthy, and can't wait to run to war against the nation next door, you are a barbarian. You may have made a wonderful citizen of Athens or Rome, but today, no club will take you.
Where did those values come from? There's only one source historians can point to: Torah. And the same for universal education and the ideal of world peace.
Now, this gives any scholar a meaty problem to solve. History is generally seen as something of a wild and diverse forest, where one thing grows from another. Seeds fall and sprout. Trees branch out and flourish, then fall and nurture mushrooms off their rotting wood. All the vegetation and creatures of the forest share the same air, water and soil and no creature exists alone. So, too, one civilization arises out of the mud, branches out, and falls to become the breeding ground of the next. Ideas move about, in perpetual metamorphosis as they pass through the filters of variant cultures. Whatever is, was -- and will eventually pass.
All except for the Jews. Entirely out of context, with an ethic that had every nation calling them crazy and absurd, ever-radical, always out of step. Definitely not part of this forest. And in the end, their ethic wins.
There's got to be some explanation. First of all, where did they get these weird ideas? And telling me that the Almighty G-d snatched them out of slavery and dictated it all to them doesn't work. It's true, but it's not enough. Because human beings can only hear that which they know already. There had to be something there from before.
The classic answer is that once there was a man named Abraham, from Ur of the Chaldees -- the original seat of civilization. He came up with this standard through his own maverick genius. Of course, being ingenious, brave and dissident wasn't enough. His task also demanded the tenacity and conviction to raise up a generation that would carry on this idea, swimming upstream against all odds of the dominant society. And then, over many ages, this ethic proved itself as the most effective backbone of a sustainable society.
Now, tell me, does any rational scholar really believe such a scenario?
In fact, the version supported by the Talmud and described in detail by the Rambam (Maimonides) is far more believable:
The ethic that Abraham presented to the world had been there from the beginning. Humankind had originally known that each person bore the Divine image. That life was with purpose. That the world was the work of a supernal entity that desired we take care of it and judged us accordingly. Even in Abraham's time, there endured lone individuals who preached this to their disciples, as a tradition from Adam, through Methuselah and Noah.
But we're talking about human beings. Precisely due to that Divine spark within, the human is also the wild and crazy creature that seeks out the most bizarre approach to life, ready and capable to do anything. So, human society in general abandoned the original standard of Adam for "that which feels good." Law became no more than a way for a king to govern his people. Ethics became no more than the custom that felt most comfortable to the most people. The only measure of the value of a human life was the degree of power a human held. And the natural world was understood as a worthless place, not worth any investment beyond that which produced food and power over others.
Abraham didn't have to begin from scratch with humanity. He only had to rescue that original ethic. But he also re-discovered -- and this he did do on his own -- the base that made that ethic sustainable: Monotheism. More specifically: monotheistic providence. Simply put: Every adult and child must know there is a single Creator of all things, who cares about what you are doing with His world.
Why are monotheism and providence so essential? Again, back to history, according to the traditional Jewish sources:
Abraham's predecessors had also known of the one G-d, creator of heaven and earth. But they understood G-d as far too sublime and transcendent to be occupied with this mundane world and its creatures. They began to chip away at His providence, asserting that lesser powers, of His appointment, had been granted a share of dominion. They went so far as to build temples where they focused their minds upon the dynamics of these forces, attaining spiritual heights and mystic power. Eventually, wisdom gave way to charlatanism, as priests told the masses that a certain star or god or goddess had spoken to them, commanding them to serve him or her in a certain fashion. Rulers found that a good mix of secret knowledge and convenient mythology could be an instrument of power over the populace; that by controlling the flow of knowledge they were able to hold the people in awe and obedience.
This is where Abraham dissented. He saw through the established order with its hierarchy of knowledge and power, and reasoned it to be the source of all evil. And he saw to the root of it: As long as G-d was "up there" and everything else was seen as lying on a descending plane further and further removed from His domain, this evil would continue.
Within such a paradigm, human life loses its essential value. You as an individual no longer count. All that matters is how high you are up on the scale. Not only human rights, but also the advance of technology is hindered -- by the need of the ruling class to keep the masses working. All progress is to further empower the powerful. Public health, welfare and education are absurdities. So Abraham challenged that hierarchy. He taught each person to call upon the name of the One G-d of the heavens and the earth, who judges the deeds of all men equally, from the highest king to the most lowly serf. By putting the original G-d back into the world, Abraham recreated the "person" -- a human who is of value just by being there.
Within the old paradigm, ethics have no base to stand on. If you don't like what one god demands of you, you go find another god more to your taste. Or you work around these gods, tricking or bribing them, as they themselves are wont to do with one another. After all, none of them is supreme, none is all-powerful. Therefore, anything could be justified. So Abraham smashed the idols. Once there is only one G-d, who supervises all things, morality is no longer relative. All ethics are determined not by the flux of social convenience, but by His intransient standard.
Without Abraham's base to ethics, society has no stability. Any institution could be shaken to the ground by changing circumstance and the whims of human desire. In Ancient Greece, the institution of marriage bordered on collapse due to their gender-preference, while in Rome, the family unit was gradually dismantled by promiscuity. The institutions that should have nurtured human spirituality in many societies became corrupted into bloody orgies and worship of the senses. In many instances, such as in the Far East, poverty was allowed to grow to unmanageable proportions while a select few amassed an immense concentration of power—all due to the void of a sense of social responsibility. In our day and age, with the origin of species attributed to the mystical gods of chance and natural law, the most horrid crimes against humanity were committed and the very biosphere is now threatened. Only once the building blocks of society stand upon the solid ground of the One Who Created Everything in the First Place, can a sustainable society develop.
Truth be told, Abraham's message also began to perish with time. It wasn't until monotheistic providence transcended the realm of ideas and became the real-life experience of a people that it was truly able to stick. And that is just what happened at Mount Sinai, when Abraham's descendants came face-to-face with marching orders directly from Above. The concept of a "mitzvah" entered the world -- something you do because G-d wants it done. And that basis has proven eternally resilient.
As for the rest of the nations, as the Rambam writes, they were also commanded at Mount Sinai -- to keep the seven mitzvahs of Adam and Noah, which include the prohibition against polytheism.
Today, we are witnessing the most dramatic results of Abraham's strategy in action: Our progress in the last 500 years, to the point of the current empowerment of the consumer with technology and information, only became possible through the rise of this ethic. In a polytheistic world, this could never have occurred. It was only once the people of Europe began actually reading the Bible and discussing what it had to say to them, that the concepts of human rights, social responsibility, the value of life, and eventually the ideal of world peace took a front seat in civilization's progress. And it is only such a world that could have developed public education and health care, old age pension, telephones, fax machines, personal computers, the Internet, environmental design and nuclear disarmament.
We are too much a part of the flow to recognize this; the blanket of darkness that endures, fighting to its last breath, preoccupies our minds. But if we could travel back in time and describe to the Jew of past ages the world we have today -- a world that values life, world peace, individual rights, freedom of expression, literacy, knowledge and compassion for those who have less -- that Jew would undoubtedly respond, wide-eyed, "You mean, it is the days of Moshiach?"
-- A time that began when a young boy in Sumeria took a hammer and smashed the idols in his father's house.1
Why is Judaism so intolerant of idolatry? I don't mean massive temples with human sacrifices. What about a civilized idolater, in the privacy of his own home. With a job, a family, a mortgage, donates to the World Hunger Fund and Greenpeace -- and instead of one G-d, he just happens to have two or three or even several dozen, all lined up on the dashboard of his car. Why does Judaism make a cardinal sin of it, demanding total eradication of idolatry in every corner the world? As long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, what's so terrible?
