There's no shame in loving to be naked :)

Are whole grade went on a school camping trip and the guy im crushing on was talking to me and all my friends and said that.

One will gasp in disbelief when one is told that various colors seen in this world of objects are actually non-existent. Every object is basically colorless but when it is exposed to solar rays these objects absorb certain colors from the rays and reject others. It is only on this basis that we see ‘colored’ objects. That color not absorbed by an object is sent back i.e. reflected. This reflected light enters our eye and thus we think that object to be of the reflected solar ray’s color. Plants in reality are not green in color since basically they are colorless. Yet they appear green because plants cannot absorb the green color of solar rays falling on them. Since this green color gets reflected it enters our eye which assumes that the plant is green in color. When the green unabsorbed color gets reflected it enters our eyes and thus the latter out of delusion says ‘the plant is green in color’. This illusory information is taken to be a die hard truth by us all. Bye and bye we keep proving to the world with various hypotheses that plants are green in color. If someone challenges these hypotheses he/she is mocked at and called a deluded fool. No one is willing to delve deep into the fact that our senses and mind are all the time giving illusory information from the absolute standpoint. It should be noted over here that no doubt the mind and senses are needed to carry out worldly transactions yet what we are trying to say is that such information cannot be taken as an absolute truth. They fail to accept that our mind and senses are deluding us by falling prey to the illusory wiles of Mother Nature (Prakriti). Over here the green color of plant is merely an example. This example is meant to show how our senses deceive us with reference to the colors and other qualities of various objects in the world. We say that our eyes, ears, mind, intellect etc is the ultimate proof. But if they are prone to get carried away by illusory information the very theory of direct proof becomes faulty.
According to us all black is darkest among all colors and that there is nothing like white color. Yet the reality is bang opposite to or above observations. Black color is perceived when no other color is experienced and an admixture of the 7 colors is white color. Darkness in reality can be called ‘just about nothing’ when it is perceived as blackness. Hence the state of no-thinking is experienced. Vaisheshik Darshan (Indian Philosophy) does not accept darkness to be material in nature. Other philosophers emphatically proclaim darkness to be a principle. Darkness absorbs all light rays in its womb. Thus nothing is experienced by us due to the resultant darkness.
Those objects that are incapable of absorbing any color appear white in color. All the unabsorbed colors get reflected from the object and enter our eyes. All these colors being an admixture appear white to our eyes. This is indeed an irony as to how our eyes get deluded. From the worldly transaction standpoint we cannot ignore our sense experiences but from the absolute standpoint our sense organs and mind are all the time giving us illusory information. The question torments us all as to how could we ignore modern scientific achievements like technology etc. Heaviness, lightness, darkness etc are definitely great puzzles. Darkness is sometimes very intense and elsewhere it is very little. All this depends on how much light is absorbed in a particular area. The proof that black color results when an object absorbs all colors lies in the fact that in daylight it becomes hotter with greater speed in comparison to objects of other hues.
Now the question arises as to where the 7 colors present in solar rays come from? The answer to this question becomes even stranger. The difference of the width of light waves gives an illusory effect called color. In reality the very concept of color is non-existent in the entire cosmos. What we see as color (red, blue etc) is in fact sheer illusion.
Light is nothing but electro magnetic waves. The width of each type of wave is different. Hence our intellect experiences their resultant effect variedly. These varied experiences give us illusory information of various colors. The 7 colors and their resultant colors due admixture is nothing but the experience of the intellect which is exposed to waves of varying widths. Principally colors have no absolute existence.
Our wonderment does not end here. The world of colors is gigantic and in this melee our identity is very small in stature. All else remains very much ignored. In an area of 1 inch the number of red waves present is 33,000. In 1 inch area green colored waves number to 16,000. In 1 inch infra red waves only 80 are present. As against this the widths of radio waves vary between 20 to 2000 miles. All this is with reference to excess width. If we deal with very small widths an example that comes to mind is light green colored waves. A 1 inch area holds 2 million of these waves. A 1 inch area holds more than 0.5 billion of X-ray waves and 220 arabs of Gamma rays. Despite this their movements are similar i.e. these different waves move at a speed of 186,000 miles/sec.
Instead of seeing the abovementioned light rays with scientific apparatus if our eyes had the capacity to see them with naked eyes one would be amazed that instead of the 7 colors perceived today we would be capable if visualizing 469 (67×7) other new colors. Today modern science has unearthed only 7 basic colors (VIBGYOR) which on mixing give other innumerable hues.
One gets a glimpse of the illusory nature of the concept called color when we see the red ball of sun shining in the early morning hours of the day. The sun in fact is colorless but during early morning hour it is not vertically up in the sky and is in fact diagonal. Hence its rays have to cover a greater distance in the Earth’s atmosphere. While traveling thus these rays come across a lot of dust particles which cannot absorb the color red. Thus by the time the rays reach our eyes the red reflected color enters them and we say that the ball of sun is red.
