Meanings of age

Are there different ages?  Yes

1.  Chronological Age :   Age in years since birth.  It is a correlation between chronological age and different ages (eg.  child's motor development follows a sequence in the first two years).

2.  Functional Age:  How does a person function as compared to others of his/her age group?  Gerontologists refer to young-old who show patterns similar to younger age groups even though they are chronologically older. Old-old - who show patterns at or beyond their age group.

3.  Biological Age:  How far along the person has progressed along the life span.  Biological age is measured by examining vital organ systems.

4.  Psychological age:  refers to adaptive abilities in comparison.  Is person psychologically or on par with younger, or older than same-aged peers?

5.  Social Age: refers to behaviours that are similar to those displayed by one's chronological age group and that fulfill social roles and expectations that exist for that age group.  Does a 25 year old behave like other 25 year olds taking on the roles and responsibilities expected by society for 25 year olds?

6.  Mental age  -  Does one thinking and problem solving compare with those of his own chronological age group?  Is it above or below his/her chronological age group?  Binet introduced motion of mental age (MA) and Stern introduced the IQ formula.  MA/CA x 100 = IQ.

Concept of Development cont.....psychology (notes)

What is it?  Development may be used in many contexts.  It means change.  Sometimes it may be rapid, slow and barely noticed.  It is a systematic change over time.  Adaptive change means change in response to the demands of external and internal conditions.  It means change from the simple to the complex.  Early change determines later outcomes.  The child will shape the adult to be.  Learning developmental change may involve learning change through experience.  Developmental change may involve maturation.  This is change due to innate biological processes (eg. early milestones in child development testifies to the role of maturation).

Lifespan developmental approach:
     The notion of development as a lifelong adaptive process with the following key features as noted by Baltes:
  Multi Directional:
     Development involves both growth and decline.  Early in life growth is noted later in life.  There is growth but also decline.  Growth varies in rate and so does decline in different development domains. 
     Plasticity:  Adaptive capacities evolve and are not fixed training and experiences.  There is a modification of capacities.  For example, Pavlov's conditioning studies show how it is possible to modify reflex behaviour through conditioning.
     History and Context:
          Development takes place at particular times and places.  Cultural circumstances influence mental outlook (eg. cultural deprivation limits development of adaptive behaviours - headstart as a compensatory education effort to overcome effects of early deprivation).  We are not victims of our envirement if we can interact with it and change it.  We are not reactive but pro active.

Multiple causation:
         develpment results from a variety of resources.

Domains of Development:
         changes occur in several aspects of self: cognitive, social, personal, physical; emotional domains.
1. Rate of change varies.
2. All changes are inter related (development does not take place in the installment plan (Gesell).
   

I hope you are still celebrating

     I have put every thing aside to enjoy my family and friends.  I hope you can do the same.  I hope some of you have reached out to someone.  Family does not have to be blood relatives.  Not all families have a healthy relationship.  If you have been beaten, degraded and treated badly, it may be time to re-examine your life and choices.  No one deserves to be treated badly by anyone else.  Please remember, if this is happening to you that it is not your fault.  Find help.  Abusers blame the person who they are treating badly.

     Try to spend some time with someone who may need you.  In Canada, I often hear from people who live here from other countries that our elderly are abandoned in their senior homes.  I do not know if that is true.  It may be a different life style.  Here it is common for both women and men to have careers and hopefully they are making time for their elderly parents.     If you are elderly and are being abused, remember that there is protection for you.  Pick up the phone.  Nursing homes have regulations and no elderly person is to be treated badly.  This is extended to their own children and relatives.  You have lived a long time and deserve to be treated fairly.  Your money is your own.  Remember that.

    Here in Toronto, there was a lot of support for the people who needed a bit of help.  This is what makes a city great, when people come together to help by serving food, donating toys and offering support.
    Today, why not take a look up at the sky and try to figure out where you belong in all this.  Tonight as you look at the stars and moon, remember how vast the universe is.  Where is your place in it all?  What do you think?

I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year

     I wish to thank you for visiting my blog.  Hopefully, I will have time to figure out a web site soon as well.  I hope you find the time to spend with family and friends.  If you do not have any, please begin to think about giving someone a chance to get to know you.  There are all kinds of people out there.  Everyone is different.  Perhaps there is a friend out there for you to find.  When I say friend, I literally mean friend.  It is nice to have people we can talk to and have fun with. 

     Christmas is a very special time of the year for me.  It is a time when I make time for everyone who is important to me.  It is a time for slowing down and reflection.  It is a time for food and merriment. 

     I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

                          What does Christmas mean to you?  What do you think?  Perhaps it is time to start a journal and writing down what you feel. 

A Christmas Tale - Published (2012)

A Christmas Tale

I found myself standing alone, as the snow fell gently,

Creating a pure white blanket on the asphalt, I was standing on.

Looking at the Christmas scene outside St Charles Church, I felt sad that I did not have enough money for Christmas to shop; that I still had to prepare for a four hour exam.

As I looked at the empty cradle of Jesus, my sadness increased.