Answer:
There are many ways to answer this, but let's take a historical perspective. Historians agree that our current standard of ethics stems from the Jewish ethic. Yes, the Greeks gave us the natural sciences, philosophy and art; the Romans gave us governmental structure and engineering; from the Persians we have poetry and astronomy; from the Chinese, paper, printing, gunpowder, acupuncture and more philosophy, and so on. But the historical fact is that all those cultures (and all the other unmentioned cultures) sustained and even glorified attitudes and behaviors that today we universally find abhorrent. Today, if you dispose of your unwanted infants, practice pederasty, set humans to kill each other for sport, ignore the rights of those lower than you on the social ladder and refuse to acknowledge any social responsibility to the poor and the unhealthy, and can't wait to run to war against the nation next door, you are a barbarian. You may have made a wonderful citizen of Athens or Rome, but today, no club will take you.
Where did those values come from? There's only one source historians can point to: Torah. And the same for universal education and the ideal of world peace.
Now, this gives any scholar a meaty problem to solve. History is generally seen as something of a wild and diverse forest, where one thing grows from another. Seeds fall and sprout. Trees branch out and flourish, then fall and nurture mushrooms off their rotting wood. All the vegetation and creatures of the forest share the same air, water and soil and no creature exists alone. So, too, one civilization arises out of the mud, branches out, and falls to become the breeding ground of the next. Ideas move about, in perpetual metamorphosis as they pass through the filters of variant cultures. Whatever is, was -- and will eventually pass.
All except for the Jews. Entirely out of context, with an ethic that had every nation calling them crazy and absurd, ever-radical, always out of step. Definitely not part of this forest. And in the end, their ethic wins.
There's got to be some explanation. First of all, where did they get these weird ideas? And telling me that the Almighty G-d snatched them out of slavery and dictated it all to them doesn't work. It's true, but it's not enough. Because human beings can only hear that which they know already. There had to be something there from before.
The classic answer is that once there was a man named Abraham, from Ur of the Chaldees -- the original seat of civilization. He came up with this standard through his own maverick genius. Of course, being ingenious, brave and dissident wasn't enough. His task also demanded the tenacity and conviction to raise up a generation that would carry on this idea, swimming upstream against all odds of the dominant society. And then, over many ages, this ethic proved itself as the most effective backbone of a sustainable society.
Now, tell me, does any rational scholar really believe such a scenario?
In fact, the version supported by the Talmud and described in detail by the Rambam (Maimonides) is far more believable:
The ethic that Abraham presented to the world had been there from the beginning. Humankind had originally known that each person bore the Divine image. That life was with purpose. That the world was the work of a supernal entity that desired we take care of it and judged us accordingly. Even in Abraham's time, there endured lone individuals who preached this to their disciples, as a tradition from Adam, through Methuselah and Noah.
But we're talking about human beings. Precisely due to that Divine spark within, the human is also the wild and crazy creature that seeks out the most bizarre approach to life, ready and capable to do anything. So, human society in general abandoned the original standard of Adam for "that which feels good." Law became no more than a way for a king to govern his people. Ethics became no more than the custom that felt most comfortable to the most people. The only measure of the value of a human life was the degree of power a human held. And the natural world was understood as a worthless place, not worth any investment beyond that which produced food and power over others.
Abraham didn't have to begin from scratch with humanity. He only had to rescue that original ethic. But he also re-discovered -- and this he did do on his own -- the base that made that ethic sustainable: Monotheism. More specifically: monotheistic providence. Simply put: Every adult and child must know there is a single Creator of all things, who cares about what you are doing with His world.
Why are monotheism and providence so essential? Again, back to history, according to the traditional Jewish sources:
Abraham's predecessors had also known of the one G-d, creator of heaven and earth. But they understood G-d as far too sublime and transcendent to be occupied with this mundane world and its creatures. They began to chip away at His providence, asserting that lesser powers, of His appointment, had been granted a share of dominion. They went so far as to build temples where they focused their minds upon the dynamics of these forces, attaining spiritual heights and mystic power. Eventually, wisdom gave way to charlatanism, as priests told the masses that a certain star or god or goddess had spoken to them, commanding them to serve him or her in a certain fashion. Rulers found that a good mix of secret knowledge and convenient mythology could be an instrument of power over the populace; that by controlling the flow of knowledge they were able to hold the people in awe and obedience.
This is where Abraham dissented. He saw through the established order with its hierarchy of knowledge and power, and reasoned it to be the source of all evil. And he saw to the root of it: As long as G-d was "up there" and everything else was seen as lying on a descending plane further and further removed from His domain, this evil would continue.
Within such a paradigm, human life loses its essential value. You as an individual no longer count. All that matters is how high you are up on the scale. Not only human rights, but also the advance of technology is hindered -- by the need of the ruling class to keep the masses working. All progress is to further empower the powerful. Public health, welfare and education are absurdities. So Abraham challenged that hierarchy. He taught each person to call upon the name of the One G-d of the heavens and the earth, who judges the deeds of all men equally, from the highest king to the most lowly serf. By putting the original G-d back into the world, Abraham recreated the "person" -- a human who is of value just by being there.
Within the old paradigm, ethics have no base to stand on. If you don't like what one god demands of you, you go find another god more to your taste. Or you work around these gods, tricking or bribing them, as they themselves are wont to do with one another. After all, none of them is supreme, none is all-powerful. Therefore, anything could be justified. So Abraham smashed the idols. Once there is only one G-d, who supervises all things, morality is no longer relative. All ethics are determined not by the flux of social convenience, but by His intransient standard.
Without Abraham's base to ethics, society has no stability. Any institution could be shaken to the ground by changing circumstance and the whims of human desire. In Ancient Greece, the institution of marriage bordered on collapse due to their gender-preference, while in Rome, the family unit was gradually dismantled by promiscuity. The institutions that should have nurtured human spirituality in many societies became corrupted into bloody orgies and worship of the senses. In many instances, such as in the Far East, poverty was allowed to grow to unmanageable proportions while a select few amassed an immense concentration of power—all due to the void of a sense of social responsibility. In our day and age, with the origin of species attributed to the mystical gods of chance and natural law, the most horrid crimes against humanity were committed and the very biosphere is now threatened. Only once the building blocks of society stand upon the solid ground of the One Who Created Everything in the First Place, can a sustainable society develop.
Truth be told, Abraham's message also began to perish with time. It wasn't until monotheistic providence transcended the realm of ideas and became the real-life experience of a people that it was truly able to stick. And that is just what happened at Mount Sinai, when Abraham's descendants came face-to-face with marching orders directly from Above. The concept of a "mitzvah" entered the world -- something you do because G-d wants it done. And that basis has proven eternally resilient.
As for the rest of the nations, as the Rambam writes, they were also commanded at Mount Sinai -- to keep the seven mitzvahs of Adam and Noah, which include the prohibition against polytheism.
Today, we are witnessing the most dramatic results of Abraham's strategy in action: Our progress in the last 500 years, to the point of the current empowerment of the consumer with technology and information, only became possible through the rise of this ethic. In a polytheistic world, this could never have occurred. It was only once the people of Europe began actually reading the Bible and discussing what it had to say to them, that the concepts of human rights, social responsibility, the value of life, and eventually the ideal of world peace took a front seat in civilization's progress. And it is only such a world that could have developed public education and health care, old age pension, telephones, fax machines, personal computers, the Internet, environmental design and nuclear disarmament.
We are too much a part of the flow to recognize this; the blanket of darkness that endures, fighting to its last breath, preoccupies our minds. But if we could travel back in time and describe to the Jew of past ages the world we have today -- a world that values life, world peace, individual rights, freedom of expression, literacy, knowledge and compassion for those who have less -- that Jew would undoubtedly respond, wide-eyed, "You mean, it is the days of Moshiach?"
-- A time that began when a young boy in Sumeria took a hammer and smashed the idols in his father's house.1
Judaism versus Homosexuals
Selected Excerpts from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The subject of homosexuality in Judaism dates back to the Torah, in the books of Bereshit and Vayiqra. Bereshit (Genesis) treats the destruction of the cities of Sedom and Amorrah by God.
Vayiqra (Leviticus) forbids sexual intercourse between males, classifying it as a to'eivah (something abhorred or detested) that can be subject to capital punishment under Jewish law...
.. The current view of Orthodox Judaism has been to regard homosexual intercourse as contradictory to Judaism, since it is categorically forbidden by the Torah......
