During our weekly meeting we will now start to use a simple form of Roberts Rules to keep our meeting orderly so that we don’t waste our time . http://www.robertsrules.org/
We are tired of meetings that waste our time? That is why we have decided to implement a simple form of Roberts Rules in our live Meet and Greet Round Table Broadcast ! For me bringing order out of the chaos started with a very personal mission. Our mission is simple We are dedicated to using Roberts Rules by helping our members understand how to use Robert’s Rules of Order to get more work done! Remember, these processes are designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate and to share ideas in an orderly manner. Parliamentary procedure should not be used to prevent discussion of important issues This blog post is an overview of Roberts Rules of order. Follow through this presentation to learn the basic process that you will need to be successful in our meetings or convention by using the rules.
Every Tuesday Meet and Greet Round Table Broadcast in Current Events LIVE AND UPCOMING PODCAST Starts at 6:30 Pm to 7pm Call in to speak with the group (718) 508-9594
April 29 – July 1
Starts at 6:00pm · Ends at 8:00pm
Show Map
Liberty Family Restaurant
160 Winton Rd N, Rochester, New York 14610
April 29 – July 1
Starts at 6:00pm · Ends at 8:00pm
Liberty Family Restaurant 160 Winton Rd N, Rochester, NY 14610
Every Tuesday Meet and Greet Round Table Broadcast in Current Events LIVE AND UPCOMING PODCAST Call in to speak with the group (718) 508-9594 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/anti-illuminati-party/2014/05/06/every-tuesday-meet-and-greet-round-table
Check Out Current Events Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with AntiNewWorldOrderParty on BlogTalkRadio
Roberts Rules
July 8, 2014 at 4:22pm
Guidelines
Obtain the floor (the right to speak) by being the first to stand when the person speaking has finished; state Mr./Madam Chairman. Raising your hand means nothing, and standing while another has the floor is out of order! Must be recognized by the Chair before speaking!Debate can not begin until the Chair has stated the motion or resolution and asked “are you ready for the question?” If no one rises, the chair calls for the vote!Before the motion is stated by the Chair (the question) members may suggest modification of the motion; the mover can modify as he pleases, or even withdraw the motion without consent of the seconder; if mover modifies, the seconder can withdraw the second.The “immediately pending question” is the last question stated by the Chair! Motion/Resolution – Amendment – Motion to PostponeThe member moving the “immediately pending question” is entitled to preference to the floor!No member can speak twice to the same issue until everyone else wishing to speak has spoken to it once!All remarks must be directed to the Chair. Remarks must be courteous in language and deportment – avoid all personalities, never allude to others by name or to motives!The agenda and all committee reports are merely recommendations! When presented to the assembly and the question is stated, debate begins and changes occur!The Rules
Point of Privilege: Pertains to noise, personal comfort, etc. – may interrupt only if necessary!Parliamentary Inquiry: Inquire as to the correct motion – to accomplish a desired result, or raise a point of orderPoint of Information: Generally applies to information desired from the speaker: “I should like to ask the (speaker) a question.”Orders of the Day (Agenda): A call to adhere to the agenda (a deviation from the agenda requires Suspending the Rules)Point of Order: Infraction of the rules, or improper decorum in speaking. Must be raised immediately after the error is madeMain Motion: Brings new business (the next item on the agenda) before the assemblyDivide the Question: Divides a motion into two or more separate motions (must be able to stand on their own)Consider by Paragraph: Adoption of paper is held until all paragraphs are debated and amended and entire paper is satisfactory; after all paragraphs are considered, the entire paper is then open to amendment, and paragraphs may be further amended. Any Preamble can not be considered until debate on the body of the paper has ceased.Amend: Inserting or striking out words or paragraphs, or substituting whole paragraphs or resolutionsWithdraw/Modify Motion: Applies only after question is stated; mover can accept an amendment without obtaining the floorCommit /Refer/Recommit to Committee: State the committee to receive the question or resolution; if no committee exists include size of committee desired and method of selecting the members (election or appointment).Extend Debate: Applies only to the immediately pending question; extends until a certain time or for a certain period of timeLimit Debate: Closing debate at a certain time, or limiting to a certain period of timePostpone to a Certain Time: State the time the motion or agenda item will be