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Winter Solstice and It’s Impact on Humans

19 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by Paul Kiser in All Rights Reserved, Astronomy, History, Lessons of Life, Life, Milestone, Nevada, Religion, Science, Spring, United States

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Christmas, Earth tilt, religion, religious beliefs, religious celebrations, winter season, winter solstice

Winter Solstice:  Annual Test of Survival

The northern hemisphere’s Winter Solstice has had a major impact on civilizations in Europe, Asia, and North America. Early humans on these continents felt the fear and uncertainty as days became shorter and cold limited the availability of food and other life-sustaining resources. Each year the question had to be asked: “Will we survive?”

‘High Noon’ at 39° North latitude in mid-December

Every year, the Sun’s daily crossing sank lower and lower in the southern sky until it slowed and then stopped sinking. After a few weeks, the arc of the Sun began to slowly rise, bringing longer days followed by warmer temperatures. Spring returned and food and resources became more plentiful.

It is easy to understand so many pagan rituals and celebrations in northern cultures occurred near the shortest day of the year. It is also easy to understand why many religions adopted or adapted the solstice pagan rituals as their own. Most notably Christmas was conveniently established on or near the same day as the Roman observances of the season.

…around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome…In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of  Mithra, on December 25. Mithra was an ancient Persian [infant] god of light…

History.com 2017

December Winter Solstice: It’s a Upper North Thing

Winter Solstice of the northern hemisphere is a regional phenomenon. People who live between 25° north and 25° south latitude cannot be faulted for feeling that it is a non-event. Their length of day between Summer and Winter is relatively insignificant compared to the drastic changes experienced by people farther north.

For people in the southern hemisphere, our Winter Solstice is their Summer Solstice. In fact, the Earth is closest to the Sun in late December and early January so the dark, cold days of our Winter Solstice are completely contrary to everything they experience at that time of year.

Where the Winter Solstice Shaped Religion

Did the Winter Solstice Reinforce Religious Authority?

Europe and the Middle East civilizations would have felt the impact of the Winter season. Each year people would be faced with ever-worsening conditions, possibly creating life-threatening situations. People who had experienced many solstices may have become oracles of hope by predicting a return to longer days and warmer weather.

The wise predictors of the return of the longer days would have seemed mystical leading to dependence on their guidance in all matters of life. It would be understandable that people who had no concept of how Earth’s seasonal cycles might begin to see an older person as magical when they consistently predicted the end of the cold and shorter days.

Knowledge of the Winter Solstice, cycles of the Moon, and other astronomical cycles would give rise to religious followers who felt their lives might be dependent on the whims and good graces of deities. By the time these religious movements expanded to regions South of the 25th latitude, they were massive social organizations that offered meaning and explanations to life.

South American Cultures Largely Ignored the Solstices

It is noteworthy that Mayan, Incan, and Astec civilizations observed and followed the apparent movement of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars; however, there was no corresponding celebration or significance to the Winter Solstice in either the northern or southern hemispheres. Astronomy was important in determining the best conditions for planting crops; however, that time was influenced by ideal weather conditions (rainy or dry seasons) rather than a time that would correspond to the Spring planting conditions in the northern hemisphere.

The Reason For the Season

Clearly the northern Winter Solstice does not have a worldwide impact; however, for cultures above 25° North latitude, it has been a vital observance. The Winter Solstice has provided hope and reassurance of better days to come. While northern religions largely ignore the Winter Solstice as having any connection to their winter traditions, there is no doubt that it is the origin of all religious rituals during this time of year.

Popes That Damned Women, Choice, and Humanity

21 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Kiser in 1968, Aging, Ethics, Generational, History, Politics, Privacy, Public Image, Public Relations, Relationships, Religion, Respect, Technology, US History, Women

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Anglican Communion, birth control, Catholic, Catholic Church, church, contraceptives, Lambeth Conference, Pope, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope Pius XI, population control, pregnancy, religion, Second Vatican Council, Vatican II, Women, women's choice, Women's Rights

Pope Pius XI in 1930 and Pope Paul VI in 1968 had opportunities to extract the Catholic Church from the debate on birth control options for women. Both Popes had religious councils that suggested women using contraception should be allowed under some circumstances. Both Popes rejected those opinions and strictly forbade women having medical options in preventing pregnancy. 

Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ordained 1920

Pope Paul VI as a new Catholic priest

By Brescia Photo – Instituto Paolo VI, Public Domain, Link

1930 – The Church Takes A Stand

In 1930, the Anglican Communion (the alliance of Churches associated with the Church of England) held their seventh conference known as the Lambeth Conference. This Conference, held once each decade, brought together representatives of the Anglican Churches around the world to discuss religious issues.

At the 7th Lambeth Conference the representatives, by a 193 to 67 (47 abstentions,) passed Resolution 15 that would allow certain methods of contraception provided it was, “…done in the light of the same Christian principles.”

The Catholic Church was not affected by this Resolution; however, Pope Pius XI felt he had to respond to the Conference’s Resolution with his own proclamation on New Year’s Eve the same year. For the first time in Church history, the Pope insisted that the only justifiable reason for sexual relations was for procreation. He said that anytime, “…the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature..” 

Pope Pius XI reaction to the Lambeth Conference was obviously his belief of the moral superiority of the Catholic Church, but 38 years later Pope Paul VI was not attempting to respond to actions of other churches. Instead, he was squelching his own committee that had been called to review the teachings of the Church.

Birth Control Guided Away From Vatican II

The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) was convened in October 1962 and ended in December 1966. It was established to assess the role of the Church in modern life. The decisions of the Council resulted in many changes to the Church doctrine, but women’s use of contraceptives was not one of the issues discussed. 

Some in the Church wanted to bring the issue of contraception methods into the discussions during Vatican II, but instead, Pope John XXIII established a commission in 1963, that reported directly to him. The task of the commission was to study questions of birth control and population. Pope John XXIII died later that year and Pope Paul VI continued the commission to its completion in 1966.

The commission, by a 64 to 5 vote determined that the use of medical contraceptives was an extension of the method of monitoring a woman’s fertility cycle and was not inherently evil. Information about the report was leaked to the media prior to publication and Catholics around the world began to believe the Church was about to liberalize the teachings regarding the use of birth control.

A Handful of Men Kill Women’s Choice

Despite the findings of the study, a minority report by four priests vehemently opposed the decision. They stated that if the Church’s position was reversed, it would mean the declarations of Pope Pius XI and other church leaders of the past would be seen as false teachings.

Pope Paul VI chose to follow the minority report and rejected the commission’s findings. He reaffirmed the Church’s position that women should not be able to prevent a pregnancy with contraceptives.

Why Did Pope Paul VI Reject the Findings?

The four most likely factors contributing to Pope Paul VI’s rejection are as follows:

  1. The Catholic Church has been consistent in discouraging the idea that worshipers have a personal relationship with God. The Church has preferred that personal choices should be made using the Church to guide them.
  2. A historical perspective in the Church that women are subservient to men and not worthy of positions of religious leadership; therefore, a woman’s choice to want to avoid pregnancy is irrelevant.
  3. Pregnancy is an act of God, not of humans.
  4. Pope Paul VI was not a woman, never married, and rumored to be gay.

It is unlikely that any Pope will ever reconsider the issue of birth control. Note that when Pope Paul VI made his declaration in 1968, the population of the world was 3.5 billion people. The world population is now 7.6 billion. 

Religion Controls Equality For Women

27 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Aging, Business, College, Crime, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, Higher Education, History, Human Resources, Management Practices, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Respect, US History, Women

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Bible, Boko Haram, chauvinist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, equal rights, Equality, Islam, kidnapped girls, Koran, man, misogyny, Mormon, polygamy, religion, religious beliefs, woman

Most religions reinforce women as subservient

Women are not treated as being equal to men. Most people know that and most people feel that is wrong. So why doesn’t it change?

Religion. 

Men, regardless of country or race, will never accept a woman as an equal as long as he believes his god says they are not equal.

This issue becomes obvious when extremists elements of any religion do horrendous things to women and girls because their holy writings say that man is superior. The treatment of women in many religions makes Harvey Weinstein seem saintly.