Homosexuality in the Torah
..
The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, reflects the Judaism of ancient Israel and serves as the primary source for traditional Jewish laws and values.The traditional viewpoint is that the Torah mentions homosexuality twice in the book of Leviticus (JPS):
וְאֶת-זָכָר—לֹא תִשְׁכַּב, מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה: תּוֹעֵבָה, הִוא.
Lev.18,22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination.וְאִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב אֶת-זָכָר מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה—תּוֹעֵבָה עָשׂוּ, שְׁנֵיהֶם; מוֹת יוּמָתוּ, דְּמֵיהֶם בָּם.
Lev.20,13 And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them...
Like many similar commandments, the stated punishment for willful violation is the death penalty. ...
..The Jewish oral law states that capital punishment would only be applicable if two men were caught in the act of anal sex, if there were two witnesses to the act, if the two witnesses warned the men involved that they committed a capital offense, and the two men - or the willing party, in case of rape - subsequently acknowledged the warning but continued to engage in the prohibited act anyway...
..Although there is no direct textual prohibition of homosexual acts between women (lesbianism) anywhere in the Torah, such behaviour is widely viewed as forbidden by most rabbis. It is based on a Drash interpretation of the Biblical verse "Do not follow the ways of Egypt where you once lived, nor of Canaan, where I will be bringing you. Do not follow any of their customs." (Leviticus 18:3)...
... Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, summarizes the matter as follows: For women to be mesollelot with one another is forbidden, as this is the practice of Egypt, which we were warned against: "Like the practice of the land of Egypt . . . you shall not do" (Leviticus 18:3).....
..Someone who has had homosexual intercourse is considered to have violated a prohibition. If he does teshuva (repentance), i.e. he ceases his forbidden actions, regrets what he has done, apologizes to God, and makes a binding resolution never to repeat those actions, he is seen to be forgiven by God. ..
..Orthodox Judaism generally prohibits homosexual conduct. While there is disagreement about which acts come under core prohibitions, all of Orthodox Judaism puts certain core homosexual acts, including male-male anal sex in the category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor, "die rather than transgress", the small category of Biblically-prohibited acts (also including murder, idolatry, adultery, and incest) which an Orthodox Jew is obligated under the laws of Self-sacrifice under Jewish Law to die rather than do. According to The Talmud, homosexuality is forbidden between Non-Jews as well, and is included amongst the sexual restrictions of the Noachide laws....
Rabbi Benjamin Hecht writes that some Orthodox rabbis view homosexuality as a deliberate rebellion against God.
- Rav Moshe Feinstein, in Iggrot Moshe, Orach Chaim, Part 4, Responsa 115, adopted a very strong position against homosexuality. Human drives are necessary although they must be controlled. Since there is no purpose for the homosexual drive, Rav Moshe contends, it must not be a true drive. Therefore, the underlying reason for gay behavior, he argues, must be to rebel against God, to wish to do something forbidden (perhaps, implying some innate knowledge of its forbidden nature).
As a matter of both Jewish law and institutional policy, Conservative Judaism has wrestled with homosexuality issues since the 1980s.
In Conservative Judaism, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) of the Rabbinical Assembly makes the movement's decisions concerning Jewish law. In 1992, the CJLS action affirmed its traditional prohibition on homosexual conduct, blessing same-sex unions, and ordaining openly gay clergy....
EXCERPTS from
http://judaism.about.com/od/homosexualityandjudaism/a/samesex.htm
...Traditional Judaism considers homosexual acts as a violation of Jewish law (halakha)...
Biblical Prohibition
According to the Bible, homosexual acts are "to'evah," an abomination.
In Leviticus 18:22, it is written: "And you shall not cohabit with a male as one cohabits with a woman; it is an abomination."
And in Leviticus 20:13, it is written: "And if a man cohabits with a male as with a woman, both of them have done an abominable thing; they shall be put to death; their blood falls back upon them."
.....
According to Rabbi Shmuel Boteach, homosexual acts are wrong simply because the Torah says they are wrong, and not because they are an aberration or sickness. ....Heterosexual love is the way the human race propagates itself. G-d demands that we regulate our sexual activity so that we will lead happier lives and fulfill our commitments to our communities...
=0=
HOMOSEXUALITY IN ORTHODOX JUDAISM
Rabbi Dr. Nachum Amsel
THE CLASSIC TORAH VIEW OF HOMOSEXUALITY
The Torah clearly states its views about the act of homosexuality. The act of homosexuality,
i.e. two men having sexual relations, is prohibited (SOURCE #1). The act is twice called a “Toaivaan
abomination” and it is such a severe sin, that it merits the death penalty in a Jewish court system
(SOURCE #2). If not for the fact that homosexuality is prevalent in Western Society today, there
would be little controversy about this Torah sin. It is clearly forbidden and never condoned
anywhere in the Torah. ......
Homosexuality In Orthodox Judaism
1 # LEVITICUS
18:21- 23
And you shall not any of your seed
pass through the fire to Molech, nor
shall you profane the name of your
God; I am the Lord. You shall not lie
with men, as with women; it is
abomination. Neither shall you lie with
any beast to defile yourself with it; nor
shall any women stand before a beast
to lie down to it; it is perversion.
LEVITICUS
20:13
If a man also lies with men, as he lies
with a women, both of them have
committed an abomination; they shall
surely be put to death; their blood shall
be upon them
===0===
http://www.thelogician.net/6_reflect/6_Book_6/6f_chapter_17.htm
Book 6. No to Sodom
Chapter 17 (in fact, not a chapter but an ANNEX to the Book).
The Rabbis must ban homosexuals from Judaism
This is an appeal to Jewish religious authorities (orthodox or traditional, at least) for more decisive action against the spread of homosexuality in this day and age.
The rabbis ought to impose a cherem (ban, excommunication, anathema) on homosexuals[1], and even on ‘homophiles’ (supporters of homosexuality), so as to stop the growing social plague of homosexuality from spreading further. If necessary, the rabbis should institute a takana (a corrective decree) to that effect.
Modern homosexual activists have a societal project, call it ‘the homosexual society’. In this society, homosexuals will kiss in public and get married; they will adopt and raise children, and maybe someday have genetically engineered children of their own; the state will force employers and employees to accept them and even honor them; homosexuality will be explained and even praised in schools from an early age; homosexuals will be openly displayed and made attractive in the media; and so forth.[2]
This shocking state of affairs already exists to various degrees in many Western countries today, including Israel.
If we refer only to the Torah, homosexuality would seem (though labeled an abomination and in principle punishable by death [Lev. 20:13]) like only a private sin that each individual will have to account for before God. Currently, most rabbis treat the matter as such, without really reflecting on the implications of such a limited position.
But the current growing extent of this perversion in the population, and the danger of its infecting more and more people due to the aggressiveness of propaganda and activism in its favor make it a collective problem of previously (in past generations) unimagined proportions, a social disease. Each homosexual taken singly may be of little moment to anyone but himself or herself; but when their numbers increase sufficiently, they become a serious social danger.
Not only are the homosexuals themselves guilty of this greater social sin, but all the spiritual leaders, educators, journalists, politicians, judges, policemen, entertainers, etc., who either support or defend homosexuality in some way, or merely refrain from denouncing and opposing it, are also guilty of this mega-sin. Tolerance or advocacy of evil is immorality disguised as morality.
It is absurd and timid in this context to argue (as some do) that ‘the sin’ (homosexuality) is to be hated, but not ‘the sinners’ (homosexuals and homophiles). In the Amida prayer, the blessing lamalchinim ends with a clear condemnation of the sinners, and not merely of the sin in abstraction. Life is a test, and there are prices to pay for misdeeds. Modern “political correctness” is not a virtue according to normative Judaism, but an unforgivable breach of duty to truth and justice.
Reform and conservative “rabbis” who practice, support or merely allow homosexuality should be the first to be exposed and condemned, as extreme and dangerous heretics. Normative Judaism will lose its moral authority if it remains silent and passive in the face of this latest assault on Jewish and human morality. Better to exclude than include such evil people; better to be few and pure than many and defiled.
