Tent revival focused on spiritual breakthrough | Religion – The Mountaineer

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CANTON A multi-church tent revival drew up to 200 per night during the four-day event at Crestview Baptist Church outside Canton last week.

Called Breakthrough Haywood, the focus was on a spiritual breakthrough in Haywood County.

"I challenged our church, Crestview Baptist, and numerous pastors and churches across Haywood County, including Haywood Baptist Association churches, to join with us in praying and fasting for spiritual breakthrough in our community," said Pastor Dan Page at Crestview.

As a result, for 40 days preceding the meetings, many fasted and prayed, including Sheriff Greg Christopher.

"His heart is to bring genuine life transformation to our residents of Haywood County," Page said, noting that the sheriff posted daily prayer prompts for 40 days through the prayforhaywood Facebook page starting Sept. 1 and ending Oct. 11, when the revival started.

Several churches participated and assisted in the meeting, including Jenny Murray, Emily Nagle and Brian Edwards (drummer), all of whom are leaders of New Covenant Church of Clyde and assisted with the worship ministry, along with Tommy Payne, worship leader of Pinnacle Church of Canton.

Churches represented in the meetings included Mt. Zion Baptist Church, New Covenant, Dellwood Baptist, Burnette Cove Baptist and others.

After a rainy start on Sunday, the meetings swelled in attendance Monday evening with Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening seeing over 200 attendees in the tent both nights," Page said.

"Our inspiration for the tent meeting came from our sister church, Dellwood Baptist, and pastor Bobby Rogers," Page said, referencing the multiple tent meetings that focused on revival and spiritual renewal in Haywood.

The guest speaker was Pastor Timmy Blair from Angier, who pastors Piney Grove Chapel Baptist Church.

"As we met in the tent for the first time, we began to feel the presence of the Spirit of the Lord in the tent, named The Tabernacle. As we have been fervently praying and seeking God for a move of His Spirit, we were overcome with the weight of the presence of the Holy Spirit there, especially around the stage and altar," Page said. "And the power of the Spirit of God was so evident when every night, the altar filled with people praying, culminating on the last night, Wednesday evening, when we witnessed a young man (previously an atheist) literally run down to the altar, fall on his knees, and express his newfound faith in Christ as Savior. He gave his life completely to Jesus Christ."

Page said prayer is continually going up for Haywood County asking that God move all across this county and bring "miraculous life transformation to people from one end of Haywood to the other."

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Tent revival focused on spiritual breakthrough | Religion - The Mountaineer

Spirituality in the second half of life – Catholic Herald

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Oblate Fr. Ron Rolheiser

One size doesnt fit everyone. This isnt just true for clothing; its also true for spirituality. Our challenges in life change as we age.

Spirituality hasnt always been fully sensitive to this. True, weve always had tailored instruction and activities for children, young people, and for people who are raising children, carrying a job, and paying a mortgage, but weve never developed a spirituality for what happens when those years are over.

Why is one needed? Jesus seemingly didnt have one. He didnt have one set of teachings for the young, another for those in mid-life, and still another for the elderly. He just taught. The Sermon on the Mount, the parables, and his invitation to take up his cross are intended in the same way for everyone, irrespective of age. But we hear those teaching at very different times in our lives; its one thing to hear the Sermon the Mount when youre 7 years old, another when youre 27, and quite another when youre 87. Jesus teachings dont change, but we do, and they offer very specific challenges at different times of our lives.

Christian spirituality has generally kept this in mind, with one exception. Except for Jesus and an occasional mystic, it has failed to develop an explicit spirituality for our later years, for how we are meant to be generative in our senior years and how we are to die in a life-giving way. But theres a good reason for this lacuna. Simply put, it wasnt needed because up until this last century most people never lived into old age. For example, in Palestine, in Jesus time, the average life expectancy was 30-35 years. A century ago in the United States, it was still less than 50 years. When most people in the world died before they reached the age of 50, there was no real need for a spirituality of aging.

There is such a spirituality inside the Gospels. Even though he died at 33, Jesus left us a paradigm of how to age and die. But that paradigm, while healthily infusing and undergirding Christian spirituality in general, was never developed more specifically into a spirituality of aging (with the exception of some of the great Christian mystics).

After Jesus, the desert fathers and mothers folded the question of how to age and die into the overall framework of their spirituality. For them, spirituality was a quest to see the face of God and that, as Jesus makes clear, requires one thing, purity of heart. So for them, no matter your age, the challenge was the same, trying to achieve purity of heart. Then in the age of the persecutions and the early Christian martyrs, the idea developed that the ideal way to age and die was through martyrdom. Later, when Christians were no longer physically martyred, the idea took hold that you could take on a voluntary type of martyrdom by living the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. They believed that living these, like the quest for purity of heart, taught you all you needed to know, no matter your age. Eventually this was expanded to mean that anyone who faithfully responded to the duties in his or her life, irrespective of age, would learn everything necessary to come to sanctity through that fidelity. As a famous aphorism put it: Stay inside your cell and it will teach you all you need to know. Understood properly, theres a spirituality of aging and dying inside these notions, but until recently there was little need to draw that out more explicitly.

Happily, today the situation is changing and were developing, more and more, some explicit spiritualities of aging and dying. Perhaps this reflects an aging population, but theres now a burgeoning body of literature, both religious and secular, thats taking up the question of aging and dying. These authors, too numerous to mention, include many names already familiar to us: Henri Nouwen, Richard Rohr, Kathleen Dowling Singh, David Brooks, Cardinal Bernardin, Michael Paul Gallagher, Joan Chittister, Parker Palmer, Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Paul Kalanithi, Erica Jong, Kathie Roiphe and Wilkie and Noreeen Au, among others. Coming from a variety of perspectives, each of these offer insights into what God and nature intend for us in our later years.

In essence, heres the issue: Today, were living longer and healthier late into life. Its common today to retire sometime in our early 60s after having raised our children, superannuated from our jobs, and paid our mortgages. So whats next, given that we probably have 20 or 30 more years of health and energy left? What are these years for? What are we called to now, beyond loving our grandkids?

Abraham and Sarah, in their old age, were invited to set out for a new land and conceive a child long after this was biologically impossible for them. Thats our call too. What Isaac are we called to give birth to in our later years? We need guidance.