How our eyes and frail intellect fall a prey to illusion is proved via the concept of color. In other areas of life too our senses and intellect get deluded intensely. In a certain sense they have totally misled us as far as life’s nature and goal is concerned. They wrongly tell us that material objects are the ultimate reality and that attaining them is the sole goal of life. They also falsely induce us to accept that the vicious cycle of transitory pleasures and pain are a part and parcel of life and that there is no cure in sight. If only one could attain divine wisdom i.e. God/Self Realization could one realize that this world of material objects is one long painful dream and hence illusory. True bliss is attained only via divine wisdom and that too for eternity.
Indian Vedanta Philosophy calls this world Maya (illusion from the absolute standpoint). It says that this world is a long painful dream. This does not however mean that the objects perceived and used by us have no existence at all. In the present tense these objects very much do exist but the fact is that they were not there in the past and that they will not exist in future. If this were not the case why would the Theory of Karma (actions) be valid? What need would there be of performing meritorious deeds (Punya) and enduring hardships while performing penance? What then would be the difference between a man working hard daily and another remaining idle and indolent? Why would one aspire to imbibe great ideals and human values in life? Why would one abstain from and fear illegal and unwholesome acts?
According to Vedanta Philosophy Maya means that which is not real principally. The world appears real in a superficial/relative sense but it is non-existent from the absolute standpoint. The question asked is whether the material world perceived by us all is in fact real from the absolute standpoint? The answer is that whatever we perceive with our 5 sense organs is not exactly as it appears to us. Our intellect collects information based on the directives given by our sense organs. But the problem is that time and again our senses fall prey to illusion and hence the information gathered by our intellect is not free from error.
When we consume alcohol, drugs etc our inner intoxicated state does not allow an apt contact between the sense organs and our brain. The result being that our senses say one thing and our intellect interprets information erroneously. An intoxicated state does not allow a person to think, talk, view things etc aptly. There are other more intense intoxicants which induce our brains to become that much more deluded (example cocaine, LSD etc).
Ordinarily even in our daily lives we experience certain situations etc which cannot be called real from the absolute standpoint. Are the scenes perceived on the movie screen absolutely true? Individual static pictures move so speedily one after another that our eyes falsely visualize them as ‘moving’. That is we see actors walking, talking, running etc. The speech of actors heard by us actually comes from another audio gadget. It is the light from the projector that helps us see various scenes on the movie screen. Thus movies too are illusory from the absolute standpoint.
A moviegoer least realizes that he has spent 3 hours in a maze of cinema technology. All his emotional experiences like sorrow, joy etc experienced while seeing a movie are nothing short of an illusion. There was no real event experienced in a movie theatre. It was only the movie projector that created illusory scenes on the screen which made people cry, laugh etc. The moviegoer falsely thinks these scenes to be real events and hence gives vent to his/her emotions. Maya is nothing but the sense organs falling prey to illusory situations and looking upon them as real in an absolute manner. From a gross standpoint Maya is ‘real’. If this were not the case how could movie projectors and hence scientific technology induce emotional and other experiences in the bosoms of people using them? If one delves deeper on this subject movies can be called a mesh of illusion due to the efficiency of technology and the fact that our eyes are as a result unable to pinpoint this illusory effect of technology (movie projector). Both these aspects are right in their own way. The fact that this material world is very much tangible its events too are very vividly experienced by us. Hence at the gross level these events appear real but a deeper analysis tells us that relatively this material world and its events are real but certainly not from the absolute standpoint. In fact from the absolute standpoint this world and its events are illusory like a dream.
It is very clear that material objects are but the manifestation of various permutations and combinations of varieties of molecules. Every atom is moving speedily. In this manner all atoms of various objects are moving at amazing speeds. Despite this our naked eyes fail to perceive this movement and instead say that all objects are inert and motionless. The same thing happens to our planet Earth. 1) Earth rotates on its axis very speedily. 2) It revolves around the sun. 3) Along with the solar system it circumambulates the super sun. 4) While moving thus its movement is akin to a rotating top which sways on either side. 5) While moving in the cosmos it goes far away from its previous position in inter stellar space. Thus the Earth moves in 5 ways as mentioned above. This ‘ecstatic dance’ of Earth is not experienced by us at all and we erroneously believe that right from our birth to death our planet has remained static in its appointed place in inter stellar space. It is only when our intellect starts deeply analyzing the ‘direct proof’ given by our sense organs that it will realize that in the absolute sense they are misleading us totally. This ‘direct proof’ is only relatively true that helps us carry out our worldly transactions but from the absolute standpoint it is totally null and void. In Vedanata Philosophy this power of illusion which induces our senses, mind and intellect to experience the material world as real from the absolute standpoint is called Maya. Maya means existence of the world only in the ‘now’ or present tense and hence the world did not exist in the past and will not do so in future. This is like a dream which appears true temporarily but disappears the moment you wake up. Our daily dreams are for a few hours only but the dream of Maya lasts for eons together. It is only when spiritual wisdom dawns in our heart can this terrible dream of Maya end.