“Oh Lord, we have made such a mess of things.  Here it is Christmas approaching, and our planet is suffering from global warming, we still fight and kill, in the name of God.  The middle class is disappearing and corporations are merging and becoming powerful.  The rich are getting richer, while our poor are getting poorer.  Our governments are deserting us Lord.  Please do not give up on us.  Please forgive us.”

“I am hungry miss?”  I turned and found a beggar beside me.  I wondered why I had not heard

 him approaching.  He was big framed, with dirty long hair, a fat and heavily pimpled face and a

 foul smell that not even the cool air could dissipate.  His face was so dirty that I could not

 determine his skin color.  His mittens were black and he wore a long woolen brown coat that

 looked frayed but thankfully warm and he wore heavy worn boots that had seen too many winters. 

“I am hungry miss.”  He repeated with patience. 

I was holding my submarine sandwich which I had just bought.  I had decided to give myself a treat.  After all, Christmas was approaching and I deserved something.  I had just stopped to admire the Nativity scene.

I looked into those sorrowful big brown eyes and saw more sorrow than I could ever bare being reflected back to me.  I handed him my submarine and whispered “Merry Christmas.”  I didn’t know if wishing him a Merry Christmas was politically correct, but I did not care this evening.  I wanted to be free, in my seemingly democratic country to say “Merry Christmas.”  What has happened to my city, to my country, to my world?  I thought with sadness.  I had lowered my head and looked up to see my hobo gone.  He had taken my sandwich and I wished him well.

I walked back to my old, rusted car in the Church parking lot and unlocked it.  There was my submarine sandwich waiting for me.    I looked back towards the nativity set and saw the boot

 prints on the snow from the Nativity area, I had just come from.  There was only one set of boot prints this late night that marred the soft blanket of snow.

Is counselling effective?

A professor in one of my psychology classes once said that we cannot perform miracles.  That people who come to us may never achieve happiness.  He said that in many cases we are replacing the Aunt Martha that people no longer have.  That stuck with me.  He said that if we can make people just a little less sad, than we have accomplished something.  Counselling is very rewarding.  There is no quick fix cure.  People go for counselling for a variety of reasons and no one is immune.  Who is your Aunt Martha?  Do you have someone you can trust completely? How much can you trust your own therapist?  There are laws that compel therapists to report cases of child abuse, or the threat to oneself or others.  A therapist may be compelled to testify in court.  At least that is so in Canada.  Laws and regulations vary in different countries.  But how effecitive is counselling?  There is a sense of relief when people find someone they can pour out their soul to.  They find themselves walking, no longer alone.  They can step back slowly and examine their lives.  What can they change?  Can they communicate their feelings to someone else or themselves?  Another professor told us that two months is the average that clients need for counselling.  I have found in my experience that this could not be further from the truth.  It may take months or even a year plus to trust someone completely to talk about an embedded hurt.  For some people two months may be enough but certainly not for all.  Two months has certainly not been the average in my experience.  Perhaps today you can examine your life.  Who do you talk to? Who can you trust?  Christmas is a wonderful time for some, but also a dangerous time for others?  Maybe it is time to step outside your door and to trust someone.  What do you think?

Exorcism- condensed paper (Mark)

Exorcism

Silva Redigonda

Writing This Paper

     As I come to an end of my Master's studies,  I find myself finally writing about something I find very important.  One of my professors recently told me that what I shall be writing about is “risqué.”  “The paper you wrote for me was risqué,” he added.  It was not until he formed the words that I realized he was right.  This has been fairly standard.  I like to speak out, challenge and debate on issues that people prefer to ignore, not ignite, nor offend.  I believe that as students and as people, we need to grow by challenging ourselves and not remaining in a comfort zone.  In life we are all students.  This past year I felt like my printer, spitting out papers without as much thought, as I would have liked because of time restrictions.  Now, I have the time and how appropriate, since it is a topic that has been ignored in my studies.  I write this, not as I normally write a paper.  In these last two weeks I have been conditioned to remove the formality of writing that I am so accustomed to in my academia.  I shall write with my heart and with my soul.  I am in another school from my own.  I have picked exorcism as a topic because I can.  It is not often that I have had the opportunity to write about something without simply regurgitating the words, I hear in a classroom.  There will be that included, but mainly this will be from me.  I hope I get this right.  With that thought in mind, I wonder if any of us get it.  I have been studying Miracles and Jesus in Mark, and I have noted that many times in our discussions within our group work and learning, the words I was hearing and adopted quite quickly was that the disciples “did not get” the miracles.  It seems they never get it and Jesus was there always patiently; well not so patiently, trying to get them to get it.  Do we get it?  Is it a continuation 2000 years later of still not getting it?  The difference between Mark’s time and now is that we do not have Jesus to tell us if we are getting it right.  But Jesus is in Mark, and is trying to get us, to get it.  We think we have it right.  There are many schools of thought when it comes to Mark.  There is a feminist perspective, a social political perspective, a narrative perspective etc….There is also my spiritual director’s perspective that the disciples were seen in a poor light within Mark.  There is a dissection of each word that has been analyzed in translation from the beginning in Mark and in other scriptures.  I can easily drown with everyone’s perspective and fail to find and identify my own.  In a classroom full of theology students from different schools of thoughts, we challenge ourselves and each other as we perform our own dissection, with guidance.  What is wonderful is that we can.  We listen to each other as we grapple, “do we get it?”   We each think we do and in uniformity we realize that we have no uniformed thought.  If we did there would probably be only one religion.