Oblate Fr. Ron Rolheiseris atheologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted at http://www.ronrolheiser.com.

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Spirituality: Know that you represent God when you show up – Norwich Bulletin

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Burnt food. When I heard the smoke detector go off and saw the flashing lights, I must have turned ten shades of red. I was in my hotel room. Dad was just getting out of bed. I had planned to surprise him with a toasted English muffin. To be able to cook a meal or two, was one of the reasons I chose a suite with a kitchenette.

My first muffin was a little light and undercooked. I adjusted the "darkness" knob so the muffin would cook a little longer. Moments later I looked over. I saw the smoke and smelled the burnt muffin. I quickly went to the toaster and popped up the handle to remove the muffin. Little did I know that I had already set things in motion.

I took my first bite of the muffin when the alarm sounded. Panic set in. I've been an active member of a volunteer fire department for the last two years. In my head I envisioned the worst-case scenario with guests flooding out to the parking lot as the fire trucks arrived. The image of Hester Prynne in Hawthorne's, "The Scarlet Letter," came to mind.

I have been to homes where burnt food was the cause of the alarm. As a volunteer firefighter, I always walked away thankful that it wasn't anything more than that. There should be no embarrassment. Yet, it is different being on the other end of that scenario. As a firefighter, I believe I'm supposed to be an example to others in fire prevention.

Thankfully, the alarm was localized and the manager arrived to remedy my situation with a fan and an open window. The embarrassment was mostly my own. It got me thinking. Imagine if we got as embarrassed when we stumbled in matters of faith. The Apostle Paul says we are going to fall down. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

In other words, there are going to be "burnt food" moments as Christians that come back to embarrass us. If you want proof, just scroll through the Facebook feed on a typical day. Where is Christ in our posts? Yet, the Apostle Paul declares that we are called to be "Christs ambassadors" and tells us that God is "making his appeal through us."

Paul suggests in various places that we are held to a higher standard once we have accepted Christ. We are now called to represent him. Our old self is dead and buried. Christ now lives within us. When people see us, Jesus should shine through. I like what Paul says in Philippians 2:

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life."

I hope people will see Jesus in us when we show up. It's kind of like putting on our gear as firefighters. People know who we are when we arrive. They know we are there to help. I'd like to think the same would be true "when we put on Christ." When they see us coming, they will know we are coming to bring forgiveness, grace and the love of God.

The Rev. Cal Lord is the pastor of Central Baptist Church of Westerly. Reach him at calstigers@gmail.com.

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UK churches urged to wake up to spiritual abuse of LGBT people – The Guardian

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Spiritual and emotional abuse of LGBT people is a ticking timebomb for churches in the UK and could lead to legal action and demands for redress, campaigners have said.

Churches urgently need to wake up to spiritual, emotional and psychological abuse. If they dont protect young people, the consequences will be massive. This is coming, and it will be a disaster, said Steve Chalke, a Baptist minister and founder of the Oasis charity.

About 400 church leaders from different denominations are expected to take part in an online conference on Saturday to discuss how churches can be made safe for LGBT people.

The practices of many churches amount to serious and sustained abuse, said Chalke, who has organised the Creating Sanctuary conference. Without action, the coming years are likely to see a crop of high-profile prosecutions that, following the current scandals about child sexual abuse, will further damage the reputation of the whole church.

In a message of support to the conference, Elton John said: The failure of many churches to welcome, accept and include LGBTQ+ people creates stigma, loneliness, fear and denial, causing lasting damage to their wellbeing and mental health. Churches must be safe and affirming, he said.

Jayne Ozanne, a prominent figure in the Church of England and a speaker at the conference, said spiritual abuse of LGBT people was the next big scandal for the church following decades of disgrace over child sexual abuse.

Its a ticking timebomb. When I first spoke out, I felt I was the only voice. Now Im one of thousands, and people are feeling more and more emboldened to tell their stories, she said.

Campaigners say charismatic and evangelical churches that tell LGBT people they are an abomination or possessed by demonic forces are driving some towards self-harm and suicide.

Some churches practise deliverance ministry, which can include physical violence. Ozanne was hit with a Bible during healing therapy to cure her homosexuality, which led to a breakdown.

If you are told that your desires are sinful, you desperately want it to work and your prayers to be answered. You submit yourself, thinking youre doing the right thing. When it doesnt work, when you still have those desires, the result is terrible anguish, she said. People think this is only happening in developing countries, but actually its happening here in the UK in white, middle-class churches too.

Churches also cause damage by excluding LGBT people. Simon Butler, the vicar of St Marys, Battersea, and a member of the Archbishops Council, the C of Es executive body, wrote last week: For as long as I can remember, I have had to listen to simply dreadful stories emerging from certain evangelical and charismatic churches [LGBT people] find themselves silenced, removed from every ministry and leadership role and generally treated like pariahs.

He said a culture of fear existed in such churches, alongside the subtle and overt withholding of love or placing conditions on it, and silencing of dissent. It is, by any stretch of the imagination, a form of abuse.

Following the publication this month of a damning report on the C of E by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA), the church needs to get to grips with other forms of abuse like spiritual abuse, Butler told the Guardian. There is a culture in some places that must be challenged.

Last week the bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, was accused of virtue-signalling vacuousness after she responded to the IICSA report by tweeting that the church needed to act and change.

Robert Thompson, the vicar of St Marys and St James in Kilburn, said he had reported to the diocese three concerns around the spiritual and emotional abuse and safeguarding of LGBT people in the past two years. Due diligence and process has not been followed in any of them, he said.

Six years ago a Manchester teenager, Lizzie Lowe, took her own life after telling friends she feared her church would not accept her if she came out as a lesbian. The church has since adopted a policy of inclusion.

In another diocese, in the south of England, a mother has formally complained to church safeguarding officials after her child, who was struggling with their sexuality, was given books by their church saying LGBT people needed to be cured. I felt my child was unsafe and I was being silenced, she told the Guardian.

In 2017, the C of Es ruling body, the General Synod, condemned so-called conversion therapy as unethical and potentially harmful and called on the government to ban it. In July this year Boris Johnson said the government would take action against the abhorrent practice once it had completed a study.

Chalke said the aim of Saturdays conference was to advise churches that they had a legal duty to keep children and vulnerable adults safe from abuse. People are more willing to say publicly that they have been abused, and they will take it to court if necessary, he said. Whether churches are driven to take action because they genuinely want to care for people, or whether this is just about self-preservation, its wake-up time.