Other religions should do the same, by the way, and energetically exclude and damn all voluntary homosexuals and homophiles. Such people should not be allowed to think they will get away with their crimes against humanity. Only in this way will this developing madness be stopped in its tracks.
Orthodox rabbis must wake up to the spiritually and socially criminal intentions of homosexuals and homophiles and fight them seriously. Till now they have responded far too mildly, uncertain how to react to the current onslaught on traditional values. Due to political naivety, they have failed in their obligation of leadership in defense of public morality.
The apologists of homosexuality have apparently managed to convince some naïve rabbis that homosexual behavior may be a mental sickness or a genetic compulsion, so that homosexuals ought to be pitied and helped rather than disapproved of and rejected. Yet the claims of mental sickness or physical difference have no scientific basis. And anyway, nowadays homosexuals prefer to be considered “normal” than to be excused (and thus humiliated) as abnormal or subnormal.
Moreover, the Torah makes clear that homosexuality is voluntary transgression; otherwise, it would not decree the severest punishment for it, universally and unconditionally. It is immoral behavior for which the perpetrators are personally responsible. They have no one and nothing to blame for it but themselves.
The Torah death sentence for homosexuality concerned males only, according to Jewish law (halakhah). I am not sure whether this is taken as a sentence to be executed by G-d or by the rabbinical courts. In any case, the present appeal is not intended to advocate a restoration of such executions, if they ever occurred in history. The rabbis have no such powers today, in Israel or elsewhere, and I am not concerned with that issue.
The point made here is that we can learn a lesson from the severity of the Torah sentence. Death is permanent expulsion from this world; instead of that, we can at least expel Jews who so transgress from Jewish society. The latter is a lesser sentence, but the next best thing. Moreover, ostracism can consistently be applied to female as well as male homosexuals, and to the non-homosexual advocates of homosexuality.
In the modern world, equality between men and women is very important; people would not consider uneven treatment of them as just. Note that the rabbis consider female homosexuality as also indecent, though to a lesser degree[3]. However, the ban proposed here is not intended as a punishment for like sins; it is intended as a political act to prevent further infection in the population, an act of social hygiene[4].
The Torah does not justify a relatively mild response to this sin; it does not, for instance, provide for any cleansing ritual or temple sacrifice relative to it. No regrets will erase such past misdeeds; all repentance can do here is resolve not to repeat them in the present or future.
Therefore, the rabbis should harbor no doubt as to the appropriateness and justness of a strong, uncompromising anti-homosexual stance. A weak response, on ‘humanitarian’ pretext, will simply not do the job. It will only sully Judaism and the credibility of the rabbis, by seeming to condone such behavior.
Note that such a ban is not inhumane by modern standards. It does not imply the people concerned to be non-human – it merely denies them the right to call themselves Jews anymore, and to enjoy the privileges this designation implies. It is not discriminative in general terms – it merely expresses the right of any religious group to choose its spiritual companions.
If you try to show tolerance to actual homosexuals in the hope of reforming them, you will merely encourage potential ones. A kindly, ‘liberal’ attitude in this matter will not save many souls; it will rather cause many more souls to be lost, for people will not take the interdiction seriously. Many Jews have already been irreparably soiled, and are spiritually as good as dead. Forget them, they are lost forever: rather, think of those who have not yet been soiled. And the matter is urgent.
For years, Jewish spiritual leaders have allowed the problem of homosexuality to develop in society at large, without ever preaching against it in synagogues or visibly making any other effort to combat it. They have of course been hoping the problem would somehow go away by itself, but it is evidently getting bigger. It is admittedly not clear just what they could do about it, since the large majority of Jews who transgress in this manner never go to the synagogue or come under rabbinical influence anyway.
The rabbis willingly talk about keeping the Sabbath or not eating pork, but understandably hesitate in the name of modesty (tsniut) to lecture publicly on decent sexual behavior. The problem is that such virtuous silence has given the public an impression that homosexuality is not a really big issue in their eyes – or that the forces of evil at work are too strong for them to challenge. In any case, ‘preaching to the converted’ cannot solve the problem at hand.
What is needed is a strong statement that will reach the general public. The proposed ban is just such a statement. It will and should scandalize all conventionally minded people, who have been trained by the media to consider homosexuality as normal and its defense as good. They will accuse the rabbis of extremism and similar epithets, to intimidate them into submission. Many Jews, too, will object and fear, demanding the rabbis keep a low profile in this matter. But some young people out there will surely get the message and be saved from following this decadent fashion.
Dear rabbis, people who are truly spiritually pure ought have no fear of evil. Consider that nowadays homosexuals are organizing lewd street marches in Israel, even in Jerusalem. This serves to legitimatize homosexuality and make it fashionable, and thus spreads it. Some rabbis have verbally objected, or even recommended counter demonstrations, but such tepid measures are clearly far from sufficient to stop the trend; much more punch is required to down this monster. Take a firm stand and act decisively.
Homosexuals are cunningly using all the tools provided them by a simplistic and fallacious interpretation of democracy to further their subversive cause. They are an educated and wealthy lobby group, numerous and influential enough to affect national legislatures and international bodies. Judging by their successes in North America and Europe, they will very soon manage to obtain in Israel all the legal freedom they desire to corrupt many, many young Jews. Do not be surprised if, moreover, they in time demand that the Torah’s anti-homosexual verses be censored.
But there is one, just one, way to stop these loathsome people from progressing further, in the Jewish world at least. It is that all rabbinical authorities in Israel (and indeed, in the world) convene and together declare all evident homosexuals and homophiles to be no longer Jewish. Only such a powerful ban can put the fear of G-d in some of these people’s hearts, and only the leading rabbis (the orthodox and traditional ones, at least) have the institutional and moral power to do it.
The terms ‘Jewish’ and ‘homosexual’ must be understood by everyone to be antitheses, contradictory terms. There can be no such thing as a “Jewish homosexual”: such a concept is shameful to all decent Jews. Normal Jews do not want to be associated with homosexuals, even in thought. Such behavior is the depth of depravity, something incompatible with Judaism. Let it be known far and wide: if you are a Jew, you cannot be a homosexual; and if you are a homosexual, you cannot be a Jew.
If someone publicly acknowledges being a homosexual in the media, or admits to being a homosexual in front of two or more witnesses, then that person should be formally banned from the Jewish religion (for examples: Dana Olmert, the current PM’s daughter, and various reform and conservative so-called “rabbis”).
If, moreover, someone by word or deed publicly takes a stand in favor of homosexuality or homosexual “rights”, then that person should likewise be declared excluded from the Jewish religion (for examples: certain judges of the Supreme Court of Israel, certain Members of the Knesset, certain academics and journalists).
What does excommunication mean? If it is a man, he will no longer be counted as part of a minyan or be called up to the Torah, or granted any of the duties and privileges normally granted to Jews. If it is a woman, any children she bears thenceforth will not be recognized as Jews. Moreover, such people should not be allowed in Yom Kippur services or be buried in Jewish cemeteries.
Such exclusions may be difficult to administrate and enforce in practice, but the theoretical message they convey is important and effective anyway. A rabbinical court would have to decide each case, and a centralized blacklist would have to be maintained.
Some people inevitably object: what of teshuvah (repentance)? If the rabbis consider ex-homosexuals redeemable (though I do not see on what basis they would), then if after being expelled from Judaism such people sincerely want to return, they would have to go through halakhic conversion like any other non-Jew. Most of the people concerned don’t care about their Jewish identity anyway; but some may think twice and change their ways.
Note that secular governments can legally do nothing whatsoever to prevent religious authorities from excluding whomsoever they choose to exclude from their religion. A religion is like a private club, in principle free to choose its own members. Of course, a government can withhold much needed funding, and use similar means of pressure, or even persecute and imprison people on whatever pretext; but then the rabbis must decide what counts most for them.