In 2014, an Islamic extremist group known as Boko Haram in Nigeria kidnapped 276 girls from a public, government-run school. The girls were raped, beaten, and sold as wives for the equivalent of $6. A Boko Haram leader said, “Allah instructed me to sell them…I will carry out his instructions.” In the first few weeks after the kidnapping, the Nigerian government, the Royal Air Force, and U.S. intelligence all had located groups of the kidnapped girls, but all failed to take action or were prevented from taking action.

In 2008, authorities removed 534 women and children from a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints  (LDS) polygamist compound in Texas for protection after girls as young as 14 were being forced into marriage older men. According to NBC News, “The women were not allowed to wear red — the color Jeffs said belonged to Jesus — and were not allowed to cut their hair. They were also kept isolated from the outside world.”

The inequality of women is less obvious when a government bows down to the will of a religion. In the United States, many religious groups seek to interfere or ban contraceptives and abortions based on a fundamental belief that their religion allows them to dictate to what a woman may or may not do. Many of these same groups push for religious schools that reinforce the idea that women are subservient to men.

Many churches refuse to allow women into roles of leadership, deeming that their religious writings from thousands of years ago forbid it.

It is time that we accept women as equals in every aspect of life so that there is no confusion of when a woman is equal and when she is not. It will be impossible for women to gain true equality as long as religious organizations embrace inequality in their churches.

School Vouchers Are About Religion and Racism, Not Choice

15 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Aging, College, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Higher Education, History, Honor, Politics, racism, Religion, Science, Taxes, Universities, US History, Women

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Catholic Church, charter schools, Conservatives, GOP, Immigration, President Trump, President Ulysses Grant, private schools, Protestant Church, religion, religious schools, Republicans, schools, taxpayer funded, The Blaine Amendment

School vouchers are a campaign to steal money from the public school system and give it to parents to spend on private religious schools. It is born out of ignorance and racism in an attempt to take our country back to segregated schools. Schools consisting of well-financed white religious-based schools, and poorly funded minority public schools.

Nevada’s Illegal School Voucher Bill

In May of 2015, the Nevada conservatives won a major victory with a bill that stole money from the public school system and gave it to parents to use for alternate education, including school operated by religious organizations. The following month Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, whose children had attended a Catholic school, signed the bill into law, even though it clearly violated the Nevada Constitution that forbids taxpayer funding for a church-operated school. 

The Klan Doesn’t Support Education for All

Fortunately, the Nevada Supreme Court stepped in and nullified the law, ending conservative’s attempt to steal money meant to offer education for all, and redistribute it to those in favor of education for a privileged few. 

Public School Evolution

Public schools were established in the early and mid-17th century to overcome the problems created by parent-based education. (SEE:  The Atlantic October 2017 on Public Schools) Parent-based education limited the advancement of future generations to the ignorance of their mother and father, who were both working full-time to maintain needs of the entire family. 

Unfortunately, the early public schools primarily served white males. Over the next two hundred years public schools were refined to; 1) become compulsory, 2) include female students, 3) promote women as teachers, 4) expand curriculum, and 5) ultimately require education regardless of race.

The Protestant Conflict

Ironically, most early public schools were influenced, if not run, by Protestants. Their beliefs included the idea that children should have a broad-based education. The problem arose when a flood of Catholic immigrants created a conflict in the public education of children. When public schools became battlegrounds of differing church doctrines, it caused pointless disruption of the goal of education for all. Ultimately, the issue was indirectly resolved by President Ulysses Grant and Congressman James Blaine.

President Grant called for an amendment to the United States Constitution to forever separate church and state interests in education and forbidding public money to be spent on private schools. Congressman Blaine sponsored a bill to do exactly that and it passed in the House of Representatives. The Senate; however, failed to pass it by a two-thirds majority and the bill died.

However, individual States passed amendments to their Constitutions and eventually all but ten States adopted Blaine-type laws. 

A Return to Past Mistakes

The post-Blaine Amendments environment have been an era of astonishing success in elevating the education of United States citizens. In 1950, only 34% of adults in this country graduated from high school. By 2010, the number of high school graduates increased to 90%. The miracle is that the increase in high school graduates occurred during the same period when the nation’s population doubled. 

Despite this success, conservatives have made public education their target (SEE:  Slate.com November 2016 on Trump Gutting Public Schools) for three reasons. First, conservatives don’t believe in paying taxes, especially when the money doesn’t directly help them, nor their families.