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Coronavirus has exposed a moral and spiritual vacuum. Who will fill it? – TheArticle

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For those who are directly affected, the new wave of Covid-19 is a matter of life and death. For the majority who are not, however, it feels like business as usual. Most people are trying to live as normally as possible, under increasingly difficult circumstances. Yet all is not quite as it seems. We know, in our hearts, that life will never be quite the same again. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed a vacuum at the heart of our society. It is spiritual, moral, intellectual, existential. We can see it manifested in all kinds of ways.

Why, for example, are we allowing those who live in care homes to end their lives cut off from their loved ones? For those with dementia, which means more than two thirds of all these residents, such isolation is medically catastrophic and unutterably cruel. For their families and close friends, too, the loss of contact is a deprivation that compounds the tragedy of dementia. Patients have become prisoners, while the rights of those who love them most are set at naught.

Johns Campaign, which campaigns for the right of families to stay with dementia sufferers, is seeking a judicial review of the Governments harsh policy on access in care homes. Those who wish to contribute can do so here . Why, though, should it be necessary for the courts to force ministers to show compassion to the hundreds of thousands of families caught up in this predicament? Most carers hate the rules they are obliged to impose, but fear the legal consequences of tempering their rigour. But life expectancy in a care home is only between two and three years in normal times, so the loss of contact for more than six months is irreversible. The right to family life must be given more weight in the rules that govern dementia care to prevent this scandal from becoming even worse.

Another gaping hole in our humanity exposed by the pandemic is the plight of those who suffer from conditions other than Covid-19, whether physical or mental, but whose treatment has been postponed or cancelled by the NHS. Cases are coming to light already of cancer sufferers, for example, who would almost certainly have survived if their treatments had not been so brutally interrupted. There will be thousands more such people. Yet already we are hearing of cancellations because hospitals lack capacity. No doubt the NHS will handle this second wave of Covid-19 better than the first. But even those patients who do ultimately survive will have been put through dreadful anxiety while they wait in limbo, hoping that their conditions will not deteriorate beyond repair. None of this should be happening in a wealthy, humane country such as Britain. Those who run the NHS have shown a deplorable lack of empathy with the millions whose lives have been put on hold. Meanwhile the queues lengthen and the lack of face-to-face primary care consultations means that danger signals are less likely to be spotted.

The failures of our politicians are well-known and relentlessly scrutinised; less so those of our spiritual and intellectual leaders. Today, for example, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, plus the Archbishops of Armagh and Wales and the most senior Scottish Episcopal bishop, have signed a letter in the Financial Times, protesting about the Internal Market Bill. They claim that this measure has enormous moral, as well as political and legal, consequences. They may, or may not, be right. Christians and non-Christians can and do disagree about Brexit, for which this Bill has become a proxy. As things stand, talks between the EU and the UK have been suspended and a No-Deal outcome is looking more likely. That would render the whole argument about the Bill irrelevant.

Is such a political debate, however important, what we expect our church leaders to pronounce on? If they wish to influence legislation, they can contribute to debates in the House of Lords, where the Established Church is heavily overrepresented. But when they speak to the nation, surely they should focus on matters for which they are qualified. The absence of spiritual and moral guidance on the pandemic has been acutely felt. Yet none of our senior clerics, whether Christian or from other faiths, has made much of a mark on the national consciousness during this ordeal.

Unprecedented as it has been in recent times, the pandemic is surely an opportunity for those whose mtier is morality to thunder from their pulpits. Even those of little faith or none are more likely to be open to comfort or consolation in this time of trial. The awful truth is dawning, however, that most bishops are merely ecclesiastical bureaucrats. They can preach about mundanities such as Brexit or Trump ad nauseam, but on matters that transcend this world, they have nothing to say.

Across the Channel, France has been traumatised by the beheading of a teacher by an Islamist fanatic for the crime of showing his pupils cartoons of Mohammed. Tough words by President Macron and a heartfelt show of solidarity by the country cannot disguise the stark reality: it is no longer safe to teach the French creed of secularism, lacit, to students whose parents may have extremist sympathies. Slowly but surely, the gap left by Judaeo-Christian decline is being filled by a version of Islam that seems incompatible with the official values of the French Republic.

In Germany, meanwhile, Chancellor Merkels appeal to the nation to stay at home and temporarily renounce social life outside the immediate family has been met with widespread indifference. Having failed to persuade regional leaders to tighten the rules, she has resorted to exhortation. Such a voluntary approach has worked well in some societies, notably Sweden, though its efficacy remains controversial. What is touching, though, about Angela Merkels address is that it is directed at her compatriots sense of moral obligation. Rather than threatening them with fines, she places the responsibility squarely where it belongs: How winter will be, how our Christmas will be, will be decided in the coming days and weeks. We all decide that through our actions. In this invocation of conscience by the daughter of a Protestant pastor, we hear the echo of Martin Luther: Here I stand. I can do no other.

As the priests sound like politicians, so the politicians are obliged to sound like priests. Neither, however, has been able to fill the hole in our hearts. We yearn for words and actions that will uplift us, at a time when we are more downcast than ever before. Whence will those words and actions come?

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Coronavirus has exposed a moral and spiritual vacuum. Who will fill it? - TheArticle

Opinion: Love, Light, and Spiritual Bypassing | Opinion, Paganism, Perspectives, Politics, Witchcraft – The Wild Hunt

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On the surface it seems harmless enough: a philosophy of love, kindness, non-violence, and a concerted practice of positivity. But is it possible to be too positive? What is hiding underneath all the smiles and the well-wishes? Is there such a thing as too much light? Can positivity be toxic? In the immortal words of Ursula K. Le Guin, To light a candle is to cast a shadow.

While mainstream religions tend to vilify the darkness, equating it to evil and creating an impossible conflict within ourselves, modern Paganism tends to deal with the issue fairly well, in that it often seeks to balance what are thought of as both light and dark energies a polarity echoed in the pairing of both goddess and god in the more Wiccan forms of modern Craft, or as non-gendered complimentary forces elsewhere. Modern Paganism also gets bonus points for mostly forgoing the all-too-common urge to demonize one while exalting the other. But, alas, this is not always the case.

What evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows. Or perhaps an elf-on-the-shelf. [Image credit: Envato Elements]

I spent a good number of years working in the spiritual and metaphysical retail world, having owned (until quite recently) a good-sized shop that catered to the magical practitioner and spiritual seeker alike. While my Witchy interests were fully on display, a good portion of our clientele werent necessarily Witches, but more what we might think of as a non-specific spiritual practitioner. This person often takes inspiration from many faiths, and crafts their own practice, whether that be robust or spartan. One of the strengths in these eclectic paths is that the practitioners can create a system that is better suited to their individual needs and interests. One of the inherent weaknesses, however, is that it provides a system that often does little to nothing in terms of challenging the practitioner to grow beyond their comfort zones. In essence, they can become paths that validate and encourage our own weaknesses instead of prompting us to strengthen and to grow.

One such weakness in the body spiritual, as I see it, is a determined drive toward positivity at all costs. No one is purely light, and to strive for such an impossible state creates an internal conflict which must be addressed in order to truly grow. Herein lies the danger of forced positivity; when difficult feelings arise, a positive-only mindset demands that they be squashed down and denied, creating a cognitive dissonance that places the individual at odds with reality. And worse, in a community that purports itself to be spiritual, this behavior promotes a cult-like mentality that ultimately leads to compartmentalization and the bypassing of rational thought. Once rational thought has been eschewed, its really just a stones throw away from QAnon or flat-earthers.

One of the biggest proponents of this flawed approach was the spiritual teacher Doreen Virtue, who for years, through her numerous books and oracle cards, peddled a psychologically imbalanced view of spiritual practice that denied all things scary or dark and simply replaced them with images of forced positivity.

An example of this imbalance would be her Angel Tarot Deck, which specifically changed any of the cards that depicted challenges or less-than-rosy messages. For example, the Tower card was replaced with Life Experience, Death with Release, and the three of swords (which traditionally depicts a heart pierced by three swords, meaning a pain in ones heart) has been changed to depict a family of unicorns. Rather than admit to the trials inherent in life, the Angel deck elided them in favor of candy-coated nonsense.

I would hope for my spirituality to have more substance than this. [a selection of candy, Pixabay]

While Virtue has since denounced her previous involvement in New Age spirituality and has quite publicly converted to Christianity, the core of her spiritual approach appears to still be rooted in this lopsided denial (as well as now peddling a special brand of fear, such as warning that her former angels may actually be demons.)This can only lead to an inability to deal with lifes problems, and it adds insult to injury when negative emotions or conflicts arise.

Certainly, there is life experience to be gained from the veritable calamity that the Tower traditionally represents, and we should do our best to frame lifes painful and difficult experiences in ways that are useful and ultimately positive for our evolution and growth. But to assert that pain, and fear, and even anger are somehow less important than our joy, our courage, and even our love, is to do a grave disservice to our collective mental and spiritual health. By promoting the denial of ones base emotions, these systems fail to seize the opportunity for self-exploration that these emotions provide us.

By religiously defining these emotions and experiences as being unholy (or the New Age equivalent, not of the light), groups that embrace this mode of thinking have effectively ensured that they can mutually avoid anything that might challenge their cultish mindset. Angry over injustice? Youre just living in a lower vibration. Afraid of contracting a deadly virus? You just dont trust Jesus enough.

This level of denying our basic humanity cannot be forever maintained. It creates a growing imbalance within the psyche, akin to that of a building pressure; an internal pressure that eventually seeks release in some form, and whether that manifests as mental or physical illness, harmful behaviors, or even a psychotic break, is anyones guess.

Mainstream Christianity is no stranger to this approach, labelling nearly all that is painful, or difficult, scary, or even challenging, to the side of Satan, where it can conveniently be buried and forgotten. This inability of mainstream churches to deal with their collective shadow is what fuels the polite hatred that infects much of their social and political stances against queer people as well as those of differing spiritual practices orpeople of color.

While the majority of our businesss clients and customers were and, as we have transferred to an online-only model, remain to be compassionate, intelligent, and introspective people, we would also encounter those who would take personal offense at some of the darker aspects of magic and spirituality that were represented in our products and practices. Our spirit boardsnever failed to incite amusing rants about evil spirits and the Devil from those who whom I think of as concern trolls: those who insist on inserting their (ill-informed) opinions into a conversation under the guise of concern, when really their main (if perhaps unconscious) motivation is to simply cast judgements in an effort to feel superior to those with whom they disagree. (Yawn.)

OK, guys. Which one of you moved it?: a spirit board[courtesy The Mystic Dream]

As Witches and Pagans, we tend to pride ourselves on not buying into the cultural baggage of the Christian over-culture, but really, who are we kidding? As a group, we can be just as judgmental and vacuous as any other group of humans, only we tend to have more candles while we do it. This is one of the pitfalls of being in a sub-culture: we can perhaps more easily be led to believe that we are doing things differently, doing things better,than those who are in power and who have shaped society in its current form. And while in some ways that might even be correct, in other ways we have perhaps just bought a repackaged version of what that society has been handing down since forever.

Case in point: Donald Trump.

From the beginning of his ill-fated presidency, there has been a massive and vocal movement against him directed from the Pagan and magical communities, and this has caused some rifts between us. While it would seem that (at least in the United States) most Pagans and Witches find themselves in various degrees of being left of the political center, this certainly does not describe all of us. There are also Trump supporters, Republicans, and Libertarians, along with those ever farther to the Right. But this isnt necessarily where the problems lie. We have to look within, as well.

When Trump recently fell ill with COVID-19, this brought a sense of satisfaction and perhaps even delight among some magical practitioners (myself included) who felt that perhaps their righteous hexes were finally taking affect. But immediately came the chorus of Harm none! Remember the Rule of Three! and my personal favorite, A real Witch doesnt hex!

Aside from the outright absurdity of that last statement (I know Witches from Gardnerian, to Alexandrian, to Faery, to Eclectic who will hex and heal in equal measure), what I feel is happening here is a bit of what might be seen as a spiritual contamination: though we may give lip-service to the idea that we as Witches and Pagans embrace the dark as well as the light, we have collectively embraced the over-cultures set of values and we find ourselves using the very tools that our own oppressors have used against us.