The rabbis cannot remain passive; they must do something; that is their job. Excommunication is the one power tool the rabbis have at their immediate disposal, if they are really serious in their opposition to homosexuality. Only by such radical and forceful measures can the tide be stemmed. If our spiritual leaders do not show the necessary courage and determination, they will truly have failed in their ministry; and the world will get still more confused, dark and ugly.
[1] This term refers to all people who engage in sexual intercourse with partners of the same sex. With the possible exception of hermaphrodites and people whose genotype and phenotype do not match (estimated as 50-100 individuals per million population), who have to be considered on a case by case basis in all fairness; in such cases, the status of their sexual partners is also to be examined specifically.
[2] This societal project is perhaps part of a larger one, call that ‘the sexual society’. In that society, there would as it were be a permanent mass orgy. Sexual relations would be the main form of interaction between men and women, men and men, women and women, adults and children, and even humans and animals. The model for that social ‘ideal’ is the porno movie, where people are constantly either masturbating or having sex with someone or something.
[3] In my essay No to Sodom, I also admit (on more naturalistic grounds) female homosexual acts to be somewhat less immoral than sodomy between males.
[4] According to one estimate (see Jpost.com, 3 Jan. 2008), there are some 18’000 same-sex couples in Israel; that is 36,000 people! Suppose as many again are homosexuals not in couples, and a proportionate number of people of Jewish origin to be homosexual outside Israel (especially in the U.S., I imagine). Then we may guess at a world total of some 100,000 individuals. This is an epidemic, a veritable disaster for the Jewish people. The purpose of a ban would be to remove the bad apples from the Jewish barrel, or cull the sick sheep from the flock, before they infect more individuals. This is the prophylactic way, used in gardening, husbandry and medicine.
===0====
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Nur-e-Huq
‡mB †m b~‡ii †Ljv RMr †iŠkb, GK b~i nB‡Z GKB †NvlY|
mK‡jiB exR b~i †f‡e †`L mvi, Kv‡di †gv‡gb G‡Z b‡n mywePvi|
hw` wkl¨ b~‡i nK RvMv w`‡Z cv‡i, GK `‡g kZ cvc Pvwicv‡k S‡i|
hvnvi Kj‡e b~i n‡q‡Q †iŠkb, ‡KvivY †R‡Ki Rvb Zvnvi KviY|
bvgv‡Ri kZ©Avw` Kwi‡j Av`vq, ‡eMi gvb‡m ej bvgvR †Kv_vq|
b~‡i n‡K nK Av‡Q nK wPb Av‡M, Gev`Z Ki hw` cvi †kl fv‡M|
bv wPwbqv Gev`Z Kwi‡e Kvnvi, fy‡Zi e‡›`Mx n‡e, n‡ebv †Lv`vi|
ÔdvIqvqjyjÕ e‡j muvB †Kviv‡Y‡Z Kq, ‡e-b~i gyQyjx hv‡e bi‡K wbðq|
Avgv‡K ¯§iY †hB K‡i wbiš—i, bv Rvwb‡j wRÁvwm‡e Zuvnvi †MvPi|
GB †m ûRyix we`¨v wgivm bexi, ‡Kv_vq KvM‡R Av‡Q Zvnvi ZvwQi|
¸i“Rb c„w_ex‡Z bv iwn‡j Avi, wK n‡e KvMR Ze iwn‡j nvRvi|
P¶z KY© bvmv `iRv mKj, eÜ K‡i GKvš—B ûRyix Avgj|
I¯—v‡` wkLvq we`¨v wbiwLqv †`L, ‡gv‡k©‡` K‡nb evcy P¶z gy‡` †_K|
wPi w`b bwQnZ Ab¨‡K Kwiby, wbR bwmnZ Avwg Kf~bv wkwLby|
KwnwQ A‡b¨i cvc Mjv w`qv Uvbv, ‡`wL‡Z wb‡Ri cvc nB eywS Kvbv|
b~‡i nK †hB Rb Kwij mvab, Gme AwjK c‡_ bvwn hv‡e gb|
‡ZB †m Kwnj cÖf~ mv_©K ePb, ÒIeZv¸Ó †Xvi m‡e DwQjv Avcb|
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
9. The present subtle battle
9. The present subtle battle
The present era we live in is the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the main Kaliyuga. We are therefore living in the darkest part of this mini-cycle of the main Kaliyug era where materialism, lack of Spirituality and selfishness of man has reached its peak. All these are representative of an increase in the tama component in people.
In 2006 the balance between the good and evil forces is 70:30. Presently evildoers in society have reached the 30% mark. For this part of the era, this means that the Sattva component has hit rock bottom. It is something akin to a share market where when the index goes below a psychological barrier we say that the share market has bottomed out.
One may ask, “If the balance is currently 70 to 30 in favour of good then how can there be a problem?” The answer is that most of the good forces are in the higher regions of the universe. In these high planes of existence they are so one with the non-manifest form (nirgun) of God that they maintain an observer attitude. The evil forces take advantage of this state of the good forces and set themselves up to strike and establish supremacy on Earth.
In the current times, mankind is on the threshold of witnessing a historic change of the mini era of Kaliyuga to the mini era of Satyayuga within the main era of Kaliyuga. This change of era will also bring a way of cleansing the planet of Tama predominant people and elements.
Unknown to most of mankind, in the years 1999 – 2006, a major battle of good versus evil has taken place in the subtle regions. In the past decade, this subtle battle has also manifested a little in the physical Earth plane. We have seen an increase in intensity of natural disasters and also rampant wars and anti-social activity. The primary reason for this is because of the increase in the basic subtle Tama component that is associated with evil i.e. ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) and a society that lacks in spiritual practice and a lifestyle of Righteousness.
9.1 Details of the present subtle battle of good versus evil
Starting from the year 1999, the battle between good versus evil has been intensifying in the subtle regions. Deities and Saints have been fighting this battle against very powerful forces of evil i.e. ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) in the subtle world. Basically this fighting by the good forces is totally in the subtle and takes place at the existence level of power. The existence level of power can be understood by the analogy of the Sun. Everyday when the Sun rises, the flowers bloom. The Sun does not ask or make the flowers to bloom. It happens automatically by the very presence of the Sun. Similarly by their very existence the omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent Saints and deities through their divine consciousness that is transmitted continuously the battle is fought. Refer to the article on the Hierarchy of power in the universe.
Seekers of God doing spiritual practice for the sake of society participate in the battle with their little might. When they spread the awareness of Spirituality within society as part of their spiritual practice they are attacked by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.). Seekers of God are able to overcome these attacks by the use of spiritual healing methods as well as through their spiritual power gained through spiritual practice and blessings and grace of God. The forces of evil in the subtle world also possess and give energy to the anti-social elements on the Earth plane as shown in the diagram below. The result is when we switch on the news on television we see a world that is increasingly chaotic with lack of morality, rampant terrorism and wars.
Since most people do not understand the spiritual cause or perspective behind the chaotic present times, they try to rectify the situation through physical means such as waging a war against terrorism, etc. or psychologically by having conventions, summits etc. However this is not the solution. Basically as all the anti-social elements are powered by (i.e. are puppets of) the subtle evil forces, it is not possible to annihilate or overcome them by physical or psychological means. Even if the worst of the anti-social elements on Earth were to be eliminated, ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) would simply possess another anti-social element giving them their spiritual power. This spiritual power is far more powerful than any physical power.
The state that the world is in 2006 can only be rectified if the evil in the subtle world is overcome. This is the reason why deities and Saints have been engaged in a subtle battle, fighting superior ghosts (sorcerers) from the deepest regions of hell, with their spiritual strength in the years 1999 to 2006.
The subtle battle is at its peak in 2006 and it will slowly begin to subside in the subsequent years as the subtle forces of good overwhelm the forces of evil. The anti-social elements that were initially getting their energy from sorcerers among the ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) in the subtle will no longer have access to that spiritual energy. As a result, the anti-social elements on Earth and the rest of mankind that is being possessed and affected will reduce. Due to this they will be overcome and this will be followed by a gross war affecting the entire globe. The battle in the gross is also required to annihilate all the evil persons and elements from the face of Earth. In the major physical battle that will ensue in the coming years along with increase in natural disasters the world population will decrease considerably. The scale of the physical battle will be unlike anything one has seen before and entire mankind will be affected. People with a lower spiritual level i.e. below 30% are more likely to be adversely affected in this change. Those who are evil will be wiped out as they will be fighting on the side of the evil. Those who are sitting on the fence, i.e. neither on the evil nor on the good side will also be wiped out in the crossfire.
