MGI HERITAGE DAY 2015

Photo:Lesego Masoga

A stall selling African beads and caps

 

A group of Zimbabwean students celebrating

Long shot of MGI Humanities Building

A religious robe

A group of students from different nationalities

‘Homo naledi is not contrary to biblical scriptures’

By: Mia Lindeque

Methodist church leader Paul Verryn says the discovery of Homo is nothing contrary to biblical scriptures or what religious people believe.

Scientists revealed a significant fossil discovery, which had been kept a secret for years, at Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind.

But this has been met with mixed reaction among religious groups and individuals, who say they will not be referred to as descendants of baboons. 

 

Verryn says it is written in the scripture that nothing is made that doesn’t have God’s influence in it.

“The essence of what in written in scripture is that humanity and the whole of creation is designed and brought into being by God and that we have a very unique dignity.”

Founding president of the Kara Heritage Institute Mathole Motshekga has denied Homo naledi is his ancestor. 

Former Congress of South African Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is the latest person to react on social media, saying no one will dig old monkey bones to back up a theory that he was once a baboon.

Researchers who worked on the special project have hailed Homo naledi as a historic discovery  which will help better understand who we are and how we evolved, also questioning what it truly means to be human.

On Friday a leading UK scientist praised the team involved in the discovery of Homo naledi for its transparency regarding their findings.

The so-called Naked Scientist, Chris Smith, said the team had been open and honest allowing its work to be scrutinised.

“The first thing they’ve done is to publish the results in a journal which is open access, this means anyone in the world can gain access to the paper and to read it for themselves and begin to make their mind up.”

But not all the reaction to this ground breaking find had been positive  

 The New York Times quoted an expert in the field of human evolution who questions the classifying of this new species in the Homo class, the same designation humans fall under.

The age of the bones is also still unclear and Smith said scientists have years of work ahead of them.

He added that the most important step for the team was to try to extract DNA from the fossils.

“Because they’re in such pristine conditions they may too surrender their DNA secrets. So that’s going to be the other really key thing to look into.

“Once you’ve got a DNA message from these individuals that will really begin to shed some light on where they fit into things because you can’t argue with the DNA.” 

What are your own thoughts? Do you think Homo naledi is your relative? Please leave a comment.

Do you believe in reincarnation?

My biological father told me so many times before his death that when he dies, he would come back into this world. He believed one of us (i.e. his children) would give birth to him again, but my Sunday school teacher taught me otherwise, he taught me that there is nothing like reincarnation, so I decided to check what the bible says on the subject of reincarnation, and below are my findings:

 

The concept of reincarnation is completely without foundation in the Bible, which clearly tells us that we die once and then face judgment (Hebrew 9:27). The Bible never mentions people having a second chance at life or coming back as different people or animals. Jesus told the criminal on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise" Luke 23:43), not "You will have another chance to live a life on this earth." Matthew 25:46 specifically tells us that believers go on to eternal life while unbelievers go onto eternal punishment. Reincarnation has been a popular belief for thousands of years, but it has never been accepted by Christians or followers of Judaism because it is contradictory to Scripture.

The one passage that some point to as evidence for reincarnation is Matthew 17:10-12 which links John the Baptist with Elijah. However, the passage does not say that John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated but that he would have fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah's coming if the people had believed his words and thereby believed in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 17:12). The people specifically asked John the Baptist if he was Elijah, and he said, "No, I am not" (John 1:21).

Belief in reincarnation is an ancient phenomenon and is a central tenet within the majority of Indian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Many modern pagans also believe in reincarnation as do some New Age movements, along with followers of spiritism. For the Christian, however, there can be no doubt: reincarnation is unbiblical.  

IS MASTURBATION WRONG?

The Bible does not discuss masturbation at all.  This seems a little odd given that Leviticus has so much to say about sexuality, one would think it natural that the subject would be covered.  But it isn't. 

Masturbation is not specifically declared to be sinful or not biblical.  Nevertheless, we must be cautious to pronounce something to be sinful or not sinful when God is yet to make such pronouncement. Therefore, we have to derive norms from Scripture on related sexual issues and see if we can wisely apply them to the subject of masturbation.

First of all, sex was created by God for procreative purposes, physical enjoyment, and the demonstration of intimacy between spouses.  In this context, the sexual act is intended to occur in a healthy marriage relationship between spouses in purity and holiness.  In contrast to this, masturbation is the self-stimulation to the point of sexual release without the gifting of a spouse.  It would seem that masturbation is a denial of the sexual design of God for couples.  But, is it sinful? 