Is there a devil?

      There is the same dynamics in Theology as there is with those, who do not believe in God.  Say devil or Satan and wanting to learn more about that, is considered ridiculous and/or superstitious in many theological circles.  When you think too much from how another thinks, there is some sort of tension and this is controlled among academics.  The function of the miracle stories in Mark is to show the power of Jesus in the lives of men and women.  It is a conflict that arises when humanity is no longer alone.  Conflict did not only occur during those early days where Mark speaks of, but extends to our own time, such as believing in God, miracles and exorcism, which may be embarrassing for modern society.   LaGrand states that miracle stories can present a problem for readers at the end of the 20^th century.[1]  Achtemeier makes a similar comment, that miracle stories have been a source of embarrassment for some New Testament students.[2] I have never really thought about that until someone in my Miracle and Jesus class mentioned using an euphemism to describe God, as a spirit, when speaking to youths, so to not impose “God” on them.  I agree with the authors, that indeed some people are embarrassed, not only of miracles, let alone exorcism, but perhaps, about their belief in God as well.  Outside the comfort of peers, there is a need for guidance.  Jesus warns, “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mk 8:38).  In Canadian Society we are free to practice our individual faiths and still there is embarrassment, but in some parts of the the Middle East, though Christianity is threatened, people still go to church at the cost of having their church bombed and/or the people within the church, targeted for death.  Mark forewarns of a lack of devotion of the followers of Christ, which extends to our time, “You will all become deserters; for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Mk 14:27).  Jesus is not with us in person but his voice in Mark is clear.  We need to hold Jesus in our hearts.      

     Academics are supposed to be open minded, thinking outside the box, respectful of the opinion of others etc...  So, I am quite pleased that I find myself being given the opportunity to include something I consider a very important part of theology – Satan. 

     To accept that miracles occurred in the Bible requires a belief in the supernatural realm.  These miracles are a part of public record and when it comes to the historical Jesus there are numerous reports.  In particular are the performed exorcisms.  The exorcisms are among “the best attested deeds of the Gospel traditions, with individual account throughout the first part of Mark (eg. 1:21-28; 5:1-20; 7:24-30)”[3]  The Bible often speaks of the Devil.  Seven books in the Old Testament (New King James Version) and every writer in the New Testament refer to Satan.  Of the 29 references in the New Testament, Jesus is in 25 of them. Demons are mentioned over 80 times in the New Testament mostly in association with the ministry of Jesus Christ.[4]  This suggests to me that we are being informed that devils, Satan and whatever else this legion is called does exist as sure as God exists.  Can I see devils?  Can I see God?  If God is as powerful as many of us do believe, is it possible to see Jesus and not know it?  Roman Catholics also believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ.  Is this any different than believing that the concept of a powerful but subservient evil to God exists?  When does religion stop and superstition begin?  My position is clear.  I am not embarrassed by this.  I am concerned.  Evil is something that we should take very seriously regardless if one believes in Satan or not.

     Mark 1:15 is a summary of Jesus’ preaching in an eschatological context “The time is fulfilled, and kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” [5]  I agree with this.  Jesus is preaching and using parables to make his point.  He is spreading the good news.  He is trying to teach us to be better people preparing the people for a new time.

     LaGrand indicates that the focus of the story in Mark’s Gospel is on the power and authority of Jesus (1:22 &27).  I disagree with LaGrand somewhat.  There are details of power as witnessed in Jesus’ ability to heal the sick, and speak on his own authority. “They were astounded at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mk 1:21). Jesus “cured many who were sick with various diseases…” (Mk 1:29). However, I argue that the main focus of Mark’s Gospel is to teach and guide as leaders, to be humbled by God and to trust in God.  Once the identity of Jesus as God is established, than it is important to listen to what his message is.  Jesus is God and that makes him different from all the other miracle workers of his time, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? I am [replied Jesus]” (Mk 14:21).  The miracles teach compassion, “Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him…Be made clean” and he cured the leper (Mk 1:41).  This message is to help each other as Jesus did, with compassion.  But Jesus also performs exorcisms and there he is alerting that there is danger that is controlled.  It is human suffering which is the issue.  We are called to help those who are not less than us, for we are all equal, but to those who need us.  How have we honored Jesus?  We live in a society that seems to be dying.  People have their own interpretation of the message of God, be it to destroy those who think differently, to making people believe that only their religion, is the true religion.  The hypocrisy of the leaders of 2000 years ago, remain with us today.  With a world of abundance, there are still people dying from hunger.  Our planet is being abused and global warming is our price.  Mark provides us with the theology we need to be a better people but the shift to ecclesiology is of our own doing.  We ultimately have the free will to destroy ourselves.  That end does not come from God but is foreseen.  The function of Religious leaders is the need to unite and work together, to make this world a better one.  That is the message of Mark.  We do that by recognizing that there is evil and it has a name – Satan. 