The reflections of the sun and moon can be seen in ponds, rivers etc. and it appears as though their waters are dazzling with light. Their reflection falls on every rising wave and hence we erroneously see many moons and suns dancing on each wave. A man traveling in a train wrongly thinks that he is seated motionlessly and that the trees, stars in the sky etc perceived by him outside the moving train are moving speedily in various directions. The question to be answered is that are all these experiences true or illusory?
Many of us get dreams at night. The events seen in a dream seem very real while the dream lasts. At that time we feel joyful, sorrowful etc. While dreaming we sometimes yell etc also. But as soon as you wake up you realize that all the events seen in the dream are actually non-existent. In the dream it was our subconscious mind that weaved various movie-like events which appeared very vivid while the dream lasted. Our subconscious mind and intellect was fooled into thinking that the dream events were tangible and real.
If you trek in a dark forest the bushes appear to be ghosts. A rope seen in very dim light appears to be a snake. A mirage in a dessert gives an appearance of a water pond from a distance. All these vivid experiences are far from what they appear to be. Gigantic air planes flying very high up in the sky look like tiny birds from the ground level. There are stars far away in inter stellar space which are n-times larger than planet Earth and more brilliant than the sun. Despite this we denizens of Earth perceive these stars to be like a small flame lamp. The question that needs to be answered seriously is whether all the above experiences of our naked eyes are as real as it appears to be? The same question arises with reference to other sense organs apart from the eyes. We have to perforce conclude that our sense organs have serious limitations while interpreting external worldly events and that there are many instances as mentioned above where the information gathered by them is nothing short of an illusion. When someone gets fever in the winter season he/she experiences heat and in summer he/she experiences cold. When one feels nauseous even a delicious cake appears bitter. A bout of common cold makes us experience foul smell all round us. An attack of jaundice makes our eyes yellowish and objects perceived by the eyes appear yellow in hue. The question asked is that are all these ‘tangible experiences’ true in the ultimate sense?
The taste of an object is not exactly as it seems to be. For example neem leaves seem bitter to a healthy human being but for a camel it is tasty food. The reason why one particular food item tastes differently to animals, birds etc of various species is that the overall designing of their taste buds differ. When food enters our mouth these taste buds experience a particular reaction depending on its anatomical structure and this information is passed on to the brain. The brain then categorizes the taste as bitter, sweet etc. The actual chemical nature of the food eaten is very much different from the taste experienced by taste buds of various creatures of the world.
Anatomists tell us that the body is made up of billions of cells. Amongst these many die and many more are produced. This trend goes on continuously and time and again old cells die which are then replaced by new cells. In this manner our bodies are transformed again and again. Older cells are destroyed and newer ones replace them. One could say that there is a permanent ‘graveyard’ in our body since old cells die continuously and that there is a permanent ‘womb’ because new cells are generated to replace dead cells. Despite this, what is amazing is that none of us are aware of these tremendous activities taking place in our own bodies on a continuous basis. Our 5 senses on whom we depend cent percent for our daily life’s transactions not only have no power to change external circumstances but that they fail miserably in even giving us information of our own inner bodily activities. Thus how can we emphatically say that our 5 senses give us ‘direct proof’ of various events taking place in the external world? Our intellect too is incapable of telling us whether our body is suffering from a particular disease or not. For this we have to take external help from the medical fraternity to diagnose our illnesses. Thus if our own intellect cannot inform us about our own inner bodily state how can one be so sure that its analysis of external worldly events would be error free?
Knowledge/wisdom is the most vital aspect of human lives. Hence it has to be apt and error free. If our consciousness gives us knowledge that is illusory and error prone know for sure that this consciousness has been veiled by the darkness of ignorance (Ajnana). If this veil of ignorance is not lifted and destroyed our consciousness is bound to lead us astray in this world of illusion not for merely one life but for innumerous lives put together. This veil of ignorance is called Maya in Vedanta Philosophy which is the root cause of strife and pain undergone by spiritually ignorant human beings. Maya is not some external object or event of sorrow in the external world. Maya is the deluded state of our individual minds. If we succeed individually in lifting this veil of ignorance i.e. Maya our bondage to the material world will be cut asunder eternally. Salvation which is the eternal limitless fount of spiritual bliss (Ananda) can be attained by just about anyone and everyone.