Again, answering this question is difficult because the Bible does not pronounce it as sin.  Nevertheless, there is the principle of purity that is obviously true.  Does masturbation fall under the category of purity?

One can say this for sure.  If masturbation involves sexual fantasies and/or pornography, then it is certainly not pure and is very sinful.  The Bible clearly teaches that our minds are as important to God as our bodies are and that we are to remain pure in both.  Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart," (Matt. 5:27-28). Jesus is saying that thinking lustful thoughts is sinful.  Therefore, masturbation involving sexual fantasies (at least not of one's spouse) is undoubtedly sinful.

But this brings up the issue of a spouse masturbating while thinking of his/her spouse.  Is it sinful?  Again, since the Bible does not declare it sinful, can we?  I don’t think so.

Well! Let's say that a wife is incapacitated by an accident and is in the hospital for an extended period of time.  Is it alright for the husband to masturbate if he thinks only of his wife in order to relieve sexual tension?  Again, without a specific declaration of Scripture, it is difficult to pronounce it as sinful.  On the one hand, his body is not his own, and it is for his wife; and he is not to be mastered by anything (1 Cor. 6:12). But on the other hand, she is not available.  Would his masturbation be sinful should he commit it if he only thought of his wife?  I cannot say for sure. In fact, I don’t know the answer.

Then again, what if someone masturbates with absolutely no sexual fantasy of any sort in mind?  Is it then sinful?  Again, this is difficult to answer. But, since the Bible doesn't condemn or condone it, can we make dogmatic assertions? 

Furthermore, what if a person masturbates in order to reduce the sexual urge in an attempt to not commit fornication?  Certainly, actual fornication would be a sin, and masturbation would be preferable in this instance.  But does this mean that the person is being mastered by the flesh?  If so, then that would be wrong.  But, does it mean then that a self-release of sexual tension is then acceptable if it is to avoid fornication?  Again, since the Bible does not declare masturbation a sin, I cannot say it is.

Let’s look at one account in Genesis 38:9 some people often quote in order to validate their arguments about masturbation.

 The story of Onan in Genesis 38:9?

Some people incorrectly cite Onan in Gen. 38:9 who spilled his sperm on the ground, as a justification for masturbation, but this is a mistake because this story is not in the context of masturbation. The Bible says:

"And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so it came about that when he went in to his brother wife, he wasted his seed on the ground, in order not to give offspring to his brother," (Gen. 38:9).

Again, this is not about masturbation.  It is about the failure of Onan to give children to Tamar, the widow of his brother, and fulfill his duty to raise offspring in his brother's name.  By refusing his obligation, he sinned, therefore, it cannot be confused for masturbation.

Conclusion

The goal of the Christian life is to be pure in thought and deed.  I believe that the issue of masturbation comes down to this.  Therefore, I believe that though masturbation under certain circumstances may not be sinful, the desire to be sexual, pure and holy should move the Christians to avoid it. I mean ONLY Christians.

Perhaps God did not mention masturbation in the Bible because He is so aware of our sinful tendencies, our situations, our difficulties, etc., and desires that we seek holiness and purity by seeking to master our own flesh.  If God had declared that it was a sin, there wouldn’t be any confusion, since He did not say anything in the Bible about masturbation, we would have to thread carefully and not be quick to pass judgement.

If, however, you are bound by masturbation and it has overtaken your sexual life, then you continually need to go to the cross and ask the Lord for help or you can pray and ask the Lord to provide you a spouse so that you would not fall into bondage of the flesh continually.

 Stay blessed until next time

 

WHAT MAKES A DAD

 

 God took the strength of a mountain,

 The majesty of a tree,

 The warmth of a summer sun,

 The calm of a quiet sea,

 The generous soul of nature,

 The comforting arm of night,

 The wisdom of the ages,

 The power of the eagle's flight,

 The joy of a morning in spring,

 The faith of a mustard seed,

 The patience of eternity,

 The depth of a family need,
 

 Then God combined these qualities,

 When there was nothing more to add,

 He knew His masterpiece was complete,

 And so, He called it ... Dad
 

HAPPY 2015 FATHER'S DAY

THE ORIGINS OF WEDDING RINGS AND WHY THEY’RE WORN ON THE 4TH FINGER OF THE LEFT HAND

The history and symbolism behind the tradition of wearing a wedding ring and why, in most western cultures, it’s worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, otherwise known as the ring finger.