resumedObject to Consideration: Objection must be stated before discussion or another motion is statedLay on the Table: Temporarily suspends further consideration/action on pending question; may be made after motion to close debate has carried or is pendingTake from the Table: Resumes consideration of item previously “laid on the table” – state the motion to take from the tableReconsider: Can be made only by one on the prevailing side who has changed position or viewPostpone Indefinitely: Kills the question/resolution for this session – exception: the motion to reconsider can be made this sessionPrevious Question: Closes debate if successful – may be moved to “Close Debate” if preferredInformal Consideration: Move that the assembly go into “Committee of the Whole” – informal debate as if in committee; this committee may limit number or length of speeches or close debate by other means by a 2/3 vote. All votes, however, are formal.Appeal Decision of the Chair: Appeal for the assembly to decide – must be made before other business is resumed; NOT debatable if relates to decorum, violation of rules or order of businessSuspend the Rules: Allows a violation of the assembly’s own rules (except Constitution); the object of the suspension must be specified
Recently I was informed by a informant who would like to remain Anonymous who has connections to Washington insiders. I was told by him that A dangerous asteroid, known as DA14 is heading toward the Earth and was spotted by NASA three years after it had got onto its current orbit. I was told that this asteroid has a 30% chance of hitting Earth around February 2013 at a distance of under 27,000 km (16,700 miles). The problem is that time has long run out to build a spaceship to carry out an rescue operation to stop its possible impact with earth but further calculation is required to estimate the potential threat and work out how to avert possible disaster. What I was told is that the Governments of the world are in fact planning on what to do about this asteroid and how to avert a possible human catastrophe in preparing the world populations for an announcement for a possible impact. scientists suggest confronting asteroid 2012 DA14 with either paint or big guns.
Chart of detected NEO’s (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“The Earth’s gravitational field will alter the asteroid’s path significantly. Further scrupulous calculation is required to estimate the threat of collision,” said Dr. Dunham, as transcribed by Russia’s Izvestia. “The asteroid may break into dozens of small pieces, or several large lumps may split from it and burn up in the atmosphere. The type of the asteroid and its mineral structure can be determined by spectral analysis. This will help predict its behavior in the atmosphere and what should be done to prevent the potential threat,” said NASA expert Dr. Dunham.
In the event of a collision, scientists have calculated that the energy released would equate to the destructive power of a thermo-nuclear bomb. In response to the threat, scientists have come up with some ingenious methods to avert a potential disaster.
A spaceship is needed, experts agree. It could shoot the rock down or just crash into it, either breaking the asteroid into debris or throwing it off course.
“We could paint it,” says NASA expert David Dunham.
Paint would affect the asteroid’s ability to reflect sunlight, changing its temperature and altering its spin. The asteroid would stalk off its current course, but this could also make the boulder even more dangerous when it comes back in 2056, Aleksandr Devaytkin, the head of the observatory in Russia’s Pulkovo, told Izvestia.
Spaceship impossible?
Whatever the mission, building a spaceship to deal with 2012 DA14 will take two years – at least.
The asteroid has proven a bitter discovery. It has been circling in orbit for three years already, crossing Earth’s path several times, says space analyst Sergey Naroenkov from the Russian Academy of Sciences. It seems that spotting danger from outer space is still the area where mere chance reigns, while asteroid defense systems exist only in drafts.
Still, prospects of meeting 2012 DA14 are not all doom and gloom.
“The asteroid may split into pieces entering the atmosphere. In this case, most part of it will never reach the planet’s surface,” remarks Dunham.
But if the entire asteroid is to crash into the planet, the impact will be as hard as in the Tunguska blast, which in 1908 knocked down trees over a total area of 2,150 sq km (830 sq miles) in Siberia. This is almost the size of Luxembourg. In today’s case, the destination of the asteroid is yet to be determined.
Book of Revelation: “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon a third of the rivers, and upon the springs of water; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and a third of the waters became Bitter; and many people had died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” (Revelation 8:10, 11 – KJV).
