14 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2024
    1. In 1554 and again in 1556,[1] Ferdinand named Busbecq ambassador to the Ottoman Empire under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent. His task for much of the time he was in Constantinople was the negotiation of a border treaty between his employer (the future Holy Roman Emperor) and the Sultan over the disputed territory of Transylvania. He had no success in this mission while Rüstem Pasha was the Sultan's vizier, but ultimately reached an accord with his successor Semiz Ali Pasha.

      Ogier was an ambassador mediating between Ferdinand and Suleyman.

  2. Dec 2023
    1. the question is often do people acknowledge that say the basic rules of their society were created out of the human imagination or are there some kind 00:15:49 of objective thing that came from outside let's say from God you look for instance at the history of slavery so you know the 10 Commandments in the in the 10th commandment there is an 00:16:02 endorsement of slavery the 10th commandment says that you should not covet your neighbor's H uh wife or ox or field or 00:16:14 slaves implying that there is nothing wrong with holding slaves it's only wrong if you CET your neighbor's slaves then God is angry with you now because the Ten Commandments uh don't 00:16:27 acknowledge that they were created by humans they don't have any mechanism to amend them and therefore we still have the tenth commandment and nobody has the power to change the to to strike out 00:16:40 slavery from The Ten Commandments now the US Constitution in contrast as everybody points out it was written partly by slaveholders and also endorses 00:16:52 slavery but the genius of the American Founders The Genius of the American institution is that it acknowledges its own that it's the result of of of human 00:17:05 creation it starts with with the people not with I am your God and therefore it includes a mechanism to amend itself
      • for: insight - holy vs human scriptures

      • comment

        • Harari touches on an important point here. If some edict is interpreted as written by "God", then it is very difficult or impossible to amend.
        • In contrast, human scriptures such as a country's constitution, a scientific law, rules of a sport, engagement rules of the stock market or an economic system are all created by humans and can be amended
        • Why is gay marriage so volatile a subject? It's because there is one interpretation that holy scripture only condones relationships between a man and a woman.
  3. Jun 2023
    1. The Holy Grail" is symbolic of the Round Table being broken apart, a key reason for the doom of Camelot.

      The holy grail caused the members of the round table to leave in search for it. The theme to of giving into your passions (see Excalibur) seems to recur.

    1. Sister Ann M. Dibb, who served as a Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, explained how we can stand in holy places: “President Ezra Taft Benson counseled, ‘Holy places include our temples, our chapels, our homes, and the stakes of Zion, which are … “for a defense, and for a refuge’’ [D&C 115:6]’ [‘Prepare Yourself for the Great Day of the Lord,’ New Era, May 1982, 50]. In addition to these, I believe we can each find many more places. We might first consider the word place as a physical environment or a geographic location. However, a place can be ‘a distinct condition, position, or state of mind’ [Merriam-Webster Online, ‘place,’ merriam-webster.com/dictionary/place]. This means holy places can also include moments in time—moments when the Holy Ghost testifies to us, moments when we feel Heavenly Father’s love, or moments when we receive an answer to our prayers. Even more, I believe any time you have the courage to stand for what is right, especially in situations where no one else is willing to do so, you are creating a holy place” (“Your Holy Places,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 115).

      great points here:

      • physical holy places are: temples, chapels and homes

      • intangible holy places are: moments we are in companionship of his spirit

      the common denominator being: whenever we act outside of our natural inclinations (or our natural man), we enter a place of safety. when our eternal selves (spiritual man) is in domination, we are in a safe place

  4. Sep 2021
    1. So from His very childhood the Lord began to preach the importance of the holy name.
  5. Jan 2021
    1. Miracles are natural. When they do not occur something has gone wrong.

      This brings the light to yet another facet of the diamond which genuine forgiveness is: you practice not in it alone. Your willingness and your allowance are the key to let Divinity step in.

      The seekers scroll through stacks of books and pick the things they liked from each to cook their own salvation's recipe. But if it's you who is in charge of your atonement, then why you're not enlightened still?