Wedding rings today are a billion dollar sentiment of love, but no one can really say for sure when this age old tradition actually started. Some believe that the oldest recorded exchange of wedding rings comes from ancient Egypt, about 4800 years ago. Sedges, rushes and reeds, growing alongside the well-known papyrus were twisted and braided into rings for fingers and other decorative ornaments worn by the women in those days.

The circle was the symbol of eternity, with no beginning or end, not only to the Egyptians, but many other ancient cultures. The hole in the center of the ring also had significance. It wasn’t just considered a space, but rather a gateway, or door; leading to things and events both known and unknown. To give a woman a ring signifies never-ending and immortal love.

The materials these rings were made of didn’t last very long and soon were substituted with rings made of leather, bone or ivory. The more expensive the material, the more love shown to the receiver; the value of the ring also demonstrated the wealth of the giver.

The Roman’s also eventually adopted this tradition but with a twist. Rather than offering a ring to a woman as a symbol of love, they awarded them as a symbol of ownership. Roman men would “claim” their woman with the giving of a ring. Roman betrothal rings were later made of iron and called “Annulus Pronubus.” They symbolized strength and permanence. It is also said that the Romans were the first to engrave their rings.

 

 

It was not until about 860 that the Christians used the ring in marriage ceremonies; even then, it was not the simple plain band as we know it. It usually was highly decorated with engraved doves, lyres, or two linked hands. The Church discouraged such rings as ‘heathenish’ and, around the 13th century, wedding and betrothal rings were considerably simplified, and given a more spiritual look which was very aptly expressed by a Bishop when he dubbed it a “symbol of the union of hearts.”

Wedding rings through different stages in history have been worn on different fingers, including the thumb, and on both the left and right hands. According to  a tradition believed to have been derived from the Romans, the wedding ring is worn on the left hand ring finger because there was thought to be a vein in the finger, referred to as the ‘Vena Amoris’ or the ‘Vein of Love’ said to be directly connected to the heart. However, scientists have shown this is actually false. Despite this, this myth still remains regarded by many (hopeless romantics) as the number one reason rings are worn on the fourth finger.

 

Another theory thought to be behind the ring being placed on the left hand by Christians seems a little more plausible. Early Christian marriages had a ritual to wear the wedding ring in the third finger. As the priest recited during the binding ,”In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, he would take the ring and touch the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger; then, while uttering “Amen”, he would place the ring on the ring finger, which sealed the marriage.

A more practically based theory is that the soft metal (traditionally gold for wedding rings) is less worn or injured on the finger of the left hand, due to most of the world being right handed.  Further, the fourth finger on the left hand is probably the second to the least used finger on a person’s hands outside of pinkies.  Pinkies being small, making a small ring with little surface area to decorate perhaps motivated people to then place it on the next least used finger, namely the fourth finger on the left hand, which is roughly the size of the other fingers.

Additional Facts:

The earliest and smallest engagement ring was given to Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. She was two years old at the time.  Presumably the ring was given to her by Pedobear.

Seventeen tons of gold are made into wedding rings each year in the United States!

Back in the 1300’s, when people were particularly superstitious, it was believed that taking a piece of the bride’s clothing would grant the guests good luck. This lead to many guests that would literally tear cloth from the bride’s dress (which made for a very peeved bride!). So, in an attempt to stave off greedy luck-seekers, many brides began to throw items to guests that could be easily removed from her and that included her garter. Eventually, grooms began to remove the garter and tossed it to the men as a means to prevent tipsy male guests from trying to do the deed themselves. In an effort to help the women feel included, it eventually became customary for the bride to throw her bouquet at the female guests.

There are dozens of good-luck, bad-luck traditions followed by different cultures around the world. In Greek culture, a sugar cube is tucked into the bride’s glove to “sweeten” the marriage. For good luck, Egyptian women pinch the bride on her wedding day. The English believe a spider found in a wedding dress means good luck. Peas are thrown at Czech newlyweds instead of rice. Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the veil protected the bride from evil spirits. Brides have worn veils ever since. The groom carries the bride across the threshold to bravely protect her from evil spirits lurking below.

The first recorded account of a diamond engagement ring was in 1477 when King Maximilian I of Germany (1459-1519) proposed to Mary of Burgundy (1457-1482) and offered her a diamond to seal his vow. (So, men you now know who to blame!)

Interestingly, in many countries, even today, including Norway, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Poland, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Spain, the wedding ring in worn on the ring finger of the right hand and not the left. In Jewish tradition, the groom places the ring on the bride’s index finger, and not the “ring” finger at all.