          In Mark, his first miracle involves the exorcism of a demon.  Throughout the first portion of his ministry Jesus performs exorcisms and teaches principally in parables (Ehrman, p167).  But is everything in Mark a parable?  No.  In Mk 1:21-28, there is a man with an “unclean spirit” in a Capernaum synagogue where Jesus is preaching.  An unclean spirit is a common designation for demon (Donahue & Harrington p 80).  This man cries out, “What have you come to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”  When Jesus orders the man to be silent and “come out of him,” the man convulses and crying loudly comes out of him.  Jesus does not permit the demons to speak (Donahue and Harrington, p 28).  They must obey him.   Here is a familiar pattern of the devil approaching and calling out to God.  Jesus is recognized and identified as the son of God.  There is a fear that they will be destroyed and respect noted here. Jesus clearly has the authority to have the man released.  The demonic man also has a strong physical reaction before being released of the demons.  This is a theme that is relatively consistent in exorcism.  To dismiss this as archaic is also to dismiss God as archaic.       

     In Mark’s Healing of the Gerasene Demoniac, Jesus steps out of a boat and immediately “a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.” This man lived among the tombs and chains and shackles could not restrain him.  The chains were “wrenched apart.”  This man would howl and bruise himself with stones.  But when he sees Jesus, he runs and bows before him and shouts, “What have you to do with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God ….do not torment me.”  Jesus asks this man his name and he replies,”Legion; for we are many.” The Legion begs Jesus not to send them out of the country but to send them into a nearby herd of swine and let them enter the swine.  Jesus gives permission and the unclean spirits come out of the man and enter the swine.  “…the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.” The swineherds than, “ran off and told it in the city and in the country.”  They find the man who had been demonic suddenly appearing very normal and they were afraid.  The people beg Jesus to leave.  Jesus is getting on his board and the man who had been demonic begs Jesus “that he might be with him.”  Jesus refuses telling him to go to his friends to tell them, “how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”  The man goes to Decapolis and tells how much Jesus has done and everyone is amazed.[6]   In Preaching Mark in Voices, Charles reports that Legion is from the Latin word for a large Roman military unit.  Legion is defined from a political stance.  It refers to a “church that is inescapably aware of the omnipresent force of Rome and thus a church always tempted to accommodate the Gospel to dominant powers or to locate ultimate power in Legions.”  In more plain language the demonic man is not possessed but a man oppressed by the legion.  Jesus is a challenge to these powers.  Using military terminology, according to Myers, “they signal the decisive breach in the defenses of the symbolic fortress of Roman Palestine.  The political and ideological authority of both the scribal establishment and the Roman garrison - The two central elements within the colonial condominium-have been repudiated.”[7]  I agree with the author that this is what is going on it that historical, political period.  But do we need the exorcisms to understand that?  Are we ignoring something more important that may be too frightening or incredulous to the author?  Is Satan being replaced as a metaphor throughout all the passages of the Bible?     

     Theologians also use psychology to support their point.  Using this perspective, the Gerasene demoniac “is clothed in the thought patterns of a pre-scientific age, the predicament of one who feels himself possessed by a power outside of himself is well known in our own days.”[8]  Here the author is replacing any notion of demons as a disorder.  The author continues, When Jesus asked: “”What is your name?””he was really asking the kind of a question that a modern therapist would ask…The author continues to suggest that it “may very well be that Jesus, who had sought refuge from the crowds by going to the wilderness of the Gerasenes, spent most of the night exploring with this pitiful man the story of his life in the pattern of contemporary psychotherapy” (Leslie, p 216).  The author continues that the demoniac may have helped to bring long repressed emotions, perhaps related to Roman legionnaires.  Leslie compares this to military people in our own time suffering from battle trauma.  He explains exorcism as “a violent emotional catharsis [which] sometimes results in a complete cure”(Leslie, p 217).  I agree that mental illness may be mistaken for demonic possession very much.  Comparing Jesus with a therapist of today asking the demon to identify himself is a bit extreme in my opinion.  We all ask each other what our names are but in this situation the legion is many and Jesus is asking the demon to identify itself.  This is also used in exorcisms today.  It is not a greeting, but identifying which demon the exorcist is dealing with.  I also disagree with Leslie, that possession is mistaken for mental illness in all cases.  In certain cases there is something that cannot be explained in any psychology text.  Typically in contemporary society, an exorcist will have a team of psychiatrist, psychologist and perhaps a neurologist to assist him with discernment.  Dr Gallagher is an academic psychiatrist and Catholic, in New York area who believes in demonic possession.  He explains,” The role of the psychiatrist is to make sure that these phenomena don’t have a natural explanation before jumping to a preternatural or supernatural one” (Baglio, 112).  Dr Gallagher recognizes that many individuals become psychotic briefly.  They may become delusional, hallucinate and think that God, the devil, a spirit, and aliens are communicating with them.  Dr Gallagher who is an experienced psychiatrist, indicates that multiple personalities disorders never include the paranormal.  He provides an example of one who simply thinks that he has evil inside him won’t typically have his voice completely alteredBaglio, p 112).