This is the Pagan version of shaming others for their low vibrations while denying the complications of the fuller picture; complications like the real suffering of people of color and other minorities, of immigrants, of the poor, the sick and the elderly, all who have suffered and continue to suffer under an administration that demonstrably practices disdain for its people and embraces authoritarian principles and tactics. Life isnt black or white. Life is nuanced and intricate, and messy. And to deny that is to walk down the road to madness, divorced entirely from reality and set to wander aimlessly, lost, and incapable of living an effective life.

Im not trying to make the argument that somehow hexing makes one more inherently witchy; there are just as many ways to be a Witch as there are Witches who practice. But it is important that we all allow ourselves to process the full range of our emotions without shame or ridicule. And when it comes to disempowered and often abused people using their anger and their magic for defense and for justice, I feel compelled to assert that it is not the place of those who are not abused to judge the behavior and morals of those who are. Standing up to oppression is part of the Witches heritage, and to embrace that fact is to embrace our full humanity as well as our full Witchiness. Only by facing the darkness within ourselves, and channeling it into goal-oriented actions, can we ever hope to heal what ails our collective heart.

Sometimes, we need our anger, and our pain, and even our fear to help expose the hypocrisy and even the abuse that causes so much pain and suffering. Its not easy, or fun, and its certainly not painless, but it is work that desperately needs to be done. We all need to look deeply into our own abyss and see what demons may stare back. Whether we work with them toward our mutual betterment, or we deny them and continue to give them our power, is entirely up to us.

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Kangana Ranaut is all praise for grounded and spiritual Will Smith, wants Bollywood to show same keenn – Times of India

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Kangana Ranaut was all praise for Hollywood star Will Smith, who recently met Sadhguru. Sharing a candid video of the Men in Black actor in conversation with the spiritual guru, Kangana wrote, How heartwarming to see a huge star like Will Smith being so grounded so spiritual", indirectly adding a word for Bollywood celebrities, Kangana wrote, "really hope at some point our own stars show same keenness and curiosity for spirituality and sciences of Yoga, @SadhguruJV has a lot to offer hope people make most of his time here.

How heartwarming to see a huge star like Will Smith being so grounded so spiritual, really hope at some point our o https://t.co/YNlOGQwmzh

Will, it was a pleasure to spend some time with you and your wonderful family. May your Sangha be strong and Dharm https://t.co/N8Y7tVpigA

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Kangana Ranaut is all praise for grounded and spiritual Will Smith, wants Bollywood to show same keenn - Times of India

The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life to host eighth annual Crossroads Lecture – TCU 360

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The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life will host their eight annual Crossroads Lecture on Faith and Public Life today, inviting medical professionals to discuss how their faith and careers intersect.

The Crossroads Lecture has partnered with the Center for Career and Professional Development this year. Kim Satz, the associate director for employer development in the career center, said the purpose of the event is to highlight religious diversity in the workplace and show how faith can inform career choices.

The lecture will include TCU alumni panelists Dr. Ryan Huey, who graduated in 2008, and Rachel Rudberg, who graduated in 2017.

Huey is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center and a member of City Church Houston. Rudberg, an active member in the Dallas Jewish young adult community, works in the cardiothoracic and transplant intensive care unit at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Through our alumni panelists, we hope students gain a better sense of how faith can inform their choice vocation and the impact COVID-19 can have on work and spirituality, said Satz.

An associate chaplain in RSL, Britt Luby, said the lecture will talk about pressing issues in mainstream media and how it intersects with religion. She plans to interview the alumni panelists for this event.

COVID-19 caused issues for RSL when it came to planning this event, said Luby. She believes this event will enrich the TCU community because it will help students who care about their faith and career see how to navigate the workforce.

Understanding, especially students who choose to work in healthcare, how COVID-19 has changed work and what their work looks like now, said Luby. I think thatll be interesting, especially for our pre-med students and our pre-health students to think: What I thought being a nurse or doctor two years ago looks really different than what it looks like now, and theyll get first-hand accounts of that.

For more information on the event, which will be held at 12:30 p.m. via Zoom, students can visit this website.

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The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life to host eighth annual Crossroads Lecture - TCU 360

The Spiritual Power of Pharoah Sanders – The Vinyl Factory

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Published onOctober 13, 2020

CategoryFeatures

As legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders celebrates his 80th Birthday, Shabaka Hutchings explores how the transcendent musician has influenced his life, through the lens of Sanders 1971 opus Black Unity.

Writing about Pharoah Sanders seminal album Black Unity started out innocently enough a desire to express how this album has shaped me, an acknowledgement on this 80th birthday of the maestro himself of what he has done to mould my sense of musicality and form. However, as I put words to paper it feels like Im regurgitating poetic sounding ideas that fulfil a myth that Ive outgrown.

Such is the paradox of matters concerning spirituality, I guess, to understand something about your devotion to the light is to drift inadvertently towards a notion of infinity whereby one is in a constant state of wonder as to how far the depths can reach and how much there is to learn. So, I decided to start from scratch, and discover on listening to one of my favourite albums at this stage of my life spiritually and professionally, though in truth the two worlds intersect continually what it speaks to me about.

I find it difficult to regard Pharoah Sanders as an individual. I intuitively consider him as representational of a creative principle that centres communalism as the driving force from which spirit is manifested through sound. Spirit can be seen as the life-force that animates matter, that which provides the energy which activates our will to act. Linear conceptions of this musics formation force us to imagine a hierarchical basis whereby one element or player is ahead of another in terms of contribution importance this way of seeing must be rejected for the cyclical view which sees the prominence of individual players as transient but the group contribution as reaching for eternity.

The centring of spirit and negation of individualistic focus begets a cyclical construction whereby metaphysically there is no start or end to the music, this is furthered in the exclamations of the audience members at the sounding of the final note. A seemingly benign acknowledgement/participatory gesture for me signifies a furthering of the groups energy. The baton is passed from performer to audience and within the spirit of reciprocity we at home separated by time and space are asked to join in the praise, to interpret the message however our intuitive knowledge guides us and to give back to the source of the energy that fuelled the players.

My understanding of Pharoahs music has developed in tandem with a growing awareness of myself as the object of inquiry in relation to it. Prior to this paradigmatic shift, I considered myself as the subject, able to analyse and know what was happening at any given stage of the sonic flow. This way of hearing is adequate for a surface level appreciation of the music, but Pharoah Sanders is deep!