Second, conservatives believe that public-funded secular, unbiased education is biased because it doesn’t promote their personal egocentric and/or religious beliefs.

Third, conservatives are overwhelmingly white, and the idea of paying for the education of another race is repugnant to many of them. They advance the ideas that education is wasted on minorities. It is noteworthy that white people demanded that schools be segregated in the south. When the courts ruled that schools must be desegregated, white people began characterizing public education as failures. That was the beginning of the push for alternative school choices.

The God Test

21 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Branding, Ethics, Generational, Government, Honor, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Respect

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Baptists, Catholic, Christian, Christianity, Islam, LDS, Methodist, Muslim, nature of God, Protestant, religion

_dsc7618-2

Christ crucifixion statue, Isla Grande, Panama.

Question 1

Is God infallible? (Incapable of making mistakes or having an error in judgement)

If God is not infallible then God is capable of making mistakes and has failings that could lead to unneeded pain and suffering.

Question 2

Is God omnipresent? (In all places at all times past, present, and future.)

If God is not omnipresent then God cannot be aware of all things, nor intervene on all situations.

Question 3

Is God’s always good and honorable? (Does God always desire good for those who believe in Him/Her, and seek to do good rather than evil?)

If God is not always good and/or honorable, then followers cannot trust in Him/Her to do what is correct.

Question 4

Does God have/know all the correct answers to every possible question?

If God does not have/know all the correct answers to every possible question then He/She is not infallible, nor omnipresent.

Question 5

Does God love humans? (Have a unique and caring relationship with humans.)

If not, then a basic premise of the nature of God and His/Her relationship with humans (that God loves humans) is not true.

Question 6

Are humans the most important part of the universe?

If not, then God’s purpose is not human-based, but based on caring for the larger universe, thus, He/She does not always have our best interest in mind, as the needs of other aspects of the universe may have priority.

Question 7

Are humans to serve God? (Provide a service, act or behave on behalf of God, or produce material goods for God.)

If not, then humans have no compelling need to have a dependent relationship with God.

Question 8

Are humans to worship God? (To glorify, honor, praise, exalt, and please God.)

If not, then humans have no obligation to please God.

Question 9

Do humans and God have a quid pro quo relationship? (There is an equal benefit to both humans and God in the relationship)

If not, then there is an imbalance in the relationship that could lead to neglect or abuse of the relationship.

Question 10

Is it impossible for humans to survive without God? (God’s existence is necessary for human existence.)

If not, then humans don’t need a God.

Question 11

Does God determine when and how a human is born and how a human dies?

If not, then human lives are a random chance and God is not the creator of all things.

Question 12

Is there an existence for a human after death?

If not, then there is no reward or punishment for a human’s acts and/or failure to act during life.

(Copyright © 2017 Paul Kiser)

The God Store: There’s A God for That

16 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Ethics, Generational, Lessons of Life, Opinion, parenting, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Respect

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Catholic, Christians, Faith, God, Heaven, Hell, Methodist, Muslim, Protestant, religiolositical, religion

god-storeLooking for answers of purpose of life? 

Don’t understand the trials and the strife? 

Relax, you need to wander no more.  

We have what you seek at our local God store.

Need a God that is kind, wise and caring? 

Or one vengeful, wrathful, and worth fearing? 

Our Gods have it all, we’re where it’s at 

Name your desire because there’s a God for that 

A God to worship only on Sunday? 

Or one on your dash as you go down the highway?

Let your God be at home, work, or school

Our store perfects the religiositical fool 

In church your God will look like the others

So you can pretend you’re all sisters and brothers

Need a God that looks only like you?  

We have Him, and His blond-haired son too 

We have one for each hook, line, and sinner  

You pick the one that feels like a personal winner 

Need the God that is from a Bible? 

More precise please, the text is too tribal 

A God that hates all abortions and gays? 

No problem, we even throw in Jose

Need to put a woman in her place?

Not that original, but okay, how about race?

Want a God that loves only Caucasians?

We have a God for every skin persuasion

Need a God that takes care of the rich?

This is the place, your God’s your bitch.

You don’t believe in any God you say?

You’re not normal and you should go away.