Source: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/09/the-origin-of-wedding-rings-and-why-theyre-worn-on-the-4th-finger-of-the-left-hand/

YORUBA PRAYERS IN ALPHABETS

Ojogbon Bakare

Too bad if you can't read Yoruba language!!!!

A - Alaafia fun o.
B - Buburu kan ki yoo subu lu o.
D - Dugbedugbe ibanuje ko ni ja le o l'ori.
E - Ebi o ni pa o ninu odun yi.
E - Ekun, ose ko ni je tire.
F - Funfun aye re ko ni dibaje.
G - Gunnungun ki ku l'ewe, wa dagba – wa d'arugbo.
GB - Gbogbo idawole re a y'ori si rere.
H -Hausa,Yoruba,Ibo,gbogbo eya ati eniyan kaakiri agbaye ni yo koju si o se o loore.
I - Iwaju, iwaju l'opa ebiti re yo ma re si.
J - Jijade re, wiwole re, o ni k'agbako.
K - Kukuru abi giga, osi ati ise ko ni je tire.
L - Loniloni wa r'aanu gba.
M - Monamona ati ara Olorun yoo tu awon ota re ka.
N - Naira, Euro, Dollar, Pound,Yen,Yuan,gbogbo owo ati oro kaakiri agbaye pelu omo alalubarika ati alaafia yio mu o l'ore, won o si fi ile re se ibugbe.
O - Ojurere ati aanu yoo ma to o leyin ni ojo aye re gbogbo.                                                                       O O - Ojo ola re a dara.
P - Panpe aye o ni mu o t'omotomo.
R - Rere ni agogo aye re o ma lu nigbagbogbo.
S - Suuru pelu itelorun ninu oro at'alaafia yoo ba o kale.
S - Sugbon ati abawon aye re ti poora loni.
T - Tomotomo, t'ebitebi, t'iletile o ni d'ero eyin.
U - U ki s'awati lede Ijesha; a o ni fi o s'awati laarin awon eniyan. Ulosiwaju (ilosiwaju), userere
(iserere), ati ubukun(ibunkun) yio je tire.
W -Wa ri ba ti se, wa r'ona gbe gba.
Y - Yara ibukun, ire, ati ayo ailopin loo ma ba e gbe titi ojo aye re......

AMIN (ASE EDUMARE)

OMO OLOJO IBI

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we

pray, on your child... as he begins another year.

Grant that he may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen his

trust in your goodness all the days of his life; through Jesus

Christ our Lord. Amen

I was 3-year old

I was 4-year old

When I was 2-year old

 

Life is a progression. Happy birthday BOY!

 

Life Is a Gift

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.

She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her.  One day she told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

Image: google.co.za

God heard her wish and makes someone to donate a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

Image: www.google.co.za

 The boyfriend was very excited for her that she can see, after a few minutes he then asked her, ‘Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his ocular prosthesis (artificial eyes) and his funny teeth shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Image.google.co.za

 Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear; for before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.  Only a very few remember what life was like before things got better for them, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

 Life Is a Gift. Appreciate it. Cherish it and always remember that there is nothing given for free, because what you thought you have for free was a cost to someone, somewhere.

Therefore, think carefully before you say unkind words to people around you, and try to love unconditionally.

Until next time

How well do you take criticism?

No-one likes to be contradicted or called into question. People often think criticism is just a way for others to ‘‘attack’’ or harm us.

In that case we mostly close ourselves off to others, and don’t listen to what they have to tell us. That’s too bad, because we often have much to learn.

www.google.image.com

Generally speaking, we don’t like criticism because we have a bad opinion of it. We think it’s humiliating and negative. That’s not always the case, but we need to be able to differentiate between negative criticism and positive criticism, because criticism can also be constructive.

The word ‘‘criticize’’ is etymologically derived from the Latin criticus, which itself comes from the ancient Greek kritikos, meaning ‘‘capable of discernment or judgment.’’

So at its origin there was nothing pejorative about the word criticize, because being critical meant to examine something, an event or an idea, through the filter of reason. 

Every time you offer an opinion about something or someone, you place the event or the person under the microscope of your judgment, and criticize it (or them), either positively or negatively. In both cases, your opinion remains criticism.

Be open to criticism, in the etymological sense of the term. Don’t reject it out of hand, without first passing it through the screen of your own judgment.

Welcome it with an open mind, without resistance. Analyse it with your own sense of criticism, because you could learn something or gain something positive, like advice that turns out to be very useful to you later on. From now on, if criticism enables you to learn a lesson or improve yourself, take it into consideration.

I'll leave you with Malcolm X quote: "If you have no critics, you'll likely have no success."


Until next time