      Is Jesus a metaphor?  If so how can Jesus be real and not just an explanation for that time period to explain a psychological disorder, economic and political strife?  If the drowning of the pigs is explained away has economically causing hardship, I cannot argue with that.  I cannot disagree with any opposition of what the Gereasene demonic scripture may be symbolizing because there is an element of truth in every debate and theory and image.  That is how these theories or perspectives arose.  That is why I have chosen the Exorcism of the Gerasene Demoniac because it is so controversial. Each theorist is aware of the historical period and tries to make sense of the passages dating to that period.  There is danger in doing this.  We may just not get it in the process.  What I am suggesting is the concept that there is God as there may be a satan.  Jesus did exorcise demons and that is plain in passages throughout the Bible.  Jesus was not the only exorcist of his time.  However, he did not use the complex rituals and props normally used.  He simply ordered the demon to depart.  Jesus’ exorcisms were considered so radical he was accused of harnessing the power of demons (Mark 3:20-30).  But, Jesus responded by saying it was impossible for a demon to cast out a demon.[9]  Why would we twist what Jesus is telling us through Mark?  What is verbatim and what is not?  How do we discover truth?

The Facts

     The first four books of the New Testament Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are gospels.  Gospels literally means good news.  The 27 collection of the New Testament did not emerge as a single collection.  The New Testament canon is more complicated because not only did Christian communities have different books but they also had different versions of the same books.  We do not in this society, have the originals of any of the books of the New Testament.  What we have are copies, in most cases, a hundred years later.  Among the 5000 Greek copies of the New Testament, no two are exactly alike.  We don’t even know all the differences but the total is in the hundreds of thousands [most are very minor].  The last 12 versus of Mark’s Gospel are not found, in the oldest and best copies.  Textual criticism seeks to establish the original text of the New Testament. The authors of the Gospels are fluent in Greek, and Mark appears to have been the first written in about 65 C.E. (Common Era) or so.  Most scholars believe that Mathew and Luke used the Gospel of Mark as a source for many of the stories about Jesus.  Because they have so many stories in common, they are often referred to as the Synoptic Gospels.  The writers of the gospels do not claim to be disciples, the books are all anonymous, and they give no solid information as to their identities.  During the course of the past century, historians have worked to develop methods for uncovering historically reliable information about the life of Jesus.

In the Roman world, Christianity was considered a superstition, not sanctioned by the state and was perceived to be secret and mildly dangerous (Ehrman, pp 8,11, 52, 67, 75, 93, 227, 229 – 231, 469).   Superstition has a history in relation to religion.   

My Position

     In the 1980's, I began to notice media reports of satanic cults spreading in North America.  People participating in these rituals, were among the ranks of educated people with impressive careers.  Because this seemed so incredulous to me I became interested in the topic.  I believed then and still do that people have the right to believe whatever they like as long as it does not harm themselves or others.  I prepared a paper at that time titled, Satanism, is it a Crime?  I was horrified by what I learned about ritualistic crimes involving animal and human sacrifices.  Because Satanism is considered a religion it is afforded a degree of protection.  It was not long before acts became known to the police,   Detective Ray Parker explains,” Then you get into the hoo-hah shit involving Witchcraft, Satanism or some bizarre occult religions that most people know nothing about on top of the organized child abuse and wow…it just blows the jurors out of their chairs.”[10]  Detective Gallant continues, “Satanic ritual abuse is specific.  The child will tell about calling upon Satan, perhaps chanting in a nondiscernible language, wearing robes of a specific color…” (Kahaner, p 201).  I identified this devil worship as a problem that society would have to acknowledge and obliterate.  For this paper, I find a reference regarding Kahaner on-line.  Drs Ankerberg and Weldon report,” Most people are simply not ready to believe these kinds of things are really happening, which of course, works to the Satanist’s advantage.  Frankly, we are not quite ready for it either.  We have knowledge of confidential police reports of murders committed by Satanists that are so vile we cannot describe them publicly-merely reading about them makes one feel debased and sick.[11]  I have always marveled at how cruel we as humans can be.  There is no animal on earth that can be more so.  Where does this evil come from?  That there are religious cults that thrive on what many cannot believe, is a problem in itself.  Whether one believes in the devil or not, the reality of hatred needs to be addressed.  
The world of satanic cults is different than demonic possession.   Some people in these cults do not believe in the devil, but use the devil as a shield to victimize impressionable people (Baglio, p 58). However, I have connected this to exorcism because I want to depict that even though many refuse to believe in Satan for whatever reason, many others who inflict harm use the concept of evil to do horrible things as people who have a concept of God, associate God with good.       