Sin is not the problem in your life even though you may have been told that over and over! The problem lies in your reaction to your own failures that lies deep in your psyche, given to you by your parents. The solution to the sin problem is really very easy! Remember the words of Jesus in Matthews 11:30, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Our Bend Towards Sin…

Before we examine the most popular religious myths, I want to spend some time on what I call the Sin Cycle. It is crucial that you understand what you have inherited from just being a human being. First we know that we have received our sin nature from our parents and they received it from their parents and so on all the way back to the first humans. But there is something else that has been passed down to you that you may not be aware of.  

Our sin nature is a given, we can’t escape the effects of it. We all sin and continually come short of the glory of God! Besides our bend towards sin, we have also inherited some destructive behavior that keeps us from experiencing the kind of unbroken fellowship with God that man had before the first sin. I want to spend some time with you and let you in on revelation that I’ve received over the years about how we should deal with the fact that we are in a fallen world with our flesh being part of the corruption. What I want to focus on here is how we handle ourselves when we find ourselves in disobedience to God or in sin.  

In order to understand why the world is in the shape it’s in and why it is so difficult for mankind to get back to a place of trusting God we need to take a look at the first act of disobedience and how it affected the first man and first woman, Adam and Eve.  

We all know the story of Adam and Eve, their creation and subsequent disobedience, and how sin came to be in the world. If we examine the first act of disobedience and how it affected the first humans, we can see a pattern that is now part of the human soul, deeply engrained in our humanity that keeps us from ever really trusting God and getting back to that intimate relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God before their disobedience.  

Jesus came to live with us on Earth so that He could empathize with our plight and be the advocate for us that was necessary to restore what Adam and Eve lost by their original disobedience. I want to invite you to examine with me the cycle that began on the day of man’s first act of disobedience and then became part of the human experience for all of the descendants of the first man and woman.

I want to show you the cause of your frustration and feeling of inadequacy but more important, I want to give you the cure! There is an easy way, given to us by God, to break this cycle and live a fulfilled life much like Adam and Eve had in the beginning.  

“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”  Romans 5:9-13  

Through Jesus we have received “the atonement”. The word atonement in verse eleven simply means restoration. For something to be restored there must be a previous state to restore it to. In this case the previous state was the state of man’s relationship with God before the first act of disobedience. God, through Jesus brought complete restoration to that state of oneness with God!  

You may be thinking to yourself, “If God restored everything back to what it was, then why do I feel so distant from God?” The truth is God has already finished this restoration for all of mankind by the complete work that Jesus accomplished while He was on Earth. It’s just a matter of understanding how to break the cycle that kept the first couple from unbroken fellowship with God and still works today to keep us in the same state of confusion.  

Let’s take a look at the first sin and the reaction of Adam and Eve that is now ingrained in the human psyche and causes us to never feel really connected to God. Notice the subtitles, this is the sin cycle: clear=”all”

Sin  

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Gen 3:6 KJV  

Shame

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Gen 3:7 KJV  

Separation  

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” Gen 3:8 KJV  

Separation Anxiety  

“And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Gen 3:9-10 KJV

Self Righteousness  

“And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Gen 3:11-13 KJV  

I am going to take you step by step, verse by verse through this cycle in order to show you what you will see as an undeniable pattern that not only occurred when the original sin first took place, but has since become part of the interaction between man and God until this day.  

First Eve disobeyed God. In verse six above she ate the fruit that God had forbidden her to eat, then she shared it with Adam. Sin entered the world for the first time since creation. Many events took place as a result of that sin, but the focus of our investigation today is only on the reaction of Adam and Eve, their attitude towards God, and God’s response to their disobedience.  

In verse seven we see that they suddenly felt the Shame of not wearing clothes. This is an indication that they were ashamed of their disobedience with an outward result of realizing that they needed to be covered. Notice in the next verse that they actually hid from God in the bushes.   The shame was not caused by the fact that they didn’t have clothes on, we know this because it obviously wasn’t an issue before they disobeyed God. Their shame was in their disobedience.  

In verse eight we see God pictured as walking in the garden in the cool of the day, just like He did before!The shame caused by their disobedience had triggered something in Adam and Eve. They were now hiding from their creator with whom they had enjoyed intimate relationship with. Separation from God was a result of the shame they felt for doing something God had told them not to do.  

In verse eight we also see the anxiety produced by the separation. In their minds they were now fearful of God and hid in an attempt to cover their sin. Separation Anxiety came as a result of their decision to hide from God after they had disobeyed God.  

In verses eleven through thirteen we see the result of this Separation Anxiety, Self Righteousness. They began to look for a scapegoat, someone they could blame for their failure to keep God’s instructions. Adam blamed Eve, and then Eve blamed the serpent.  

This cycle of sin to self righteousness has been present in the human experience ever since that day and is a continual force working to keep you and me from ever experiencing that intimate connection with God that the first humans experienced just after their creation. In the next article, “The Sin Cycle, How to Break it”, I will show you how I learned to break this cycle at the shame level and live in constant relationship with God, experiencing all of the goodness of God all of the time!

I took a tutorial and it doesnt help. can anyone give me tips to do it or how to? or can do it themselves?