Futurist interpretations
Various scientific scenarios have been theorized on the effects of an asteroid or comet‘s collision with Earth. An applicable scenario theorizes a chemical change in the atmosphere due to “heat shock” during entry and/or impact of a large asteroid or comet, reacting oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere to produce nitric-acid rain.[6] Acid rain from the heat shock of a large comet or asteroid’s impact with Earth is believed by some to fit the Biblical description of the bitterness produced by the Wormwood Star upon a third of the Earth’s potable water. [7]
And the name of the star is called Wormwood – Is appropriately so called. The writer does not say that it would be actually so called, but that this name would be properly descriptive of its qualities. Such expressions are common in allegorical writings. The Greek word – ἄψινθος apsinthos – denotes “wormwood,” a well-known bitter herb. That word becomes the proper emblem of bitterness. Compare
Asteroid Belt (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Pie chart of the masses of the twelve most-massive asteroids per Baer (2011), relative to the mass of the main asteroid belt. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Chart of detected NEO’s (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Timelapse of Asteroid 2004 FH’s flyby (NASA/JPL Public Domain) 2004 FH is the centre dot being followed by the sequence; the object that flashes by near the end is an artificial satellite. Images obtained by Stefano Sposetti, Switzerland on March 18, 2004. Animation made Raoul Behrend, Geneva Observatory, Switzerland. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As if there weren’t already enough signs in the Heavens, Comet Pan-Starrs will be passing over Israel with the arrival of Barack Obama in this Year of the Comet.
Throughout history, comets have been interpreted as harbingers of plague, impending disaster, or the ascension of a new king.
From YouTube videographer TheInfoCollecter: This is no coincidence my friend, along with everything else we’re seeing happen daily, this harbinger appears. Wake Up. We Fly Soon!
I disagree with a few statement he makes in the video below. I think that Christians are rapidly awakening, it’s those who are ‘not in touch’ who have yet to have awoken to what’s clearly becoming seen to most as prophecy unfolding.
If you think that Comet Pan-Starrs is something, you haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until the arrival of Comet ISON later in the year. Comet ISON is being spoken of as the “comet of the century
It is very rare to see two bright comets in one year according to NASA. Comet ISON could shine as brightly as a full moon in the middle of the day. The comet will reach its perihelion on Nov. 28. Subscribe to Live Free Or Die for video updates on YouTube.
Of course the LA Times had to throw this into their Comet ISON story.:
And there’s no chance the comet, even if it breaks apart, will hit the Earth, experts say.
Here’s a movie clip from “Deep Impact” for an example of what will not be happening with this possible comet of the century. But the special effects are cool.
Many claim that The Shroud of Turin is Jesus Christ but the Knights Templar claim that this is Jacques de Molay. I myself would like to think that this is Jesus Christ but with my research and understanding of history tend to lead me to believe that this is indeed Jacques de Molay and not Jesus Christ.
Geoffroi de Charny (the French Knight who died at the 1356 battle of Poitiers) and his wife Jeanne de Vergy are the first reliably recorded owners of the Turin Shroud. This Geoffroi participated in a failed crusade under Humbert II of Viennois in the late 1340s.[26] He is sometimes confused with Templar Geoffroi de Charney.[27]
Any discussion of the Shroud of Turin is bound to be controversial. Those who view this sacred and holy relic fall into two camps, those that believe it to be the undisputed earthly evidence of a Christ risen and those who believe it to be a medieval forgery.
It is not the intention of this web site to cast doubt on or support the authenticity of the shroud, but rather to show its possible relationship to the Knights Templar. We receive many letters from angry people who wish to enter into lengthy debates about carbon 14 reliability. We are aware of new evidence that puts the reliability of carbon 14 dating in question, so please refrain from telling us of the findings or directing us to URLs that make the claims.
There are two theories that relate to the Templars having been involved with the Shroud, one, which would support the authenticity of the Shroud and another, which would refute it.
In 1204 the Crusaders sacked the city of Constantinople. Among them were the Knights Templar, whom some scholars contend took the Burial shroud of Jesus from the city. To support this theory, author Ian Wilson who wrote the book “The Shroud of Turin: Burial Cloth Of Jesus?” makes the claim that the head that the Templars were accused of worshipping was none other than that of Jesus. His belief is that the Shroud when folded depicted the head of Christ and was referred to as the “Mandylion.” There is a painted panel at Templecombe in England that shows a bearded head like that, which is depicted on the Mandylion.
In their two books, “The Hiram Key” and “The Second Messiah,” authors Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas paint a contrasting picture to the Mandylion theory. The authors theorize that the image on the Shroud of Turin is in fact that of the last Grand Master of the order, Jacques de Molay, who was tortured some months before his execution in 1307. The image on the shroud certainly does fit the description of de Molay as depicted in medieval wood cuts, a long nose, hair shoulder length and parted in the center, a full beard that forked at its base, not to mention the six-foot frame. De Molay was said to be quite tall.
However, many have criticized the theory on the basis that the Templar rule of order forbade the Templars from growing their hair long. What critics of the theory overlook is that during DeMolay’s seven years in prison it is highly unlikely that he would have been afforded such luxuries as good grooming.