9.2 What happens after the battle
• For Demonic Forces:
After the battle when the subtle demonic forces have been conclusively subjugated, they stop fighting and go away to undertake rigorous spiritual practice to gain spiritual strength so that they can stake their claim on the universe afresh. Also as a result of the demonic forces being overcome, a period of Sattva predominance follows on Earth and all the regions above Bhuvaloka. The mini-Satyayuga known as the Divine Kingdom begins. This era is ushered in all the regions above Earth first and then comes on to Earth.
• For mankind
We are in the midst of a watershed in the history of mankind. After the physical battle, there will be a period of trial and error as the world adjusts to the new world order and picks up the pieces. During this time, the potential to run the Divine Kingdom will be generated in the surviving people. This will continue till the year 2022. After this period of flux, humanity will experience almost a thousand years of peace. In the new era, there will be renewed spiritual awakening and flourishing of disciplines such as the science of Ayurveda, hitherto unaccepted as a mainstream science by the world.
It is important to note that these thousand years will be the last divine era in the universe. The Sattva component generated in this era will be all that will be available to mankind till the end of the universe some 400,000 years later. There will be no fresh generation of the subtle basic Sattva component after these thousand years as the universe will slowly go downhill towards tama and hence its inevitable dissolution.
Among all the planes of existence in the universe, the Earth region is most conducive to spiritual practice. Unfortunately when the period of peace and prosperity ensues, over time mankind gets lost in worldly pleasures and forgets about spiritual practice. As a result of this the Sattvikta starts declining. Consequently there is a progressive rise in unrighteousness that further decreases the Sattvikta and increases the Raja-Tama. This decline in Sattva and increase in Raja-Tama affects all the regions. Though it affects the subtle regions only fractionally, even that marginal decline in Sattva component causes severe distress to the good subtle bodies in the regions above Bhuvaloka who are used to uniform high Sattva levels at all times.
10. The spiritual significance of the current times
One aspect of spiritual practice is to transcend the basic subtle components, i.e. one has to progress from the Raja-Tama present status to raja to Sattva and finally transcend even beyond Sattva. During the period before the onset of the universe the three basic subtle components are present in equal proportions, i.e. they nullify or balance each other. At all times after the universe came into existence, a particular subtle basic component has been predominant. For example in Satyayuga, the Sattva component was predominant and now in Kaliyuga it is the Raja-Tama component that is predominant.
It is beneficial to undertake spiritual practice during twilight periods such as sunset, sunrise and an eclipse. The reason is that during this period the three subtle components of Sattva, Raja and Tama are in equal proportions as in the pre-universe times. Due to this it becomes easier to undertake spiritual practice to advance to a state beyond these three subtle basic components. As God is beyond the three subtle basic components, by going beyond them ourselves we merge into God which is the ultimate point in spiritual growth.
The period between the years 1999 – 2022 represents a twilight period between two eras as we move from a darker age (mini-Kaliyuga) to a better one (mini-Satyayuga) within the main era of Kaliyuga. During this twilight period of 23 years, any spiritual practice undertaken by one according to the basic principles of Spirituality will benefit one immensely.
In fact, each year of spiritual practice in these 23 ‘twilight’ years is equal to 50 years during the course of an era. Taking adulthood to be about 50 years in an average human’s lifespan; spiritual practice undertaken in these 23 years would approximately be equivalent to 1000 years. Another way of looking at it would be that we would be getting the benefit of 20 lifetimes of spiritual practice in just one lifetime.
The present era we live in is the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the Kaliyuga, part of the main Kaliyuga. We are therefore living in the darkest part of this mini-cycle of the main Kaliyug era where materialism, lack of Spirituality and selfishness of man has reached its peak. All these are representative of an increase in the tama component in people.
In 2006 the balance between the good and evil forces is 70:30. Presently evildoers in society have reached the 30% mark. For this part of the era, this means that the Sattva component has hit rock bottom. It is something akin to a share market where when the index goes below a psychological barrier we say that the share market has bottomed out.
One may ask, “If the balance is currently 70 to 30 in favour of good then how can there be a problem?” The answer is that most of the good forces are in the higher regions of the universe. In these high planes of existence they are so one with the non-manifest form (nirgun) of God that they maintain an observer attitude. The evil forces take advantage of this state of the good forces and set themselves up to strike and establish supremacy on Earth.
In the current times, mankind is on the threshold of witnessing a historic change of the mini era of Kaliyuga to the mini era of Satyayuga within the main era of Kaliyuga. This change of era will also bring a way of cleansing the planet of Tama predominant people and elements.
Unknown to most of mankind, in the years 1999 – 2006, a major battle of good versus evil has taken place in the subtle regions. In the past decade, this subtle battle has also manifested a little in the physical Earth plane. We have seen an increase in intensity of natural disasters and also rampant wars and anti-social activity. The primary reason for this is because of the increase in the basic subtle Tama component that is associated with evil i.e. ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) and a society that lacks in spiritual practice and a lifestyle of Righteousness.
9.1 Details of the present subtle battle of good versus evil
Starting from the year 1999, the battle between good versus evil has been intensifying in the subtle regions. Deities and Saints have been fighting this battle against very powerful forces of evil i.e. ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) in the subtle world. Basically this fighting by the good forces is totally in the subtle and takes place at the existence level of power. The existence level of power can be understood by the analogy of the Sun. Everyday when the Sun rises, the flowers bloom. The Sun does not ask or make the flowers to bloom. It happens automatically by the very presence of the Sun. Similarly by their very existence the omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent Saints and deities through their divine consciousness that is transmitted continuously the battle is fought. Refer to the article on the Hierarchy of power in the universe.
Seekers of God doing spiritual practice for the sake of society participate in the battle with their little might. When they spread the awareness of Spirituality within society as part of their spiritual practice they are attacked by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.). Seekers of God are able to overcome these attacks by the use of spiritual healing methods as well as through their spiritual power gained through spiritual practice and blessings and grace of God. The forces of evil in the subtle world also possess and give energy to the anti-social elements on the Earth plane as shown in the diagram below. The result is when we switch on the news on television we see a world that is increasingly chaotic with lack of morality, rampant terrorism and wars.
Since most people do not understand the spiritual cause or perspective behind the chaotic present times, they try to rectify the situation through physical means such as waging a war against terrorism, etc. or psychologically by having conventions, summits etc. However this is not the solution. Basically as all the anti-social elements are powered by (i.e. are puppets of) the subtle evil forces, it is not possible to annihilate or overcome them by physical or psychological means. Even if the worst of the anti-social elements on Earth were to be eliminated, ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) would simply possess another anti-social element giving them their spiritual power. This spiritual power is far more powerful than any physical power.
The state that the world is in 2006 can only be rectified if the evil in the subtle world is overcome. This is the reason why deities and Saints have been engaged in a subtle battle, fighting superior ghosts (sorcerers) from the deepest regions of hell, with their spiritual strength in the years 1999 to 2006.
The subtle battle is at its peak in 2006 and it will slowly begin to subside in the subsequent years as the subtle forces of good overwhelm the forces of evil. The anti-social elements that were initially getting their energy from sorcerers among the ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) in the subtle will no longer have access to that spiritual energy. As a result, the anti-social elements on Earth and the rest of mankind that is being possessed and affected will reduce. Due to this they will be overcome and this will be followed by a gross war affecting the entire globe. The battle in the gross is also required to annihilate all the evil persons and elements from the face of Earth. In the major physical battle that will ensue in the coming years along with increase in natural disasters the world population will decrease considerably. The scale of the physical battle will be unlike anything one has seen before and entire mankind will be affected. People with a lower spiritual level i.e. below 30% are more likely to be adversely affected in this change. Those who are evil will be wiped out as they will be fighting on the side of the evil. Those who are sitting on the fence, i.e. neither on the evil nor on the good side will also be wiped out in the crossfire.