When God created marriage he intended for it to be beautiful. It was designed for companionship. Marriage was not meant to seem like a sentence. It was not meant to be full of on going drudgery. Nor was it meant to neither suffocate, smother, nor repress each others unique individuality. It was made so the realization of “two becoming one flesh” could be realized.  It was meant to help mature and grow a man/woman in a husband/wife relationship. To learn how to love, submit, commit, respect, and learn together what it means to work through and out of difficulties as well as enjoy great experiences within the confines of a committed relationship.  Having healthy good communication is an important component within a good marriage.  I want to encourage you to make it a priority to learn how to effectively communicate to one another.  To know where one another are, to consider each others opinions, to be objective and express your self freely. It is important to make a conscious effort to treat your partner with respect. This does not mean that you have to agree on everything. This communicates I care enough to take the time to really get to know you.  Having each others best interest at heart is also important.  You should also be able to express your concerns if you feel they may be making a wrong decision.  When expressing yourself say “I feel” or “I think” in expressing your point of view. You also want to learn to admit when you are in error.  No one is right all the time.  Part of being a good spouse is saying and doing at times what no one else will. You both have a responsibility to fulfill your commitment to one another as well as to the Lord. 

Marriage was really designed as a partnership to help you become all that you were meant to be.  Many couples often live as strangers. Within the boundaries of marriage you should grow to be able to spiritually, mentally, emotionally and yes physically openly learn to express your deepest inner thoughts in a healthy way.  It is important to really get to know this person you have committed to.  Ask yourself do you honor God in your relationship? Is submission a part of your marriage?  It is important to include and seek the Lord’s direction and trust Him to teach you how to build a healthy relationship.  It is never too late to start if you have not already. Does your marriage include intimacy? God our Creator is a God of order.  You should never get to the place where you think you do not need to consult the Lord. 

God made the heavens and the earth which were spoken into existence through His Word. The Word became flesh and “dwelt among us”. The Word as revealed in the scriptures tells us He is Jesus Christ. (See John 1)  After creating the man from the dust of the earth God took the man He had created and placed him in the garden to take care of it.   The one thing that Adam did not have was a companion “a suitable helper.”  All the animals that God made already had partners. No doubt that Adam was brilliantly intelligent. Adam personally named all the animals. God caused Adam to go into a deep sleep and from within Adam He took one of His rib bones and made him a woman.  She was taken from within Adam to be with Him as his God given partner.  Someone to share his life with.  Adam named her Eve. Initially they were open and not ashamed. They were even physically naked.  It was not until after they had disobeyed God that they actually realized they were naked.  (See the rest of the story in Genesis) 

We are all naked before God. He knows us from the inside out. God is Omniscient meaning all knowing.  There is absolutely nothing He does not know. Think about it for a moment, does not our Creator/ Manufacturer know our intended purpose? So why is it we do not consult Him whenever a problem, situation or issue arises?  You listen to everyone else? God did not intend for us to look to the world for a marriage model.  This is one of the major reasons why nearly 60% of marriages don’t succeed.  I have been observing marriage relational dynamics for many years. No two marriages are alike. We are all very different.  But God’s principles must be included if you really want your relationship to succeed.

One of the biggest problems in marriage or any other relationship really is poor communication.   To communicate means to convey a thought, idea or relay information clearly. To transport information so that it is satisfactorily received or understood.  Listening is crucial; it is a necessary component when one desires to effectively communicate.  Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Good healthy communication manifests when you are able to openly connect with who ever you are trying to communicate to.

Many problems and issues arise, when the time is not taken to communicate directly to each other this only further compacts the situation.  If you have not taken the time to develop intimate communication with your spouse now is the time to get started. How do I do this?  Stop hiding behind issues and past hurts.  Get over them. Stop hanging on to the things that you cannot change. This does not mean that you forget.  It means that you no longer hold whatever has happened against them.  You instead choose to become wiser from whatever has transpired.  When past issues become current issues what do you do?  You must deal with them. Don’t allow too much time to go by.

Confrontation in marriage is important.  Otherwise the issue will become cancerous and nibble at the core of your relationship. The marital relationship was really designed to encourage transparency.  This encourages and develops trust and intimacy. Intimacy will give you a responsible freedom because you are able to trust one another. It is really important to pray for as well as with one another. In many cases there have been such poor marriage role models that you simply do not know what to do.  Many people who are married are lonely. This really does not have to be. Don’t settle for a superficial relationship that is on for public view.  Think about it God is always present! Learn to live on a deeper level.  Learn to become sensitive to one another’s needs. Your needs are important but not to the extent that you overlook the needs of your spouse. Some needs have exclusively been reserved to be met only within marriage. This does not mean that you can, nor are you responsible for the fulfillment of all of their needs. 