      You cannot be your guide to miracles, for it is you who made them necessary. T-14.11.7

      You have not made truth, but truth can still set you free. Look as the Holy Spirit looks, and understand as He understands. His understanding looks back to God in remembrance of me. T-5.3.11

      Follow the Holy Spirit's teaching in forgiveness, then, because forgiveness is His function and He knows how to fulfill it perfectly. That is what I meant when I said that miracles are natural, and when they do not occur something has gone wrong. T-9.4.6

      Think not that you can find salvation in your own way ... Give over every plan that you have made for your salvation in exchange for God's. T-15.4.2

      Only God's plan for salvation will work. W-71

      You child of God, the gifts of God are yours, not by your plans but by His holy Will. His Voice will teach you what forgiveness is, and how to give it as He wills it be. Do not, then, seek to understand what is beyond you yet, but let it be a way to draw you up to where the eyes of Christ become the sight you choose. S-2.3.2

      I merely follow, for I would not lead. W-324

  6. Sep 2020
    1. he will crush[j] your head,(BL)    and you will strike his heel.”

      God curses the serpent after deceiving Eve in the garden, and creates "enmity between [the serpent] and the woman." In the "Harry Potter" series by JK Rowling, the serpent is a symbol of evil, and near the end of the books, is the only piece of evil left to destroy before good can truly be restored.

  7. May 2019
    1. But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

      This is more than just a travel log. Here Jonah is saying no to God. He is refusing God’s plan for him. He is actually rejecting a direct request from the creator because of his own interests. Maybe he is afraid to prophesy repentance because his life could be at risk. There may be smooth sailing at first, but the wrath of God eventually catches up with him.

  8. Jan 2017
    1. Paleolithic artist, possibly a shaman

      I'm reminded of Rickert's earlier point about the strong connection between spirituality/divinity and rhetoric. With this in mind, it's fascinating to think that these occupations would have been one in the same. Would it be possible to be a shaman without being an artist, or perhaps more interestingly, vice versa?

    2. The power of strong words to guide the soul constitutes rhetorical essence.

      Interesting connection between rhetoric and spirituality. It reminded me of this scene from Exodus:

      Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

      The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

      ...

      The connection between spirituality (the divine) and strong rhetoric that Rickert alludes to here is made literal in this scene; the power of God is in His language and the eloquence he grants to Moses. The strong words granted to Moses/Aaron by God allow the prophet to guide the souls of the Egyptians toward Hebrew liberation.

  9. Oct 2016
    1. the demon scrupulously takes part in all these matters, sees all things, understands all things, and dwells in the most profound recesses of the mind, in the place of conscience.  He of whom I speak is entirely our guardian, our individual keeper, our watcher at home, our own proper regulator, a searcher Into our inmost fibres, our constant observer, our inseparable witness, a reprover of our evil actions, an approver of our good ones; if he is becomingly attended to, sedulously examined and devoutly worshipped, in the way in which he was worshipped by Socrates in justice and in innocence; he is our forewarner in uncertainty, our monitor in matters of doubt, our defender in danger, and our assistant in need. He is able also by dreams, and by tokens, and perhaps even openly, when necessity demands it, to avert from you evil, to increase your blessings, to aid you when depressed, to support you when falling, to lighten your darkness, to regulate your prosperity, and modify your adversity.

      This part is quoted in a talk on the Thelemic concept of Holy Guardian Angel here.

    1. the daemon who presides over you inquisitively participates of all that concerns you, sees all things, understands all things, and in the place of conscience dwells in the most profound recesses of the mind [see note 6]. For he of whom I speak is a perfect guardian, a singular prefect, a domestic speculator, a proper curator, an intimate inspector, an assiduous observer, an inseparable arbiter, a reprobater of what is evil, an approver of what is good; and if he is legitimately attended to, sedulously known, and religiously worshipped, in the way in which he was reverenced by Socrates with justice and innocence, will be a predictor in things uncertain, a premonitor in things dubious, a defender in things dangerous, and an assistant in want. He will also be able, by dreams, by tokens, and perhaps also manifestly, when the occasion demands it, to avert from you evil, increase your good, raise your depressed, support your falling, illuminate your obscure, govern your prosperous, and correct your adverse circumstances.

      This part is quoted in a talk on the Thelemic concept of Holy Guardian Angel here.

  10. Oct 2015
    1. As you know, the word, “holy” comes from the same root word as the word “whole”. The only reason the word “holy” was created was because wholeness was not available as a Self-experience, and so there must be a way to account for the Wholeness of Being. There must be a way of satisfying the intuitive perceptions that Being is Whole. So, the word “holy” was created to identify that part of our Wholeness which was not available to us consciously. The fact is that everything holy is absolutely normal, as normal as apple pie, when it is totally available to us as our Conscious Being.

      Holy is about ones conscious awareness of the Wholeness of Being..Consciously Being..