Knight and Lomas claim that the shroud figured in the Templars rituals of figurative resurrection and that DeMolay’s tortured body was wrapped in a shroud, which the Templars kept after his death. Lomas and Knight further believe that lactic acid and blood from DeMolay’s tortured body mixed with frankincense (used to whiten the cloth) etching his image into the shroud.
When the shroud was first put on display in 1357 (50 years after the disbanding of the order) by the family of Geoffrey de Charney who was also burned at the stake with de Molay, the first people viewing the shroud recognized the image to be that of Christ.
The authors theorize that Jacques de Molay may have been tortured in a manner similar to Christ as a mockery. Certainly then, the wounds suffered by de Molay where the same as those of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Today it is commonly believed by many, through carbon dating, that the shroud dates to the late 13th century and not to the date of Christ’s supposed crucifixion. It is interesting that the church revealed these carbon dating results on October 13th, 1989, which is the same day the Templars were arrested by Church and State. According to the authors:
“Carbon dating has conclusively shown that the Shroud of Turin dates from between 1260 and 1380, precisely as we would expect if it were the image of Jacques de Molay. There is no other known theory that fits the scientifically established facts. Through experimentation, we know that the figure on the Shroud was on a soft bed of some kind, which strongly suggests that the victim was not dead and was expected to recover.”
The Second Messiah pg. 161 – Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas
Regardless of whether the findings of Ian Wilson or Knight and Lomas are correct, it is evident that this most holy and venerated relic has found its way into the Templar mythos.
Lynn Picknet and Clive Prince, authors of “Turin Shroud: In Whose Image?” present another theory of interest on the matter. Readers will recognize the authors from the book, “The Templar Revelation.” In the authors’ earlier book the duo claim that Leonardo Da Vinci who created an early photographic technique manufactured the image on the shroud of Turin.
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science
Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:01 CDT
A hoax or a miracle? The Shroud of Turin has inspired this question for centuries. Now, an art historian says this piece of cloth, said to bear the imprint of the crucified body of Jesus Christ, may be something in between.
According to Thomas de Wesselow, formerly of Cambridge University, the controversial shroud is no medieval forgery, as a 1989 attempt at radiocarbon dating suggests. Nor is the strange outline of the body on the fabric a miracle, de Wesselow writes in his new book, The Sign: The Shroud of Turin and the Secret of the Resurrection (Dutton Adult, 2012). Instead, de Wesselow suggests, the shroud was created by natural chemical processes – and then interpreted by Jesus’ followers as a sign of his resurrection.
“People in the past did not view images as just the mundane things that we see them as today. They were potentially alive. They were seen as sources of power,” de Wesselow told LiveScience. The image of Jesus found on the shroud would have been seen as a “living double,” he said. “It seemed like they had a living double after his death and therefore it was seen as Jesus resurrected.”
Believing the shroud
As de Wesselow is quick to admit, this idea is only a hypothesis. No one has tested whether a decomposing body could leave an imprint on shroud-style cloth like the one seen on the shroud. A 2003 paper published in the journal Melanoidins in Food and Health, however, posited that chemicals from the body could react with carbohydrates on the cloth, resulting in a browning reaction similar to the one seen on baked bread. (De Wesselow said he knows of no plans to conduct an experiment to discover if this idea really works.)
Perhaps more problematic is the authenticity of the shroud itself. Radiocarbon dating conducted in 1988 estimated the shroud to medieval times, between approximately A.D. 1260 and 1390. This is also the same time period when records of the shroud begin to appear, suggesting a forgery.
Critics have charged that the researchers who dated the shroud accidentally chose asample of fabric added to the shroud during repairs in the medieval era, skewing the results. That controversy still rages, but de Wesselow is convinced of the shroud’s authenticity from an art history approach.
“It’s nothing like any other medieval work of art,” de Wesselow said. “There’s just nothing like it.”
Among the anachronisms, de Wesselow said, is the realistic nature of the body outline. No one was painting that realistically in the 14th century, he said. Similarly, the body image is in negative (light areas are dark and vice versa), a style not seen until the advent of photography centuries later, he said.
“From an art historian’s point of view, it’s completely inexplicable as a work of art of this period,” de Wesselow said.
Resurrection: spiritual or physical?