The Roman Catholic Church

     The Roman Catholic Church does take the devil seriously.  In November 15, 1972, Pope Paul V1, spoke to the general public announcing that evil is a living spiritual being and to refute this existence is contrary to the teaching of the Bible and the Church (Baglio, p 36).  In 1986, Pope John 11 gave a series of talks reminding Catholics not to forget about the dangers posed by the devil and the real possibility of bodily possession.  In September 14, 2005, Pope Benedict XV1 hosted a large group of exorcists at the Vatican and encouraged them to continue their work in the service of the church.  There are about 350 – 400 exorcists in the church (Baglio, p 14). 

     I will not go into the details of exorcisms because that is not my objective.  My objective has been to provide my own perspective to the miracles within Mark, that Satan is not something that should be ignored and dismissed.  Performing satanic ritualistic horrors in the name of Satan, alone should be a caution to take this more seriously.  Mark spoke of miracles, and exorcism has been classified as such.  We need to be careful not to categorize everything we read into sub units of theories.  Science is important.  I call it science when we use technology to date Holy Scripture, to study the possibility of miracles and to come to valid scientific conclusions.  This cannot be separated from religion.  But there is also a spiritual dimension that cannot be explained or understood by science.  This cannot be ignored.  Satanic cults prefer not be noticed.  When something is ignored, or there is no belief in it, than it can grow and spread like a weed.  I am not suggesting that we should become paranoid or obsessed but there should be an awareness of a prevailing evil.  We have a free will to question, act and believe as we wish in a free state.  However, next time you read the Bible, ponder why there are so many references to demons.  Is it really a reflection of evil we see today?  Where does it come from, if not from God?  We need to understand what is good and what is not.  We need to be a better people to others.  We need to help stop anyone hurting another, whether it is a human or animal.  The miracle stories in Mark, is Jesus providing us with direction to be compassionate towards others, to love others and to help others who cannot help themselves.  The exorcisms in Mark are real.  We are offered another dimension, which for many is too absurd, because it is not something we normally see.  Yet people of faith believe that God exists.  When examining the book of Mark or when examining any other scripture, when do we take something literally and when do we not?  I think it is safe to say that God is all good as Jesus demonstrated.  We cannot ignore his exorcisms anymore than we can ignore the evil that lives with us and preys upon us. We need to wake up to what is around us, so we can protect ourselves and others, who count on us. 

Bibliography

Ankerberg, John and John Weldon.  Satanism and Witchcraft: The Occult and the West – Part

     Two. Online. Internet 29 Jun 11.  Available: www.tikaboo.com/library.

Achtemeier, J. Paul. “Jesus and the Storm Tossed Sea,” In Jesus and the Miracle Tradition

     (Eugene, Or: Cascade Books, 2008) 

Baglio, Matt. The Rite: The Making of A Modern Exorcist. New York: Random House, 2010.

Blount, Brian K., and Charles, W. Gary. Preaching Mark In Two Voices. Louisville, Kentucky:

     Westminister John Knox, 2002.

Donahue, John R., and Daniel J. Harrington.  Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Mark Ed. Daniel, J.

     Harrington. Minnesota: Liturgical, 2002.

Ehrman, D, Bart. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings,

     Fourth Edition. NewYork: Oxford, 2008. 

Jeremiah, David.  Angels The Host of Heaven. Turning Point: Sand Diego, 1995.

Kahaner, Larry, Cults That Kill:Probing the Underworld of Occult Crime.  New York: Warner,

     1988.

LaGrand, James. “The First of the Miracle Stories According to Mark (1:21-28)”  Currents in

     Theology and Mission 20 (1993).

The Bible.  New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha.  Catholic Edition. Hendrickson:

     Mass, 2007.

Wayne G. Rollins, and D. Andrew  Kille, eds.  Psychological Insight into the Bible. Cambridge:

     Erdmans, 2007.

---

[1] LaGrand, James. “The First of the Miracle Stories According to Mark (1:21-28)”  Currents in Theology and Mission 20 (1993), 479-484. P 479.

[2] Achtemeier, J. Paul. “Jesus and the Storm Tossed Sea,” In Jesus and the Miracle Tradition (Eugene, Or: Cascade Books, 2008), pp 1-10.  Page 1.

[3] Ehrman, D, Bart. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, Fourth Edition. NewYork: Oxford, 2008. P 268.  Further reference to the text will be indicated by author’s name and page number. 

[4] Jeremiah, David.  Angels The Host of Heaven. Turning Point: Sand Diego, 1995. P58, 80.

[5] Donahue, John R., and Daniel J. Harrington.  Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Mark Ed. Daniel, J. Harrington. Minnesota: Liturgical, 2002. P 29.  Further reference to the text will be indicated by author’s name and page number.

[6] The Bible.  New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha.  Catholic Edition. Hendrickson: Mass, 2007. Mk 5:1-20.  Further references will be indicated by the author Mark, followed by page number.

[7] Blount, Brian K., and Charles, W. Gary. Preaching Mark In Two Voices. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminister John Knox, 2002. P. 77.  Further reference to the text will be indicated by the author’s name and page number.

[8] Wayne G. Rollins, and D. Andrew  Kille, eds.  Psychological Insight into the Bible. Cambridge: Erdmans, 2007. P. 214.  Further references to the text will be indicated by the author’s name and page number.