Don’t just assume that your spouse knows something, or is happy or….. Many have just not learned the benefits of being open in marriage.  (This is not at all the same as having an open marriage.  In that case why marry at all?)  It takes time to develop and build effective communication.  How well do you really know this person you have committed to? Being open is the catalyst that ajars the door for developing effective communication.  One must learn to listen as well, in order to effectively communicate. Don’t think short term, think long term. Get to know this person that you have committed to love, honor and ……..   Or was that too just for the people? Don’t always mentally construct your response or rebuttal as you listen.  Let it be your goal to attentively listen to whatever your spouse or anyone is trying to convey to you. If you are really interested in improving your relationship you must also learn how to listen. Taking the time to listen attentively to how your spouse feels validates that you care, value and are genuinely concerned about them. This helps them to open up. Remember, God intended for your spouse to be your “helpmeet”.  Listening effectively is an art.  The next time you talk to them really listen. Check yourself out and see how well you listen?  If necessary repeat what they have said to confirm you heard correctly what they were trying to convey.  Don’t always personalize everything they say.  This will help you dispel erroneous and distorted conclusions or assumptions.  Effective listening says you really want to hear what is being conveyed.

A good strong marriage or any other relationship for that matter consists of good communication. You do not have to agree with what is being conveyed.  Sometimes just being a sounding board is necessary.   You want to create an environment in which you do not have to feel like you are walking on egg shells. A major complaint in marriage is that my spouse does not understand me.  Do you understand your spouse?  Don’t make it a habit of always waiting until you are angry to fuel your ability to say how you feel. Plan ahead a time when you together can talk about whatever concerns you.  Here is the opportunity to acquire some self-control skills. Think about it. Flying off the handle is really letting someone control you by remote. In this case your emotions only get the best of you and you impulsively say a lot of stuff that you can’t take back.  You have actually stored it up, and bottled it up, to the point that it has fermented and become toxic. When this is the case it often results in flaring hot tempers which just usually yields more hurt feelings.  If this is the case change is necessary in order to develop a healthier way to communicate.

The scriptures tell us “to be angry and sin not.” God does not tell us to do something that is not possible. Think about it now that you are calm and centered.  Your feelings are important; they do need to be validated.  Exercising self control strengthens your ability to not let your feelings control you. You should really want to create an environment where both of you can openly share how you feel.  You also want to be able to freely express yourself even when you don’t agree about something.  When you are always usually fueled by anger to express yourself it often leads to a breakdown or barrier in the relationship. Please don’t use that “nobody’s perfect” excuse to justify your ranting and ravings.  Self control is a virtue.  This does not mean that you stuff how you feel and just let any and everyone walk over you.  It means that the majority of the time you choose to decide how you want to respond or not respond or simply just overlook.  Rather than to just simply react. Don’t make everything an issue. Just observe what happens when and if you go off.  Does it get the results you want? Do you really feel better?  Or in fact have you just created another barrier? Sometimes no one wants to confront you and tell you if this is the way you are… Confrontation is a healthy part of communication.  Constructive criticism really is a good thing. Getting the Lord involved always helps. He is always there.  But you are given the free will to choose.  You build self control as you exercise it in your life. This also helps to foster an environment in which you can build a healthier stronger marriage. Don’t ever take one another for granted.  If you have; change it.  You do not have to continue to live with dysfunction. The correct way to point the finger is in both directions. The good thing about God it’s never too late to change. Are you happy with the way that you communicate with your spouse? Is there room for improvement?  Take some time and think about it?  There is always room for improvement. Don’t let pride take the forefront in your relationship.

I know that yes, girl can become pregnant if she is naked and the guy’s sperm gets around her bottom area…so when you are naked with a guy and you are messing around, what do you do to not get pregnant. You let him wear condom?

Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of cancer, car accident, traffic unsafely, stress, liver cirrhosis and violence. Also, drinking alcohol is risky for pregnant women.

The first religious drinking law was passed in New York in 1697, and it ordered all public drinking areas be closed on Sunday.

By the late 1820’s, complete restraint from all alcoholic drinks was a key rule of nearly all of the evangelical churches. During this time, people disputed that alcohol was an implement of Satan, and the drink soon named as “demon rum” and “Lucifer Liquids”. The churches had a larger effect when they tried to affect behavior to reduce demand for alcohol rather than trying to limit supply of alcohol. Some people thought that no one should drink. Command was revolving into Prohibition and this got the churches into politics.

Throughout the history of mankind, there are many victims of drinking alcohol.

The First Glass of Wine in the Bible:

According to the Bible, the first victim of drinking alcohol was Noah and his grandson, Canaan, the son of Ham, the son of Noah.

The Bible declares that Noah was “Perfect”

Genesis 6:9

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 7:1

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

In seven different versions as Perfect while in the other versions it is translated as: Blameless, Good man, without blame and “lived right and obeyed God.”

The “Perfect, just and righteous” Noah as the Bible said plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and lies around naked in his tent. His son, Ham, happens to see his father in this condition. When Noah awoke and heard “what his young son had done unto him” (what did he do besides look at him?), he curses not Ham, who “saw the nakedness of his father,” but Ham’s son, Canaan. “A servant of servants shall he (Canaan) be unto his brethren.” This is a typical case of biblical injustice, and is one of many Bible passages that have been used to justify slavery.