If de Wesselow’s belief in the shroud’s legitimacy is likely to rub skeptics the wrong way, his mundane explanation of how the image of Jesus came to be is likely to ruffle religious feathers. According to de Wesselow, there’s no need to invoke a miracle when simple chemistry could explain the imprint. It’s likely, he says, that Jesus’ female followers returned to his tomb to finish anointing his body for burial three days after his death. When they lifted the shroud to complete their work, they would have seen the outline of the body and interpreted it as a sign of Jesus’ spiritual revival.
From there, de Wesselow suspects, the shroud went on tour around the Holy Land, providing physical proof of the resurrection to Jesus’ followers. When the Bible talks about people meeting Jesus post-resurrection, de Wesselow said, what it really means is that they saw the shroud. He cites the early writings of Saint Paul, which focus on a spiritual resurrection, over the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, which were written later and invoke physical resurrection.
“The original conception of the resurrection was that Jesus was resurrected in a spiritual body, not in his physical body,” de Wesselow said.
These ideas are already receiving pushback, though de Wesselow says he’s yet to get responses from people who have read his entire book. Noted skeptic Joe Nickell toldMSNBC’s Alan Boyle that de Wesselow’s ideas were “breathtakingly astonishing,” and not in a good way; Nickell has argued on multiple occasions that the shroud’s spotty historical record and too-perfect image strongly suggest a counterfeit.
On the other end of the religious spectrum, former high-school teacher and Catholic religious speaker David Roemer believes in Jesus’ resurrection, but not the shroud’s authenticity. The image is too clear and the markings said to be blood aren’t smeared as they would be if the cloth had covered a corpse, Roemer told LiveScience.
“When you get an image this detailed, it means it was done by some kind of a human being,” Roemer said.
Unlike many “shroudies,” as believers are deprecatingly called, Roemer suspects the shroud was deliberately created by Gnostic sects in the first or second century. A common religious explanation for the markings is that a flash of energy or radiation accompanied Christ’s resurrection, “burning” his image onto the cloth.
If anything is certain about de Wesselow’s hypothesis, it’s that it is not likely to settle the shroud controversy. Scientific examinations of the delicate cloth are few and far between – and so are disinterested parties. Roemer, for example, recently arrived at a scheduled talk at a Catholic church in New York only to find the talk had been canceled when the priest learned of Roemer’s shroud skepticism. (The Catholic Church has no official position on the shroud’s authenticity.)
Meanwhile, de Wesselow said, people who aren’t driven by faith to accept the cloth as real generally don’t care about the shroud at all.
“The intellectual establishment, if you like, is not interested in shroud science,” he said. “It regards it as fringe and it’s not interested.”
The Lifetime show “Dance Moms”in the Post-Gazette Magazine section, “reality” show set at a Penn Hills dance studio. Does the show give a bad name to dance? I being a father of a 2 year old Baby Girl cannot fathom the thought of my daughter being on display like a dancing topless hooker. I find it despicable that any Father or Mother would allow their child to parade around in such a provocative way as to look like strippers.
I think Abby Lee Miller is indisputably the worst example of a teacher. About the moms themselves and their willingness to put their kids on TV, opening them to ridicule for their mothers’ bad behavior is a crime and should be punishable by Law!
If I was the top cop I would have you all spend the night in jail for abuse and neglect of your children. I would not have your child taken from you but you all definitely deserve a big time out with a dunce hat sitting in the corner for all to see, how much of a Jack@$$ you really have been! Now the World thinks Americans are a bunch of idiots! I’m here to say that not all Americans agree with this despicable act!
All I can say is shame on all of you who allowed you children to be on such a abominable display. I would suggest that you all need to have a come to JESUS CHRIST moment!
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live a more responsible and humane life. It typically includes anadmission of guilt, a promise or resolve not to repeat the offense; an attempt to make restitution for the wrong, or in some way to reverse the harmful effects of the wrong where possible.
In BiblicalHebrew, the idea of repentance is represented by two verbs: שוב shuv (to return) and נחם nicham (to feel sorrow). In the New Testament, the word translated as ‘repentance’ is the Greek word μετάνοια (metanoia), “after/behind one’s mind“, which is a compound word of the preposition ‘meta’ (after, with), and the verb ‘noeo’ (to perceive, to think, the result of perceiving or observing). In this compound word the preposition combines the two meanings of time and change, which may be denoted by ‘after’ and ‘different’; so that the whole compound means: ‘to think differently after’. Metanoia is therefore primarily an after-thought, different from the former thought; a change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct, “change of mind and heart”, or, “change of consciousness”. A description of repentance in the New Testament can be found in the parable of the prodigal son found in the Gospel of Luke (15 beginning at verse 11).