[9] Baglio, Matt. The Rite: The Making of A Modern Exorcist. New York: Random House, 2010. P 34.  Further reference to the text will be indicated by the author’s name and page number.

[10]Kahaner, Larry, Cults That Kill:Probing the Underworld of Occult Crime.  New York: Warner, 1988. P 200.  Further reference to the text will be indicated by the author’s name and page number.

[11] Ankerberg, John and John Weldon.  Satanism and Witchcraft: The Occult and the West – Part Two . Pages 1-3. Online.  Internet 29 Jun 11.  Available: www.tikaboo.com/library. 

Pioneer Village

          You don’t have to go far to feel the warmth of Christmas.  Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny and bright day.  The air was brisk but dry.  Five of us explored Pioneer Village.  We were met by a historical figure who spoke of a time period suited to each home we entered.  The buildings were carefully decorated with Christmas trees.  The tables within were covered with traditional pies and cookies, much of what we still hold dear today.  Time was timeless.  We lunched at the Half Way house Inn and I bought a fresh loaf of oven baked bread for $4.00.  The end of day came quickly and we each embraced as we said good bye to face the 21^st century.   

Take some time off stress

It is difficult getting ready for Christmas.  There is lots of shopping that not everyone can afford.  There is the stress of seeing people, you may not want to see but feel obligated to; there is that feeling of chaos of trying to do everything and not having enough time to do it.  It could be a time of loneliness and sadness.  Be kind to yourself.  Slow down.  Try to make peace with your self.  What does Christmas mean to you?  The origin of Christmas is very humble.  What can you do to make Christmas special and calming this year?  What do you normally do at Christmas?  Why not take some time to reflect and slow down.  What can you do different this year if you are not happy with how you feel right now.  Have a peaceful Christmas.

adult develpment - notes from psychology

According to Sigmund Freud, development was confined to the first 14 years of life progressing through the psycho sexual stages of personality transformation.  The child was father to the man.  Whatever happened during the five stages of psycho sexual development set the stages for later development.   Erickson, a psycho analyst, saw development having its own special challenges beyond the adolescent years.  He postulated a total of eight stages.  Freud's theory emphasised the biological drives of libido and aggression as forces driving development.  Erickson shifted attention from biology to the role of early caretakers.  He called his theory a psychosocial theory.  Freud did not discover the unconscious, philosophers did that.   He tried to make psychoanalysis a science but it is also an art.    There are subjective components.  Freud was a neurologist. 
    C.G.S  Hall in the 19th and early 20th centuries although mainly interested in child and adolescent psychology did devote his remaining years to the study of adulthood.  Like Freud, he believed that biology was the determining force in development.  He conceptualised development as proceeding through stages that represented condensed phases of humankind's overall  evolutionary descent.  At each stage there were qualities remnant of our ancestrial past and each individual recapitulated  in his own development.  These earlier specie qualities became known as the Principal of Recapitulation.  As one goes through the stages, we move from selfishness to co-operative.  Each individual has a blue print that exhibits characteristics that demonstrates our ancestorial traits.

To be continued:

What is your hope? Hope ............

What is Hope?                      By:   Silva Redigonda

     My hope is to someday live in a glass house by the waterfront with a dog at my side as I walk along the beach.   Is that hope or a dream?  Is dream and hope synonymous?  Is hope for all?

     Skinner[i] conducted animal experiments and discovered that when one can no longer control one’s environment, one gives up trying.  A dog that suffers electrical shocks and resigns himself to acknowledge he will suffer pain no matter what he does extends to other forms of torture that kills the human soul.  Can one understand hope by understanding what it is not?  Hope is a perception of what can be.  I think that there is a possibility of world peace.  Do I really?  Actually I do not.  Therefore,   I have no hope for world peace because I believe that it is impossible.  Yet, I believe that something must still be done to decrease the probabilities of war.  Is that hope?   Is hope being a realist?  Is hope being a survivor?  Hope can be simple or complex.  Hope is what it means to the person who has or does not have hope.  I hope that the flowers I place at the front yard bring joy to others as they walk by and appreciate nature.  I hope, because I love to stop and appreciate the lawns of others which are aesthetically pleasing.  I am hoping that someone appreciates what I have to offer my community.  I am hoping that someone stops and smells the roses (what a cliché!).  Am I superficial?  Perhaps I am to some and not to others.  For someone who has no food, she may hope for food, if there is the remote possibility of getting food.  If someone has no hope for food it may be because he is dying, isolated and alone with no possibility of enough food to eat.  What is hope?  It is so much to so many different people depending on their own stories of their own lives.  Has life been kind? Has life crippled?  Has life taken away souls and hope is only a senseless word?  I have hope.  I dream of my glass house by the water, walking along the beach with my dog at my side as I ponder the universe because I have hope – of endless possibilities.         

What is your hope?  How can you get there?  What do you think?

---

[i] Gleitman Henry, Basic Psychology. Pg 93. New York:  Norton & Company, Third edition, 1983.

Make time for a neighbour today!

       Why not say hello or visit someone in your neighbourhood today?  Why not check on an elderly soul today?  Why not just be nice to someone today?