For the faithful we have God to sell

We’re going to heaven, you’re going to Hell

Still, we feel compelled for something to do,

So, we’ll be condescending and pray for you

Arizona ‘Religious Freedom’ Law Not About Religion

26 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Ethics, Generational, Government, Honor, Opinion, Politics, Religion

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Arizona, Caucasian, gay, Governor Jan Brewer, House of Representatives, lesbian, LGBT, racism, racist, religion, religious freedom, SB 1062, Senate, Senators, white

Discussion about Arizona’s “Religious Freedom” law that passed the Senate and the House last week continues as speculation grows on whether or not Governor Jan Brewer will veto it, sign it, or fall asleep. Apparently Governor Brewer seems to be having difficulty understanding the two-page document and isn’t capable of reading it on the Internet.

The law (Arizona Senate Bill 1062) encourages businesses to discriminate against anyone who doesn’t meet their personal definition of ‘moral.’ The bill allows businesses to target at people who are in a single-sex relationship and refuse them service; however, the law is so badly written that a business could discriminate against anyone who doesn’t sign a petition against abortion.

Still, Senate Bill 1062 is not about religion. It is about race, namely white people.

Arizona is 57% Caucasian, 30% Hispanic, and 13% other races (2012 data.) Senate Bill 1062 was passed by a 57% margin (17-13) in the Senate and a 55% margin (33-27) in the House. In the Senate the vote was strictly on party lines. In the House, three Republicans voted against the bill.

What is interesting are the faces of those who voted for the legislation that encourages businesses to discriminate:

SENATE

Arizona Senators voting for SB 1062

Arizona Senators voting for SB 1062

HOUSE

Arizona House members voting for SB 1062

Arizona House members voting for SB 1062

If there seems to be a lack of color in those who voted for Senate Bill 1062, there is, and there is also a lack of Spanish surnames voting for the law. This pageant is almost exclusively brought to you by white conservatives who are screaming, “ATTENTION MUST BE PAID!”

Most people agree that Arizona doesn’t need this law. Business can already discriminate against single-sex couples and lesbians and gays have no legal recourse. This law is a childish gesture by white conservatives as a show of power. Governor Brewer ridiculous excuses of why she hasn’t made a decision on whether to sign the bill or not is her bottomless desire to take the spotlight. When she vetoes the bill, the old, white woman wants to wag her bony finger at everyone and proclaim, “You just watch out or we’ll do something even more stupid than this!”

And they probably will.

(UPDATE:  Approximately three hours after this article was published and publicized on Twitter under the hashtag #JanBrewer, Governor Brewer held a press conference and vetoed SB 1062.)

Five Reasons Why You and I Are Still Here, Post-Rapture

21 Saturday May 2011

Posted by Paul Kiser in Ethics, Lessons of Life, Random

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Armageddon, Harold Camping, May 21 2011, post-Rapture, Rapture, religion

USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype: 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

If you’re reading this then you didn’t get saved either. Allow me to offer some reasons why this may be.

Reason One: We didn’t get saved because we’re bad and now we’re going to suffer. I lived through LBJ, Nixon,Reagan and Bush (x2) and heard Sarah Palin speak, so…. been there, done that.

Reason Two: There is no God and all of this is a pointless fantasy of mythology.

Reason Three: God couldn’t find anyone to save so he’s just going to wait until October 21, 2011 and flush us all.

Reason Four: God decided that we’re all saved and this is Heaven. That’s the most disturbing of all of the possibilities.

Reason Five: Harold Camping and his followers have exploited some people’s need to feel anxiety and fear about our lives and our future, even though they would be eventually exposed as frauds.

I’ll leave it for you to choose the reason that works for you, but personally I…..


Other Pages of This Blog

  • About Paul Kiser
  • Common Core: Are You a Good Switch or a Bad Switch?
  • Familius Interruptus: Lessons of a DNA Shocker
  • Moffat County, Colorado: The Story of Two Families
  • Rules on Comments
  • Six Things The United States Must Do
  • Why We Are Here: A 65-Year Historical Perspective of the United States

Paul’s Recent Blogs

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  • Solstices and Sunshine In North America
  • Blindsided: End of U.S. Solar Observation Capabilities?
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