In the Hebrew Bible, repentance generally leads to salvation. In some cases, individuals or nations repent of their sins and are spared God‘s judgment. Sometimes the punishment avoided is destruction in this life, sometimes it is damnation.[1] In the book of Jonah, the prophet initially chose to disobey God’s command, and then he repented and became obedient. However, Jonah returned to disobedience when he hoped for the destruction of the city of Nineveh. In the Book of Job, Job never repented of any particular sin or activity when he went through his major dilemma. The Hebrew term teshuvah (lit. “return”) is used to refer to “repentance”. This implies that transgression and sin are the natural and inevitable consequence of man’s straying from God and His laws,[2] and that it is man’s destiny and duty to be with God. The Bible states that God’s loving-kindness is extended to the returning sinner.
The Torah (five books of Moses) distinguishes between offenses against God and offenses against man. In the first case the manifestation of repentance consists in: (1) Confession of one’s sin before God (Lev. 5:5; Num. 5:7), the essential part being a solemn promise and firm resolve not to commit the same sin again. (2) Making certain prescribed offerings (Lev. 5:1-20). Offenses against man require, in addition to confession and sacrifice, restitution in full of whatever has been wrongfully obtained or withheld from one’s fellow man, with one-fifth of its value added thereto (Lev. 5:20-26). If the wronged man has died, restitution must be made to his heir; if he has no heir, it must be given to the priest who officiates at the sacrifice made for the remission of the sin (Num. 5:7-9).
There are other manifestations of repentance mentioned in the Bible. These include pouring out water,[3] which symbolizes the pouring out of one’s heart before God;[4] prayer[5] self-affliction, as fasting; wearing sackcloth; sitting and sleeping on the ground [6] However, the Prophets disparaged all such outer manifestations of repentance, insisting rather on a complete change of the sinner’s mental and spiritual attitude.[7]In Isaiah 55:7, the Bible states that repentance brings pardon and forgiveness of sin. Apart from repentance, no other activities, such as sacrifices or religious ceremonies can secure pardon and forgiveness of sin.
Rabbinic Jewish literature contains extensive discussions on the subject of repentance. Many rabbinic sources state that repentance is of paramount importance to the existence of this world, so that it was one of the seven provisions which God made before the Creation (TalmudBavli, tractates Pesahim 54a; Nedarim 39b; Midrash Genesis Rabbah 1). “The Holy One, blessed be His name, said to Elijah, ‘Behold, the precious gift which I have bestowed on my world: though a man sins again and again, but returns in penitence, I will receive him'” (JerusalemTalmud Sanhedrin 28b). “Great is repentance: it brings healing into the world”; “it reaches to the throne of God” (Hosea 14:2, 5); “it brings redemption” (Isiah 59:20); “it prolongs man’s life” (Ezekiel 18:21; Talmud Yoma 86a). “Repentance and works of charity are man’s intercessors before God’s throne” (Talmud Shabbath 32a). Sincere repentance is equivalent to the rebuilding of the Temple, the restoration of the altar, and the offering of all the sacrifices.[8]
Sincere repentance is manifested when the same temptation to sin, under the same conditions, is ever after resolutely resisted.[9] “He that confesses his sin and still clings to it is likened to a man that holds in his hand a defiling object; though he batheth in all the waters of the world he is not cleansed; but the moment he casteth the defiling object from him a single bath will cleanse him, as it is said[10] ‘Whosoever confesses and forsakes them [his sins] shall have mercy'”.[11]
According to Jewish doctrine, repentance is the prerequisite of atonement.[12]Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, derives its significance only from the fact that it is the culmination of the ten penitential days with which the Jewish religious year begins; and therefore it is of no avail without repentance; (Midrash Sifra, Emor, 14.). Though man ought to be penitent every day (Mishna Avoth Chap 2, 10; Talmud Shabbath 153a), the first ten days of every year are the acceptable time announced by the prophet (Isaiah 55:6): “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near” (Talmud Rosh Hashan 18a; Mishneh TorahTeshuva 2:6). Repentance and the Day of Atonement only absolve one from sins committed against God; from sins against another person they absolve only when restitution has been made and the pardon of the offended party has been obtained (Talmud Yoma 87a; Mishneh TorahTeshuva2:9).
