“Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I come unto you, just as I am, a sinner. I have sinned against you and heaven. I ask you Lord Jesus, to forgive me and to come into my heart and save my soul. Let me be born again by the Spirit of the Living God.

I give my life to You, Lord Jesus. I do believe that You are the Son of God. I give thanks and praise and honor for redeeming me by your precious blood.

In Jesus name, Amen

Seskis, in his message ‘Daniel Dennett and Religion’ (dated 09 December 2006), wrote that ‘...religion consists of three parts: ethics, teleology and theology.’ Having considered religion from a teleological perspective, I thought that the subject might be of some interest to members of this group.

I wrote up my conclusions in a paper headed ‘The Origin and Evolution of Culture’, basically that we are in fact born in sorrow as stated in Genesis, and religions express the truth. The paper was published in an e-journal called ‘Journal of Psycho-Social Studies’ at:

http://www.btinternet.com/~psycho_social/Vol2/JPSS2-GB1.html

The members of the Editorial Board, including thirteen Professors from related disciplines, are listed at:

http://www.btinternet.com/~psycho_social/ed.htm

Anyway, hoping that the subject-matter will be found of interest,

Gunars

The next Jānis Festival or Jāņu Vakars is only five months away. Some of us are already making preparations for the celebration. Perhaps readers would like to take part in this ‘preparation’ by seeking a greater breadth of understanding about the beliefs of their ancestors and not so few of their contemporaries.

Interestingly, Latvians know almost nothing about their God Jānis, least of all that Jānis is a God. This is nothing new to me, because my own lack of knowledge regarding Janis and the fact that no one who I asked knew to give me an answer that I found satisfactory got me into doing some research on the subject in the first place. Even so, when a folk festival, rural in its origin, loses its “natural” environment, and when most of the once rural celebrants become city dwellers, well, the change can be dramatic as well as a disaster. The disaster with regard to Jāņi Festival (‘John’s Day’ or ‘Jāņu diena’) is both dramatic and disastrous, especially when the transition involves yet further loss of understanding about the origins of the festival, about the God Jānis, and finds itself being renames to Līgo Festival or Solstice Celebration.

A number of factors are responsible for the state of ignorance about Jānis. The first and most obvious thing is that most people who speak both English and Latvian, myself including, have got into the habit of calling “John’s Day” as “St. John’s Day”, the latter associating “St.” with John the Baptist from the New Testament, a book held Holy by many Christians. Well, the habit plays into the hands of neo-Christianity, that group of the faithful who put John the Baptist in the position of being the “forerunner” of Jesus. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. John, Johan, Ian, Ivan, Iannus, Jean, Jesus, Huan, Han, and many other cognates of the name Jānis once used to represent an important God in his own right. That God’s name is Jānis.

So, let us take start our discussion with my assertions above. I hope readers will respond with their own contributions by way of questions, observations, and contributions.

Who did John raise from the dead, unless you count waking from a wicked hangover “waking from the dead”?

Did John save anyone? Anyone out there that John “saved”?

St John, St Patrick. Great Party, no substance.

Dievturiba is nonsense. If you don’t know it now, you will. Don’t waste your time.

A place ,particularly now that November, (veļu mēnesis) is here, where LOL members, their friends and relatives, who are no longer with us can be remembered.

Lilita, Balva, DisW mother, the son of our Australian member, the son of Archbishop Vanags, among others come to my mind.  Undaubtedly there are others, please remember them.

May all their souls rest in peace.

Care should taken that in the process of translation concepts are not introduced that do not exist in the origin language.  Lately I have come across a number of articles in english about ancient latvian beliefs.  This is laudable, provided care is taken in the translations.  In latvian sources , the dainas, gods and goddesses,(dievi un dievietes) are not mentioned.  God and Gods children, sons and daughters , are mentioned.  There are no ancient latvian gods and goddesses, and therefore should not appear in the translations.

I would like to expound on the above that I posted a couple of years ago.  Some who decide to study the dainas start with the preconceived idea that latvian gods and goddesses are mentioned, and what is left to do, is to describe and catalogue them.
Then they come across the hundreds of “mothers” (Meža Māte etc.} mentioned, and declare that hundreds of goddesses are worshipped.  In fact, the talk here is about “Mother” as the guardian and protector not a goddess.  To the ancients a guardian mother made more sense than a winged guardian angel flying around , or a patron saint.