Now have a look at Genesis 9:

1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

5And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

10And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

11And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

12And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

17And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

18And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

19These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

20And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Traditionally, it is held that Ham was one of the sons of Noah who moved into Africa and parts of the Middle East, and was the forefather of the nations there. The Bible presents Egypt as “the land of Ham” (in Psalms 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22).

According to Genesis 9:20–25, Noah began to raise grapes after the flood, and became drunk one day. While drunk, he lay naked in his tent. Ham saw his father naked, and told his brothers Shem and Japheth about it. Shem and Japheth went into the tent with their faces away from him, and covered him. When Noah awoke, he realized what had had been done to him, and cursed Canaan, son of Ham, to be the “servant of servants” of Shem and Japheth.

Nevertheless, Genesis 9 denies the basic Human Rights because:

1- slavery is immoral and wicked.

2- cursing all of an individual’s descendents into perpetual slavery because of an inappropriate act by an ancestor is immoral.

3- laying a curse on the son of the person who committed the act is immoral and dishonest.

The extent of the outcome of this passage is horrible.

This passage:

1- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of Racism; and the creation of the “Hamitic” ethno-linguistic group during the European exploration of Africa.

2- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of color discrimination

3- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of slavery of the Africans and emphasizes Biblical justification for slavery.

4- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of Israel-Palestinian conflicts, because Canaan is the father of the Palestinians.

Christians traditionally believed that Canaan had settled in Africa. The dark skin of Africans became associated with this “curse of Ham.” Thus slavery of Africans became religiously justifiable.

But in ancient times, cursing a whole race into slavery was considered acceptable because it was in the Bible. The American slave owner felt that he was carrying out God’s plan by buying and using slaves.

Unfortunately, many millions of innocent people had been killed, slaved and abused because of the Biblical passage of Genesis 9.

The First Glass of Wine in the Quran:

What the Quran says about the First Glass of Wine?

The Quran absolutely denies this story of Genesis 9.

This topic has many important aspects that are important to mankind e.g. Human Rights, Racism, Color discrimination, Humanity, Politics etc., that is why, it deserves a separate article.

Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1- 55); this is my question to you smart readers: “Is the Quran quoted from the Bible “? In respect to the topic of the First Glass of Wine; I recommend reading my next article about Noah.

Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of cancer, car accident, traffic unsafely, stress, liver cirrhosis and violence. Also, drinking alcohol is risky for pregnant women.

The first religious drinking law was passed in New York in 1697, and it ordered all public drinking areas be closed on Sunday.

By the late 1820’s, complete restraint from all alcoholic drinks was a key rule of nearly all of the evangelical churches. During this time, people disputed that alcohol was an implement of Satan, and the drink soon named as “demon rum” and “Lucifer Liquids”. The churches had a larger effect when they tried to affect behavior to reduce demand for alcohol rather than trying to limit supply of alcohol. Some people thought that no one should drink. Command was revolving into Prohibition and this got the churches into politics.

Throughout the history of mankind, there are many victims of drinking alcohol.

The First Glass of Wine in the Bible:

According to the Bible, the first victim of drinking alcohol was Noah and his grandson, Canaan, the son of Ham, the son of Noah.

The Bible declares that Noah was “Perfect”

Genesis 6:9

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 7:1

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

In seven different versions as Perfect while in the other versions it is translated as: Blameless, Good man, without blame and “lived right and obeyed God.”

The “Perfect, just and righteous” Noah as the Bible said plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and lies around naked in his tent. His son, Ham, happens to see his father in this condition. When Noah awoke and heard “what his young son had done unto him” (what did he do besides look at him?), he curses not Ham, who “saw the nakedness of his father,” but Ham’s son, Canaan. “A servant of servants shall he (Canaan) be unto his brethren.” This is a typical case of biblical injustice, and is one of many Bible passages that have been used to justify slavery.

Now have a look at Genesis 9:

1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

5And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

10And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

11And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

12And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

17And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

18And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

19These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

20And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Traditionally, it is held that Ham was one of the sons of Noah who moved into Africa and parts of the Middle East, and was the forefather of the nations there. The Bible presents Egypt as “the land of Ham” (in Psalms 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22).

According to Genesis 9:20–25, Noah began to raise grapes after the flood, and became drunk one day. While drunk, he lay naked in his tent. Ham saw his father naked, and told his brothers Shem and Japheth about it. Shem and Japheth went into the tent with their faces away from him, and covered him. When Noah awoke, he realized what had had been done to him, and cursed Canaan, son of Ham, to be the “servant of servants” of Shem and Japheth.

Nevertheless, Genesis 9 denies the basic Human Rights because:

1- slavery is immoral and wicked.

2- cursing all of an individual’s descendents into perpetual slavery because of an inappropriate act by an ancestor is immoral.

3- laying a curse on the son of the person who committed the act is immoral and dishonest.

The extent of the outcome of this passage is horrible.

This passage:

1- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of Racism; and the creation of the “Hamitic” ethno-linguistic group during the European exploration of Africa.

2- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of color discrimination

3- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of slavery of the Africans and emphasizes Biblical justification for slavery.

4- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of Israel-Palestinian conflicts, because Canaan is the father of the Palestinians.

Christians traditionally believed that Canaan had settled in Africa. The dark skin of Africans became associated with this “curse of Ham.” Thus slavery of Africans became religiously justifiable.

But in ancient times, cursing a whole race into slavery was considered acceptable because it was in the Bible. The American slave owner felt that he was carrying out God’s plan by buying and using slaves.

Unfortunately, many millions of innocent people had been killed, slaved and abused because of the Biblical passage of Genesis 9.

The First Glass of Wine in the Quran:

What the Quran says about the First Glass of Wine?

The Quran absolutely denies this story of Genesis 9.

This topic has many important aspects that are important to mankind e.g. Human Rights, Racism, Color discrimination, Humanity, Politics etc., that is why, it deserves a separate article.

Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1- 55); this is my question to you smart readers: “Is the Quran quoted from the Bible “? In respect to the topic of the First Glass of Wine; I recommend reading my next article about Noah.

I don’t imagine he’ll stick handle forever…

Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of cancer, car accident, traffic unsafely, stress, liver cirrhosis and violence. Also, drinking alcohol is risky for pregnant women.

The first religious drinking law was passed in New York in 1697, and it ordered all public drinking areas be closed on Sunday.

By the late 1820’s, complete restraint from all alcoholic drinks was a key rule of nearly all of the evangelical churches. During this time, people disputed that alcohol was an implement of Satan, and the drink soon named as “demon rum” and “Lucifer Liquids”. The churches had a larger effect when they tried to affect behavior to reduce demand for alcohol rather than trying to limit supply of alcohol. Some people thought that no one should drink. Command was revolving into Prohibition and this got the churches into politics.

Throughout the history of mankind, there are many victims of drinking alcohol.

The First Glass of Wine in the Bible:

According to the Bible, the first victim of drinking alcohol was Noah and his grandson, Canaan, the son of Ham, the son of Noah.

The Bible declares that Noah was “Perfect”

Genesis 6:9

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 7:1

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

In seven different versions as Perfect while in the other versions it is translated as: Blameless, Good man, without blame and “lived right and obeyed God.”

The “Perfect, just and righteous” Noah as the Bible said plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and lies around naked in his tent. His son, Ham, happens to see his father in this condition. When Noah awoke and heard “what his young son had done unto him” (what did he do besides look at him?), he curses not Ham, who “saw the nakedness of his father,” but Ham’s son, Canaan. “A servant of servants shall he (Canaan) be unto his brethren.” This is a typical case of biblical injustice, and is one of many Bible passages that have been used to justify slavery.

Now have a look at Genesis 9:

1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

5And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

10And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

11And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

12And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

17And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

18And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

19These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

20And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Traditionally, it is held that Ham was one of the sons of Noah who moved into Africa and parts of the Middle East, and was the forefather of the nations there. The Bible presents Egypt as “the land of Ham” (in Psalms 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22).

According to Genesis 9:20–25, Noah began to raise grapes after the flood, and became drunk one day. While drunk, he lay naked in his tent. Ham saw his father naked, and told his brothers Shem and Japheth about it. Shem and Japheth went into the tent with their faces away from him, and covered him. When Noah awoke, he realized what had had been done to him, and cursed Canaan, son of Ham, to be the “servant of servants” of Shem and Japheth.

Nevertheless, Genesis 9 denies the basic Human Rights because:

1- slavery is immoral and wicked.

2- cursing all of an individual’s descendents into perpetual slavery because of an inappropriate act by an ancestor is immoral.

3- laying a curse on the son of the person who committed the act is immoral and dishonest.

The extent of the outcome of this passage is horrible.

This passage:

1- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of Racism; and the creation of the “Hamitic” ethno-linguistic group during the European exploration of Africa.

2- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of color discrimination

3- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of slavery of the Africans and emphasizes Biblical justification for slavery.

4- Religiously justify the shameful phenomenon of Israel-Palestinian conflicts, because Canaan is the father of the Palestinians.

Christians traditionally believed that Canaan had settled in Africa. The dark skin of Africans became associated with this “curse of Ham.” Thus slavery of Africans became religiously justifiable.

But in ancient times, cursing a whole race into slavery was considered acceptable because it was in the Bible. The American slave owner felt that he was carrying out God’s plan by buying and using slaves.

Unfortunately, many millions of innocent people had been killed, slaved and abused because of the Biblical passage of Genesis 9.

The First Glass of Wine in the Quran:

What the Quran says about the First Glass of Wine?

The Quran absolutely denies this story of Genesis 9.

This topic has many important aspects that are important to mankind e.g. Human Rights, Racism, Color discrimination, Humanity, Politics etc., that is why, it deserves a separate article.

Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1- 55); this is my question to you smart readers: “Is the Quran quoted from the Bible “? In respect to the topic of the First Glass of Wine; I recommend reading my next article about Noah.