No one need despair on account of his or her sins, for every penitent sinner is graciously received by God. (Jeremiah 31:9). Jewish doctrine holds that it is never too late, even on the day of death, to return to God with sincere repentance for “as the sea is always open for every one who wishes to cleanse himself, so are the gates of repentance always open to the sinner”.[13] Jewish doctrine states that the hand of God is continually stretched out to receive a sinner.[14] One view in the Talmud holds that a repentant sinner attains a more exalted spiritual eminence than one who has never sinned (Talmud Berakhoth 34b.) It is a sin to taunt a repentant sinner by recalling their former sinful ways.[15] Repentance occupies a prominent position in all the ethical writings of the Middle Ages. Bahya ibn Paquda devotes a special section to it in his ‘Hovot ha-Levavot”, “Gate of Repentance.” Maimonides devotes the last section of “Sefer ha-Madda'” in his Mishneh Torahto the subject. One of the most significant medieval works on Repentance is “Shaarei Teshuva,” the “Gates of Repentance” by Rabbeinu Yona of Gerona.
The doctrine of Repentance in the Scriptures appears to be very prominent. See the description of repentance in the Hebrew Bible above for repentance in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, John the Baptist began his public ministry, as did Jesus, with a call to repentance (Matthew 3:1–2; Matthew 4:17). In the Acts 2 sermon on Pentecost, Peter commands repentance. In the Acts 3 sermon at the Beautiful gate of the Temple, Peter interchanges the phrase “turn again” at a similar place in his presentation. When Jesus sent forth messengers to proclaim his gospel, he commanded them to preach repentance (Luke 24:47; Mark 6:12). Teachings on repentance are found in the New Testament in Peter, (Acts 2:38); Paul, (Acts 20:21). God wants everyone to repent (2 Pet. 3:9; Acts 17:30). Indeed, failure on the part of man to heed God’s call to repentance means that he shall utterly perish (Luke 13:3).
The constant references to repentance in Peter’s preaching to his fellow countrymen in the early part of the book of Acts may indicate an exceptional need for repentance amongst those who had recently been party to the crucifixion of Christ, see Responsibility for the death of Jesus. Paul is emphatic that change take place amongst those whom he taught (see the Bible references to “turning to a true and living God”). This aversion to the Greek or idolatrous lifestyle may have come from the intense patriotism to Jewish ideals held by the well educated former Pharisee. Saint Isaac of Syria said, “This life has been given to you for repentance. Do not waste it on vain pursuits.”
The Augsburg Confession divides repentance into two parts: “One is contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin; the other is faith, which is born of the Gospel, or ofabsolution, and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors.”[16]
There is a three-fold idea involved in true repentance in the Protestant conception. The Protestant reformer John Calvin said that repentance “may be justly defined to be “a true conversion of our life to God, proceeding from a serious fear of God, and consisting in the mortification of the flesh and of the old man, and in the vivification of the Spirit.” He further said that “it will be useful to amplify and explain the definition we have given; in which there are three points to be particularly considered.” “In the first place, when we call repentance “a conversion of the life to God, we require a transformation, not only in the external actions, but in the soul itself; which, after having put off the old nature, should produce the fruits of actions corresponding to its renovation. . . .In the second place, we represented repentance as proceeding from a serious fear of God. For before the mind of a sinner can be inclined to repentance, it must be excited by the knowledge of the Divine judgment.
“It remains for us, in the third place, to explain our position, that repentance consists of two parts—the mortification of the flesh and the vivification of the spirit. . . . Both these branches of repentance effects our participation of Christ. For if we truly partake of his death, our old man is crucified by its power, and the body of sin expires, so that the corruption of our former nature loses all its vigor. . . .If we are partakers of his resurrection, we are raised by it to a newness of life, which corresponds with the righteousness of God.” [Quotes from A Compend of the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin edited by Hugh T. Kerr, The Westminster Press-Philadelphia 1939.]
Matthew 21:29: “He answered and said: I will not; but afterward he repented, and went“. The word here used for “repent” means to change one’s mind, thought, purpose, views regarding a matter; it is to have another mind about a thing. This change is well illustrated in the action of the Prodigal Son, and of the Publican in the well-known story of the Pharisee and the Publican(Luke 15 and 18). 2 Cor. 7:9–“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.” See also Luke 10:13; cf. Gen. 6:6. The Greek word for repentance in this connection means “to be a care to one afterwards,” to cause one great concern. This meaning is exemplified by the repentant person who not only has profound regret for his past but also the fulfilled hope in the potential of God’s grace to continually bear the fruit of healing and true reconciliation in himself, with others, and most especially with God. The Hebrew equivalent is strong as well, and it means to pant, to sigh, or to moan. So the publican “beat upon his breast,” indicating sorrow of heart. See also Psalms 38:18.