So, more is required if the surface layer is to be breached, revealing the levels of meaning that constitute the whole spectrum of his musical vision. The subject is often defined as the thinking/doing entity, as opposed to the object which is the thing acted upon. Hence to objectify something or someone is to deny (or ignore) the existence of a consciousness outside the knowledge or comprehension of the subject and to assume a degree of control in relation to how the object can act on that same subject.

To see oneself as the object in relation to a piece of music is to prostrate oneself before it, to assume humility in assuming levels of depth that span further than potentially even the individual performer envisioned. This requires a muting of the mind, allowing visions and ideas to manifest themselves outside the scope of what is thought to be known about the music. This is increasingly the only way I see fit to engage with the music of Pharoah Sanders. In this state, the concept of time reveals itself to be a construct that is very much societally engendered. After listening to this album, I remember trying to combine all the songs in my own sets, so that my music could be regarded as a singular presentation of an idea. The inadvertent effect of this on my perception of time while on stage was that moments became significant in terms of their overall drama and poetic power. I interpret this shift in focus to mean that the time itself was sacralised and allowing for the potential of transcendence. This space was unlocked by Black Unity.

The first time I saw Pharoah perform live I was struck by his poise, it seemed as though he was rooted to the ground and was able to draw power from throughout his whole body to be channeled through the saxophone. I hear this in the music of Black Unity. There is a feeling of the music being both of the sky and of the earth, as above as it is below. There is no way of me quantifying this statement, it is not to be rationalised in terms of logic. It is an intuitive reasoning, powerful for what it symbolises to the listener: that it is open to ancient concepts stretching back to the time of the kemetic civilisation.

My final reflection on the seminal album Black Unity is that the title is the answer to the question which hovered over the civil rights movement in America, that lurked in the underbelly of all the anti-colonial movements sweeping Africa during the 70s and is still relevant today. How do we as Black people triumph over a system of white supremacy that has affected even our scope to define the parameters of the real? Pharaoh says it simply and best..Black Unity!

Banner image courtesy of Impulse!

Additional photos by Christian Rose via Transversales Disques.

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The Spiritual Power of Pharoah Sanders - The Vinyl Factory

Mission Committee strives to improve faith and spirituality among Belles – Observer Online

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The Saint Marys Student Government Association (SGA) is composed of seven committees, each with its own respective responsibilities and areas of expertise.

The Mission Committee strives to improve faith and spirituality among Belles, while maintaining a connection with the Sisters of the Holy Cross, sophomore committee chair Angela Martinez Camacho said in an email.

In addition the committee is responsible for maintaining a relationship with Campus Ministry, vice president for mission Judy Fean and SGA as a whole, she said. As committee chair, one of Martinez Camachos largest responsibilities is to collaborate with SGAs alumnae relations chair to plan and execute an annual Heritage Week.

According to Martinez Camacho the Mission Committee differentiates itself from other committees by types of events it hosts.

This year we were motivated to collaborate with Campus Ministry for Bible study and offer meditation sessions, she said. We try to correlate with the main focus of the committee but generally strive to foster the sisterhood bond. Regardless, we want to give back to the students in recognition of their hard work and dedication to the school and their academics.

Kathleen Hannon, a first-year committee member, said the intimacy of the group is a blessing in disguise.

The Mission Committee is actually only three people, so we have all bonded since the committee is so small, she said. This has been really neat as we have created friendships that have allowed us to work better as a group.

Last month the Mission Committee sponsored the Letters for Sisters event during which students wrote a letter to a Sister of the Holy Cross. Martinez Camacho said the event had a high turnout rate from students.

The committee is also responsible for hosting weekly meditation sessions in Regina North Lounge on Wednesday nights.

We encourage you to take a mid-week break to focus on yourself and wind down from stress, Martinez Camacho said.

Hannon added that it is rewarding to see people attend and enjoy the events.

The mission committee does a great job of bringing a source of light to campus, she said.

Despite the high reward of the events the committees largest challenge has been determining what they can and cannot do in light of the pandemic, Hannon said.

When asked about the importance of the Mission Committee to the greater Saint Marys community, Martinez Camacho said, We believe students should take the time to focus on their faith and spirituality.

Martinez Camacho also spoke to the Mission Committees objective to support both students and Sisters of the Holy Cross.

Mission is perfect for that because we offer opportunities to explore those aspects of life. It is one of our schools core values, she said. And the Sisters play a huge role in our school; we have to show that we appreciate them and are thinking about them, especially in these difficult times.

The Mission Committees next event will take place in November.

We are so excited about the first of the month event: [a] sticker handout, Martinez Camacho said. We designed these cute stickers with a motivational quote to inspire Belles for November, as we enter the homestretch of the semester.

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Mission Committee strives to improve faith and spirituality among Belles - Observer Online

Crossing over from spiritual world of ancestors to visual art – SowetanLIVE

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Meanwhile, acclaimed fine artist and performer Sellone Moeti, also from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, whose work advocates the marginalisation of black women, says that her work draws from her spiritual journey.

My work speaks loudly about cleansing, healing, dislocation, and relocation. My paintings were an attempt to trace and understand my lineage as a Mosotho 'womxn', born, raised and still living in KwaZulu-Natal.

Moeti says her late grandmother, who had a gift of healing through prayer, inspires her visuals that explore spiritual gifts and burdens transmitted from one generation to another.

My body of work was highly influenced by my late grandmother who used to heal through prayer and that was passed on to my mother. It talks about spiritual gifts or sometimes burdens that are passed from generation to generation. I portrayed these spiritual dreamscapes in my paintings.

The award-winning artist identifies herself as an African woman before being an artist who is led by divine forces in her art.

I'm an African woman first, before an artist. I wouldn't go as far as calling myself a medium at all. I'm more of a conduit or vessel of the unseen forces that guide me specifically. I'm on a spiritual journey and I'm using my art as a form of documenting the collection of my dreams.

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Crossing over from spiritual world of ancestors to visual art - SowetanLIVE

Fight the second wave with apps for financial, spiritual and physical success – USA TODAY

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Whether youre trying to better manage your money or stay mentally or physically fit, you might be surprised what you can find in the app store. USA TODAY

While theres not much the average person can do to stop the spike in new COVID-19 cases shy of social distancing, wearing a mask and regularly washing hands technology may help reduce the financial and emotional impact of a second wave.