Consider the following:  When “Mother Earth” is mentioned everybody understands what is meant.  Mother Earth is real. Mother Earth exists. You are standing on Mother Earth.  Mother Earth is not a goddess sitting somewhere on a celestial throne.

From dainas:  God is the Creator, and all the mothers mentioned, just like the mothers everywhere today and in the past, give birth, nurture, guard and protect, all His creations.

Visu labu,

During the first century those who practised Judaism were very devoted their religion. Just like King David and all other Jews throughout history they practised Torah (Instruction) – the Instructions of the Creator – with joy! The most prominent university professors in this field Prof. Elisha Qimron , author of the most authoritative treatise on 4Q MMT, demonstrates that all three of the major sects of first century Judaism followed both written and oral Torah.

Louis Feldman (”The Omnipresence of the G*od-Fearers,” Biblical Archaeology Review, 1986.09-10, p. 45, 58ff) observes: “the Jews were apparently extraordinarily successful in winning converts”

Year 7 B.C.E Ribi Yehoshua were born in Bethlehem. His father name was Yoseif and his mothers name was Miriam. His parents were practising Jews.

According to world-recognized authorities in this area Ribi Yehoshua was a Pharisee (a Torah-practising Jewish group - who according to 4Q MMT practised both written and oral Torah). As the earliest church historians, most eminent modern university historians, our web site (http://www.netzarim.co.il) and our Khavruta (Distance Learning) texts confirm, the original teachings of Ribi Yehoshua were not only accepted by most of the Pharisaic Jewish community, he had hoards of Jewish students.

He took care of sick and made it popular to pray in what corresponds to today’s Orthodox synagogues. The genealogically non-priest, Hellenist “Wicked Priest” Temple-Sadducees felt that their power was threaten by Ribi Yehoshua.  They decided to get him crucified by the Romans. The Romans convicted and crucified Ribi Yehoshua year 30 C.E.

Ribi Yehoshua’s followers Netzarim were expelled from Jerusalem 135 C.E: together with all other Jews. The first Christian bishop Markos replaced the fifteenth leader of Netzarim. This Christian bishop didn’t have permission to do this. What the Paul the apostate and later the founder of Christianity did was to take some concepts that Ribi Yehoshua had taught; they distorted the concepts and included them in the religion which they practiced – Hellenism – the religion of the Greeks. (Sources: See Ecclesiastical History (EH IV.v.1-4; EH V.xii.1) )

Anyone educated in this field knows that the only sect of Judaism that had rabbis was the Pharisee and even the Christian NT described him as a rabbi. Parkes, Bagatti, Wilson, Charlesworth; all world-recognized authorities in this area leave no doubt that Ribi Yehoshua was a Pharisee, of the school of Hileil - who was also Pharisee. There is no serious dispute about that among scholars in the field. Ribi Yehoshua taught in “synagogues”; which were a strictly Pharisee institution.

Following the teachings of the Judaic Mâshiakh (Messiah) Ribi Yehoshua – that is doing one’s utmost to practice the 613 commandments of Torah - also brings the inner joy, purpose and happiness of working intimately with him to bring about, and participate in, the Messianic era, enjoying a higher level of communion with ha-Sheim - the Creator - as party to Yirmeyâhu’s (Jeremiah’s) New Covenant.

If you want to learn about the Historical Ribi Yehoshua, whom Orthodox Jews can live with (witness the Netzarim Jews in Raanana, Israel, members in good standing in an Orthodox synagogue), you must start with books like How Jesus Became Christian by Prof. Barrie Wilson (most bookstores) and Who Are The Netzarim? (publ. http://www.schuellerhouse.com) by Israeli Orthodox Jew, Paqid Yirmeyahu Ben-David.

From Anders Branderud
Geir Toshav, Netzarim in Ra’anana in Israel (http://www.netzarim.co.il) whom is followers of Ribi Yehoshua – the Messiah – in Orthodox Judaism