The issue of repentance is also discussed in connection with the will and disposition. One of the Hebrew words for repent means “to turn.” The Prodigal Son said, “I will arise… and he arose” (Luke 15:18, 20). The part of the will and disposition in repentance is shown in the Confession of sin to God: Psa. 38:18 — “For I will declare mine iniquity: I will be sorry for my sin.” The publican beat upon his breast, and said, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). The prodigal said, “I have sinned against heaven” (Luke 15:21). There must be confession to man also in so far as man has been wronged in and by our sin (Matthew 5:23–24); James 5:16). Isa. 55:7 Prov. 28:13 (“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”); Matthew 3:8–10 (“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:… And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”). It is not enough to turn away from sin; we must turn unto God. 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Acts26:18.
According to Christians, acts of repentance do not earn God’s forgiveness from one’s sin; rather, forgiveness is given as a gift from God to those whom he saves. Acts 11:18–“Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” 2 Tim. 2:25 — “If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” Acts 5:30, 31. In this view, people are called upon to repent in order that we may feel our own inability to do so, and consequently be thrown upon God and petition Him to perform this work of grace in our hearts. Many church fathers have made reference to it as the “gift of repentance” or as the “gift of tears”. God calls all to repent through the hearing of the Gospel. God grants total repentance as each individual responds to repentance through faith in the expiating sacrifice of Jesus for all sin. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Repentance is given before anything else by definition. One cannot show true change in his life before he himself has changed [repented] to bring about manifestations of that change/repentance.
Acts 2:37, 38, 41. The very Gospel which calls for repentance produces it. When the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:5-10) heard the preaching of the word of God by Jonah they believed the message and turned unto God. Not any message, but the Gospel is the instrument that God uses to bring about this desired end. Furthermore, this message must be preached in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5-10). Rev. 3:19; Heb. 12:6, 10-11. The chastisements of God are sometimes for the purpose of bringing His wandering children back to repentance. 2 Tim. 2:24-25. God often uses the loving, Christian reproof of a fellow believer to be the means of bringing Christians back to God. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Faith in Jesus Christ naturally leads to repentance. Latter-day Saints do not subscribe to the notion of “Original Sin,” We believe men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression (Joseph Smith Article of Faith No. 2.) Mankind may be fallen and cursed, but not doomed for being human. Sin is all manner of wickedness (1 John 5:17,) transgression of the Laws of God (1 John 3:4,) to know good and not do it (James 4:17,) and anything not done in faith (Romans 14:23.) From these passages we find different degrees of severity in sin, some being outright cruelty and visciousness and some being against written commandments. All people sin, sometimes in ignorance, or weakness, or willful disobedience. The principles of repentance are 1) recognizing the sin, 2) sorrow for the sin, 3) forsaking the sin, 4) Confessing the sin, 5) make restitution if possible, 6) forgive others, and 7) keep the commandments of God. Repentance is not a sudden change or decision in life in which a person confesses the name of Jesus Christ and then no longer is a sinner. Repentance is a life long process applied to each wrong doing a person becomes aware of. Latter-day Saints do not believe that God has given any commandment that a person cannot fully live up to and that repentance is a real and practical means to live up to those commandments. There is personal responsibility in salvation and it is a duty to repent of sin, Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence (Moses 6:57.) Repentance wasn’t meant to be vague, but the Lord has made it plain and practical, so people can understand what is required of them. This is how men are able to literally work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil. 2:12)
The word tawbah (repentance) in Arabic literally means ‘to return’, and is mentioned in the Qur’an. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allah Has prohibited and returning to what He Has Commanded.
The Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance “Repentance Dharma” is one of the “Eighty-Four Thousand Dharma-Doors” in Buddhism, and yet it is one of the most important and expedient dharmas. It enables people to reform to a new proper path of life.
Hoʻoponopono (ho-o-pono-pono) is an ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness, combined with (repentance) prayers. Similar forgiveness practices were performed on islands throughout the South Pacific, including Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. Traditionally hoʻoponopono is practiced by healing priests or kahuna lapaʻau among family members of a person who is physically ill. Modern versions are performed within the family by a family elder, or by the individual alone.
^ (Hosea 14:1-2, Hebrew). “Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy, and repenteth him of the evil” (Joel 2:13).