In fact, there are several apps for iPhone and Android devices, designed to help individuals and families in several ways.

Whether youre trying to better manage your money during uncertain times, or stay mentally or physically fit through it all, you might just be surprised what you can find at the App Store or Google Play.

The following are a few recommended downloads for your smartphone or tablet.

Especially given the stress many are under, its recommended to take mental breaks throughout the day or to help fall asleep. Freemium apps like "Simple Habit" offer a variety of sessions.(Photo: Handout)

There are several apps tied to mindfulness and mediation, including Simple Habit, designed specifically for busy people.

After all, not many of us can afford to take an hour out of our day for Tai Chi by the beach or online yoga classes.

With 5-, 10- or 20-minute lessons, the app features more than a thousand meditations guided by mindfulness teachers from around the world and for a more tailored lesson, you can choose the time, place and cause of your stress. For example, tap Tough Day, Morning, Commute, SOS or Sleep.

Among Alexa's lesser-known abilities: You can ask the digital assistant about COVID-19 symptoms

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You can also pick a lesson by Series (such as Simple Tips for a Meaningful Life or Let Go of Anxiety), and by Teacher of your choice (check out Julie Seibts nearly 140 sessions).

Several dozen sessions are free, with the option to upgrade to a premium subscription for unlimited access to more than 2,000 meditations (and new videos added weekly), the ability to download when offline, tracking progress, and more.

COVID-19 isnt just a health crisis but has spawned a financial crisis for many. Personal finance apps like Simplifi, powered by Quicken, can sync with your bank and credit card accounts, and more, and show you a snapshot of your financial picture.(Photo: Handout)

Especially given the unexpected and unprecedented year weve endured, many are trying to get their finances in order.

Apps can help you clearly see whats coming in and going out, to ensure youre staying in the black.

Simplifi by Quicken, for example, can show your full financial picture by tracking all of your accounts in one place and showing insights that keep you on track.

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Powered by Quicken, this personal finance app and website, provides a snapshot of bank accounts, credit cards, loans and investments (with more than 14,000 financial institutions supported), and is always up to date.

Simplifi automatically categorizes transactions, to show where your money is going, with an intuitive and elegant interface. The ad-free app can also project future balances, to help avoid setbacks and surprises, and help you work towards a goal.

Prices start at $2.99 per month.

Youve heard of the Freshman 15, but what about the COVID 19? Shed excess weight youve amassed since the start of the pandemic with apps like Lose It! (free to start), which can help you achieve your weight loss goals.(Photo: Handout)

Finally, while many are preoccupied with keeping their family safe (and fed) during the pandemic, they might be neglecting their own physical health.

Apps can help you get back on track.

The free Lose It! has you set a goal such as lose 10 pounds in four weeks and the app will then calculate what should be your caloric intake each day. Tap in what youve been eating (by food, such as one large banana) scan the box of a brand, like a DiGiorno Original Rising Crust Three Meat Frozen Pizza, and it will show the calories youre consuming (and even fat, sodium, and so on, if you like).

Exercise is also factored into your daily routine.

A similar app is MyFitnessPal, with more than 11 million foods and restaurant dishes in the database, plus you can scan product barcodes to automatically log the caloric info per meal.

Support: The five most common tech support questions in America answered

Similar to Lose It!, all app info is synchronized with the web version of MyFitnessPal, should you want to log in on a computer.

For exercise, Map My Fitness lets you easily calculate the impact of your physical activity whether its a walk, jog, run, hike, bike ride, and so on.

Your workout is analyzed including your time, pace, and estimated calories burned so you can see you progress and stay motivated. The app can also connect you with other users in your area to join a group. If you like, you can even share your fitness goals and results with your social network. Devices, like activity trackers and heart rate monitors, are also supported.

To work out in the safety of your home, many also use the Peloton app to access thousands of live and on-demand video classes.

You dont need Peloton equipment to take advantage of this app, featuring a collection of exercise videos, led by celebrated instructors, and covering several different kinds of exercises.(Photo: Handout)

Taught by dozens of instructors, there are several kinds of workouts to choose from, ranging from running and strength training to cycling and yoga to HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Many stream workouts from a phone or tablet to a big-screen TV.

After the 30-day trial, a digital membership costs $12.99 per month.

On a related note, the just launched Peloton Bike+ offers several enhancements over its predecessor.

The 24-inch HD touchscreen, with integrated soundbar, can now swivel around if you want to continue your workout on a mat for stretching, yoga or strength training. Also new is an Auto Follow feature on Bike+ that can automatically adjust your tension (or resistance) to the instructors callout.

Designed primarily for spinning and cycling, Peloton Bike+ focuses on its live classes led by motivational instructors, or if you prefer, pre-recorded video classes where you can choose the length (from 5 to 90 minutes), difficulty level, style of music (recommended: Prince Run with Andy Speer), exercise theme, and instructor. There are even scenic rides through beautiful locations, and such.

Peloton Bike+ starts at $2,495, plus theres a monthly cost to access the classes, too. The original Peloton Bike has now dropped to $1,895.

Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. Email him or subscribe to his Tech It Out podcast at marcsaltzman.com/podcasts.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

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Fight the second wave with apps for financial, spiritual and physical success - USA TODAY

Galway clergy pledge to run each day during Level 3 for spiritual and financial reasons – The Irish Times

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Two priests, one Catholic and one Church of Ireland, are to go on the run in their east Galway parish as a way of combating the impact of further restrictions on public religious services.

Under Level 3 restrictions no church or faith in Ireland may hold public services, except for weddings and funerals at which attendance is strictly limited

Fr Gerard Geraghty and Rev John Godfrey both minister in the East Galway village of Aughrim and plan to run three kilometres a day to pray for their parishes. They also hope to encourage fitness, well-being, community cohesion and spiritual enrichment, as well as raise money to help with the loss of finance every parish is experiencing.

They intend continuing the run until Level 3 restrictions are eased.

Rev Godfrey, who came up with the idea, believes it could be rolled out across every parish in Ireland.

Fr Geraghty also wants local people to join them.

We learned during the first lockdown just how important it is to look after our mental, physical and spiritual health, he said, so we want local people to join us in doing 3K a day until the churches open again.