9.2 What happens after the battle
• For Demonic Forces:
After the battle when the subtle demonic forces have been conclusively subjugated, they stop fighting and go away to undertake rigorous spiritual practice to gain spiritual strength so that they can stake their claim on the universe afresh. Also as a result of the demonic forces being overcome, a period of Sattva predominance follows on Earth and all the regions above Bhuvaloka. The mini-Satyayuga known as the Divine Kingdom begins. This era is ushered in all the regions above Earth first and then comes on to Earth.
• For mankind
We are in the midst of a watershed in the history of mankind. After the physical battle, there will be a period of trial and error as the world adjusts to the new world order and picks up the pieces. During this time, the potential to run the Divine Kingdom will be generated in the surviving people. This will continue till the year 2022. After this period of flux, humanity will experience almost a thousand years of peace. In the new era, there will be renewed spiritual awakening and flourishing of disciplines such as the science of Ayurveda, hitherto unaccepted as a mainstream science by the world.
It is important to note that these thousand years will be the last divine era in the universe. The Sattva component generated in this era will be all that will be available to mankind till the end of the universe some 400,000 years later. There will be no fresh generation of the subtle basic Sattva component after these thousand years as the universe will slowly go downhill towards tama and hence its inevitable dissolution.
Among all the planes of existence in the universe, the Earth region is most conducive to spiritual practice. Unfortunately when the period of peace and prosperity ensues, over time mankind gets lost in worldly pleasures and forgets about spiritual practice. As a result of this the Sattvikta starts declining. Consequently there is a progressive rise in unrighteousness that further decreases the Sattvikta and increases the Raja-Tama. This decline in Sattva and increase in Raja-Tama affects all the regions. Though it affects the subtle regions only fractionally, even that marginal decline in Sattva component causes severe distress to the good subtle bodies in the regions above Bhuvaloka who are used to uniform high Sattva levels at all times.
10. The spiritual significance of the current times
One aspect of spiritual practice is to transcend the basic subtle components, i.e. one has to progress from the Raja-Tama present status to raja to Sattva and finally transcend even beyond Sattva. During the period before the onset of the universe the three basic subtle components are present in equal proportions, i.e. they nullify or balance each other. At all times after the universe came into existence, a particular subtle basic component has been predominant. For example in Satyayuga, the Sattva component was predominant and now in Kaliyuga it is the Raja-Tama component that is predominant.
It is beneficial to undertake spiritual practice during twilight periods such as sunset, sunrise and an eclipse. The reason is that during this period the three subtle components of Sattva, Raja and Tama are in equal proportions as in the pre-universe times. Due to this it becomes easier to undertake spiritual practice to advance to a state beyond these three subtle basic components. As God is beyond the three subtle basic components, by going beyond them ourselves we merge into God which is the ultimate point in spiritual growth.
The period between the years 1999 – 2022 represents a twilight period between two eras as we move from a darker age (mini-Kaliyuga) to a better one (mini-Satyayuga) within the main era of Kaliyuga. During this twilight period of 23 years, any spiritual practice undertaken by one according to the basic principles of Spirituality will benefit one immensely.
In fact, each year of spiritual practice in these 23 ‘twilight’ years is equal to 50 years during the course of an era. Taking adulthood to be about 50 years in an average human’s lifespan; spiritual practice undertaken in these 23 years would approximately be equivalent to 1000 years. Another way of looking at it would be that we would be getting the benefit of 20 lifetimes of spiritual practice in just one lifetime.
Table of Contents items 1-8
The battle of good versus evil
The subtle battle of good versus evil has been waged periodically since the earliest times. It is once again being fought in the subtle world during the years 1999 – 2006. After the intensity of subtle battle is reduced in 2006, a gross battle on Earth will ensue. Thereafter the world will undergo a period of flux recovering from the battle on Earth and preparing for a new era. This new era will be known as the Divine Kingdom and with it humanity will see a thousand years of peace and Righteousness. The times we live in are very significant as the ramifications of this battle will be felt by the entire universe and it is highly conducive for spiritual practice to attain God-realisation (the highest spiritual state).
Note: To understand this article, it is necessary to read the article on the three subtle basic components of Sattva, Raja and Tama, the fabric that permeates all of creation.
1. The definition of good and evil
From a Spiritual science standpoint, people who are living or who have passed on (subtle bodies), who have an intense desire to do spiritual practice with the goal of surrendering everything including ego unto God and aligning their life with attaining God and deities are defined as ‘good’. These are typically persons who are above the 30% spiritual level, are Raja-Sattva or Sattva predominant and righteous. People without the above mentioned characteristics but doing some good deeds like donating to orphanages etc., though meritorious, do not necessarily qualify for what Spiritual science would define as ‘good’ people, especially if the act is done with immense pride. Good people and good subtle bodies collectively come under ‘good forces’.
On the other hand, evil persons (living or subtle bodies) are raja-tama or tama predominant, unrighteous and have a high ego. They may even be doing spiritual practice but it is done with the goal of acquiring spiritual power for the fulfilment of some personal ambition. The word ‘Ego’ used in a spiritual context here, in addition to its everyday usage as self esteem and self conceit also includes the attitude of duality with God. Duality means thinking of oneself as having an existence distinct from God. Evil people and subtle bodies collectively come under ‘evil forces’.
From a strictly Spiritual science perspective those who are doing spiritual practice with the objective of God-realisation and who are progressively offering their body, mind, wealth and ego to God would qualify in the ‘good’ category. Thus according to this definition of ‘good’, in present times the good people on Earth are negligible. The majority of people come under evil. Among these however, those who try to harm society and reduce the Sattva component in the world amount to 30% of the population.
2. Where did good and evil come from?
2.1 When did evil come into existence?
Everything in the universe has originated from the One God. The God principle permeates everything in the universe and also exists beyond it. From this perspective both good and evil have originated from the God principle. They have both existed since the creation of the universe. However the evil was in seed or latent form at that time.
According to a spiritual law ‘everything has originated from God principle, will be sustained and then undergo dissolution back into the God principle’. This happens as per an inherent absolute plan. Thus the universe has come into existence, it will be sustained for a predecided period of time and then it will undergo dissolution. As a part of this divine plan, the evil that was in seed form at the origin of the universe steadily grows. It manifests in the form of evil elements and persons. With the passage of time the evil element will keep on growing till it reaches 100% percent, when the universe will cease to exist.
2.2 Where do good and evil forces get their energy from?
Since both good and evil come from the Supreme God principle, they also get their spiritual energy from God. This may seem like a paradox; however it can best be understood by the following analogy. Two employees of a company work equally hard and earn the same wage. After the money is in their hands, it depends on them how they will use it. One person may use it to feed himself and after that whatever is remaining to help society. The other person may use it to harm society. Earning money is akin to obtaining spiritual energy when we do spiritual practice. The intention behind doing spiritual practice is very different for good and evil people. For the former, it is to merge with God and the other is primarily to get spiritual power. Once we build up our reservoir of spiritual energy, God gives us the free will to use it as we please. This spiritual energy when used by people for Righteousness is known as good energy and when used for unrighteousness it is known as evil energy.
The important point to note is that when it is used for righteous means; one experiences oneness with that aspect of God. Hence he can access that much divine energy corresponding to the extent of the oneness. Thus one does not end up losing any spiritual energy. When used for unrighteous means, it being contrary to God, the person ends up using the energy that he gained from spiritual practice, thus depleting it.
3. What is the mission of good and evil?
The mission of the good forces is to establish an order across all the regions of the Universe based on the Sattva component.
On the other hand, evil forces strive to establish a demonic kingdom based on the Raja and Tama components. This demonic kingdom is a kind of kingdom that is most conducive for demonic forces to fulfil their desires. These desires range from indulging in sensual pleasures and power in excess, to troubling seekers of God, to wiping out spiritual practice for God-realisation.