Where do you go at Christmas?

Christmas conjures joy, pain, excitement and struggle.  Where will you celebrate the holidays?  Do you celebrate?  Is your world so hectic, that there is no celebration?  Just another day, you say?  If it is just another day for you, that is ok.  But it may not be.  It may be associated with the baggage of our upbringing.  It may be our present conditions.  We may be bullied at school.  We may feel that we are having Christmas imposed upon us?  We may be so unhappy that Christmas appears unbearable.  What can you do?  At times one can be so immersed in what is bothering them, that they do not even realise the effects it is having on their body, their relations with others and the sadness, irritations ect...that my be overpowering.  Some time one needs a little bit of help to be able to step back and examine what is going on with them.  So often people are criticised, bullied, assaulted through no fault of their own.  They are usually blamed for the assaults as if they merit them.  This is not so.  If you are being bullied, demeaned, suffering mental or physical abuse, please don't ever think you deserve it.  You don't.  Why don't you take a few minutes to write down things that you like about yourself.  What would you write if you were looking for a job.  What good things have some people told you about yourself.  Do you believe them?  Why not?  Sometimes one can be so consumed about the bad things that happen, that the good things can no longer seem possible.  You cannot change other people when they don't live up to your expectations, but you can make the changes yourself.  If you are in an abusive relationship and you cannot leave right now, prepare an emergency escape plan (I will talk more about that after Christmas).  If you are unhappy with your family and change seems impossible, consider your options.  If you feel bad about yourself, ask yourself why.  A psychology professor once said that we are never the same.  We are always changing.  From one minute to the next something happens in that moment that changes us.  In that moment we may learn something new, we may experience something bad, we may meet a new person, we may see something different.  Ultimately we grow, change and are a product of everything that has happened to us.  Why not ponder today?  Who are you?  Who would you like to be?  How do you get there?  Why are you not there?  Is it possible to go there?  Why not?  What changes can you make that are good for you?  Are you happy with your friends, families, living situation?  Why not?  What changes can you make?  What is restricting you?  This Christmas where will you be?  Where do you want to be?  Why are you not going there?  While you explore this, feel what is going on inside you.  Pay attention to what your body is telling you.  Do you feel like crying?  Is there a sense of doom?  Did you notice something new?  Explore your emotions.
What do you think?

Exam time - tip

I am so glad that I do not have to write exams anymore.  At least for the time being.  My undergrad  exams were mostly multiple choice.  It was for that reason and stats that most students left psychology.  At least that was my observation.  I am sure they have the stats, which may contradict my experience.

I however loved psychology and still do.  During exams, every once in awhile, a student would break down from the stress and begin to cry or get extremely aggitated, to a point where he or she could no longer write the exam.  The rest of us would be cautious of this, but would continue with our exam because we were timed.  We normally had two hours and it was not unusual to have a hundred questions or more.  We knew exactly how many questions we had and the amount of time we had to answer the question.  I would have my watch on my desk to keep me aware of the time.  I would have at least two pencils or more HB, to fill in the appropriate box.   There was no time for thinking.  You either knew the answer or you did not.  There would always be two that were so much alike that you sometimes had to skip and return to it if you had time.  After the exam, we would gather outside and ask fellow students about individual questions, to determine if we got it.  After our final exam there were always a few of us who went to celebrate on campus or off and at times our TA or prof would join us.  Those were the days.

     Grad school was mostly papers.  In my final year I was spitting out papers because I knew I had to finish, if I wanted to make money.  My resource supply was running low.  

     Now back to psychology tests.  Our professors would always tell us that if you could not answer the question, to move ahead to the next one and not waste time.  Our professors would also give us the statistics, that students who change their first answer to another find that their first answer was correct and the change was wrong.  This was not a given, but it did happen.  That proved correct for me a few times.  I went into the exam knowing my material, inside out, anticipating the tricky questions.  I also learned from my studies that an optimal level of stress is required and that factors such as a headache or feeling sick could effect our performance.
      I would study for about an hour and take a ten minute break (my breaks stretched out more than that at times).

     So good luck with your exams.  Remember that some stress is good for you when you write your exam.  Can your recollect some of your horrors?

Christmas and Lonliness

Christmas can be difficult for those who find themselves alone, abused, unwanted and uncared for.  There are lights everywhere, music and an aura of happiness and anticipation.  That is on the surface.  Underneath the surface, there are people who do not know where their next meal will be coming from, there are neglected elderly, and children who should be permitted to enjoy their childhood.  The list can seem endless.  If you are reading this and can afford it, please do something nice with whatever you can afford.  Some people are very wealthy and give out tokens.   It is nice to donate to institutions, but please feed the people as well.
      If you are one suffering, reach out to someone.   Try to be strong enough to say enough to abuse.  Report it.  Get some help for it. If you are hungry, go to a food bank, local church or relative and tell them your situation.  Talk to a neighbour.  Tell someone.  We cannot change other people but we can change ourselves.  Reach out.  Accept help. Be with people.  This is not easy for everyone, but each one of us is deserving of love.  This is all part of loving.