4. The balance between good and evil
As a result of the missions of good and evil forces being diametrically opposed to each other, there is always conflict between the two. This balance fluctuates over time and is never constant. Its effects are felt across all the regions of the universe. For example, when there is an increase in the power of demonic forces and ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) the situation across all the positive planes of existence (Earth, Heaven etc) begins to worsen. On Earth, it affects us at a physical, mental and spiritual level. However the negative regions (i.e. all the various levels of hell) experience a positive effect in their paradigm.
When there is a tilt in the balance towards good, there is an increase in the subtle basic Sattva component and Bliss is experienced throughout the universe. Peace and prosperity reigns on Earth. The demonic forces are however distressed by this positive trend. It is like making a thief stay in a seminary or shrine.
4.1 What are the reasons behind the tilting of the balance in the
direction of the evil forces?
At every twist and turn, evil forces in the universe are trying to adversely influence the balance of power. Despite the demonic forces’ constant attempts to reduce the basic subtle Sattva component and stop seekers of God from practising and spreading spirituality, the good forces reign supreme as long as there are Saints and seekers doing spiritual practice. This is because God helps Saints and seekers due to their devotion to overcome the evil forces.
The major reservoir of power of good and evil resides in the subtle regions. The forces of good and evil on Earth are like puppets on strings. They both get their power from the forces of good and evil respectively in the subtle realm.
4.2 Spiritual level and attack by ghosts
(demon’s, devils, negative energies etc.)
The demonic forces generally attack the good forces that are within +/- 10% spiritual strength of their own strength. The reason for this is that a ghost cannot affect a person where there is a difference of 10% in spiritual level in favour of the person. This is because a person is able to harness 10-20 % of God’s protection, more than the level of distress by ghosts, which protects him from an attack by a ghost having a lower spiritual energy.
Those ghosts at a spiritual level of more than 10% of a person’s spiritual level do not bother to attack him, as he is small fry and thus inconsequential to the ghost. So e.g. a person at 30% spiritual level will be attacked by a ghost (demon, devil, negative energy etc.) in the range of 20 – 40% level.
It becomes easier for demonic forces of evil to exert their power over mankind especially when people are more materialistic and less inclined to practising Spirituality.
When there is an increase in the Tama component in mankind, demonic forces being Tama predominant themselves take advantage of the situation and try to establish their control over humanity.
Refer to the article, “To what extent does spiritual level provide a protection against ghosts?”
5. When does the battle between good and evil intensify?
The battle between good and evil intensifies when the subtle basic Sattva component hits rock bottom and the subtle basic Tama component reaches a high. The Sattva hitting rock bottom is a function of the percentage of evildoers on Earth. What is ‘rock bottom’ differs over time and era. For example, the worst period of Satyayuga (the first era of the universe) would be far more Sattvik than the period of highest Sattvikta in the whole of Kaliyuga.
Please note: The figures for the first three eras are for the main era, not for the mini-cycles within it.
In the future, in the next mini-cycles, rock bottom will come after the evildoers have crossed 35%, 40% etc. When they become 100%, the universe will cease to exist because all will have to be annihilated by God.
6. Where is this battle fought?
The battle between good and evil is fought mainly in the subtle worlds between the subtle good and subtle evil forces. This battle, even though at a much larger scale than any battle on Earth, can only be perceived by a person who has an activated sixth sense.
After the subtle battle is won by the subtle good forces, it is followed by the battle in the gross (physical) i.e. on Earth. This gross war affects the entire world. It is required to annihilate all the evil persons from the face of Earth. At first the battleground manifests on Earth in people’s minds and it seems like we are living in a world that has gone crazy. This is pretty much like the world in recent times. This is primarily because of ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) possessing or affecting mankind. Along with this there is an increasing intensity of natural disasters (floods, tsunamis, epidemics, drought etc.).
Later the manifestation of the battle in the subtle escalates on Earth and presents itself as a major world war along natural disasters of a monumental level. It is nature’s way of cleansing the planet of the tama predominant elements, making way for a better world.
7. Who participates in the battle between good and evil?
Those persons and subtle bodies on the good side, from 30-50% spiritual level range, have an understanding of the issue only at a psychological level. They can contribute little at the spiritual level. Such people who are fighting on Earth usually perish. But at least they accrue merits because they fought on the side of God. Those at a spiritual level of 50% and above having spiritual emotion and a warrior's attitude are really able to participate in the battle at spiritual level and thus contribute maximally.
“To be able to participate at spiritual level” means having a very low ego, an advanced activated sixth sense and a strong understanding of pure Spirituality that is beyond sectarian or organised religion. Only then is one able to perceive God’s will and act accordingly rather than according to one’s will. As the acts done by the person are as per God’s will, the person is able to access divine energy and also create no give-and-take account with his actions. The devotion of the person also causes God to rush to his aid. It is because of God rushing to the aid of the true devotee, that the people associated with the devotee and his mission also benefit. This can be understood from the following analogy. When a devotee of God, trapped in a building in the middle of an earthquake, cries for help from God, God will save him. But others in the building will also be automatically saved.
Mmost of the seekers of God across the world, who have not studied the subtle battle aspect of Spiritual science or who do not have an activated sixth sense are not in the know of it. As a result, they can neither prepare themselves to face the attack by demonic forces, nor can they participate in the battle. Most Saints on Earth who are involved purely in their own individual spiritual practice are also unaware of this battle. So other than what God gets done from them as a function of their spiritual level, i.e. their oneness with God, nothing much is contributed by them too.
There are very few Saints who are actively involved in guiding seekers to do spiritual practice for the sake of society. They do so due to Their yearning for establishing Righteousness on Earth. They are thus more extensively one with God whose fundamental characteristic is Righteousness. Spiritual practice for the sake of society includes assisting humanity in understanding and practicing Spirituality according to the five basic principles of Spirituality and living a righteous life. Hence God functions to a much greater extent through them. Consequently they are actively involved in the subtle battle and are guiding seekers to fight this evil at a spiritual level. All persons and subtle bodies below 30%, with high ego, those engaged in criminal, terrorist activities, those perpetrating sexual offences and denigrators of deities, symbols of worship and reverence etc. fight on the side of evil forces. Religious fundamentalists think they fight on God's side and indulge in (religious) terrorism but they too come under evil forces. As a part of this subtle battle, higher level ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) force the weak ancestors' subtle bodies to make use of their give-and-take accounts with their ‘good’ descendants to trouble them.
8. When was the first battle between good and evil fought?
The lifespan of the universe is divided into 4 eras i.e. Satyayuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparyuga and Kaliyuga. The current era we live in is the last era of the universe and is called the Era of Strife (Kaliyuga) and it will last for 432,000 years. We are currently 5,500 years into this era. (Refer to the picture below).
In each era there are smaller cycles of Satyayuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparyuga and Kaliyuga. Each small era cycle is further sub-divided into even smaller four eras. This sub-division of mini-cycles within mini-cycles occurs six levels deep. The smallest mini-cycle lasts for a period of about 1000 years. The figure of 1000 is as per the time calculation in present times. For example, a corresponding mini-cycle in Satyayuga era would be much longer. This is because Satyayuga was an era which had a very highly subtle basic Sattva component. One of the characteristics of Sattva is expansiveness, whereas that of Tama is decay. Hence one year of Kaliyuga would essentially mean many more years in Satyayuga.
At the beginning of creation the balance was 100% in favour of the good forces as the demonic forces were only in latent/seed form. This is because in the First Era, i.e. Satyayuga, all of mankind was engaged in spiritual practice. In fact, their entire life was spent with the attitude that it is spiritual practice itself and of service to God. When the mini-Kaliyuga in the last mini-cycle of Satyayuga began, the total number of evildoers on Earth became more than 2% of the entire population. The basic subtle Tama component was high enough for the evil forces, i.e. ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) to strike a claim to supremacy. This was the first battle between the good and evil forces and it was waged at the end of this mini-cycle Kaliyuga in the last mini-cycle of the Satyayuga.
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