Rev Godfrey added that it doesnt matter if you run, walk, cycle, scooter, skip or swim and if three kilometres is too much for you on your own, three people in a household could do a kilometre each. What matters is the spiritual discipline of doing this every day for your local church.

He added that just like other charities, church finances have been hit hard by the pandemic. It was why we are asking people to sponsor the 3K a Day to Pray appeal, as a way of making sure that their local churches have the finances to keep running properly, he said.

Ecumenical collaboration is not new in Aughrim. During recent renovations at St Catherines Catholic Church there, weekly Masses were celebrated at the Church of Ireland Holy Trinity Church and in June of last year both priests jointly led celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Holy Trinity Church.

They also shared a Lenten bible Study earlier this year and are currently working together on plans for the Aughrim Climate Action Park, a community ecological project on church land.

They have organised a Go Fund Me page for those who may wish to donate, at gofundme.com 3K a Day to Pray - Aughrim & Creagh Parish Unions or 3K a Day to Pray - Aughrim & Kilconnell RC Parish.

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Galway clergy pledge to run each day during Level 3 for spiritual and financial reasons - The Irish Times

Spiritual aspects of the climate and extinction crises – Uniontown Herald Standard

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Climate fires are ravaging the drought-afflicted states of Oregon, Washington and California like the recent devastating conflagrations in Australia, Siberia, the Amazon and Brazils Pantanal region (extending into Bolivia and Paraguay). All this, as other regions suffer through unprecedented floods, hurricanes or droughts as desertification spreads from continent to continent. Experts in planetary ecology have been warning about, and striving to prevent, this planetary crisis for decades.

The state of the environment is a mirror on the human condition. The ethical nature of this crisis where human cupidity and stupidity take precedence over the rights and interests of other species, and where the economy is given precedence over environmental and public health needs to be confronted. Make America Green Again!

I grieve for all the lives, beauty and species lost, and for the families, communities and ecosystems torn apart. I weep for the plight and suffering of the drought-stricken elephant herds in Zimbabwe and the COVID-infected families crowded into refugee camps.

Massive deforestation will accelerate the climate crisis, which has been wrought since the beginning of the industrial age with the burning of coal and other fossil fuels. The petrochemical fossil fuel industry has poisoned the planet and contributed royally to the climate and extinction crises. This is a crime against humanity and all that nature holds.

The COVID-19 pandemic could have been prevented, but as long as we treat other species as resources devoid of rights and intrinsic value, then future pandemics will be inevitable (as predicted by proponents of the One Health perspective, onehealthinitiative.com), along with other plagues and pestilence. For supportive documentation, see the Sept. 10 Washington Post article Humans are decimating wildlife, and the pandemic is a sign.

Fatalistic pessimists may say it is too late, while optimists might hope that stock markets and GDPs (Gross Domestic Products) will somehow recover and act as a panacea. The unified sensibility of realists, however, can empower a different path toward GQL: Global Quality of Life. All who care must support this path if there is to be any future for us and other species on this planet, which we have collectively abused and now imperil, along with our own kind.

Dear Dr. Fox: I am writing concerning our 6-year-old male cat. He was recently at our vets for oral prophylaxis. During his treatment, he was catheterized and a urine sample was taken. The results showed elevated values for urea and creatinine. In addition, he had a positive RenalTech index, which our vet said means he has a 95% probability of developing kidney disease sometime in the next two years.

She has suggested we try a prescription renal diet, and provided us with cans of Hills, Purina NF Early Care and Royal Canin Renal to try. Our cat is currently on Blue Healthy Gourmet and has done well with it. My concern is with the effectiveness of special, commercial dietetic foods. I am skeptical, and look at these products as marketing ploys. Will this prevent his having kidney disease? Is there an alternative?

I know you recommend your homemade food, and will check your website for recipes. Can kidney disease be prevented early in a cats life, or is it inevitable? P.K., Danbury, Connecticut

Dear P.K.: So many cats have kidney problems, in part due to poor oral health care and related poor diet (dry kibble). It is essential for cats (and dogs) to have their teeth cleaned properly, or at least annually evaluated by a veterinarian. For details, see my reviews of dental problems and feline stomatitis on my website (drfoxonehealth.com). There, you will also find my article on helping cats and dogs with kidney problems, which offers alternatives to these costly, and generally unpalatable, prescribed diets.

I am surprised or should I say not surprised, but disappointed that many veterinarians are selling these manufactured prescription diets, which offer a significant profit margin, while failing to educate their clients on the best nutrition for their animal companions. A large number of pets are fed mainly kibble (widely sold in veterinary clinics), which lies at the root of many subsequent health problems. For documentation, see the book that I co-authored with two other informed, concerned veterinarians: Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food.

Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns. Visit Dr. Foxs website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.

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AYUSH and Alternative Medicine Market Size & Share Set to Witness an Uptick During 2020 to 2026 – re:Jerusalem

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‘A fraud on the nation’: critics blast Indian government’s promotion of traditional medicine for COVID-19 – Science Magazine

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Government health workers hand out Ayurvedic medicine to people who are getting tested for COVID-19 in Gurugram, a city in northern India, in May.

By Priyanka PullaOct. 15, 2020 , 6:55 AM

Reporting for this story was supported by a journalism grant from the Thakur Family Foundation, which has not exercised any editorial control over the contents of this report.

The Indian health ministryhas begun to recommend traditional remediesto tackle the countrys COVID-19 outbreak, dismaying many Indian doctors and scientists. On 6 October, health minister Harsh Vardhan released recommendations for preventing COVID-19 and treating mild cases based on Ayurveda, Indias millenniaold system of herbal medicine, triggering sharp criticism from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), a group of more than one-quarter of a million modern medicine practitioners.

In a press release, IMAdemanded Vardhan produce evidenceof the treatments efficacy; if hes unable to do so, the associationwrote, Vardhan is inflicting a fraud on the nation and gullible patients by calling placebos as drugs.Recommending any drug without evidence for a deadly disease that has claimed more than 100,000 Indian lives is a dangerous trend, adds C. S. Pramesh, a thoracic surgeon and the director of Mumbais Tata Memorial Centre. The government has no shortage of studies to point to, but Pramesh and others dismiss them as unconvincing.

The Indian governments push for Ayurveda is in line with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys mission to revive traditional medicine. Since 2014, when the Hindu nationalist party was elected to power, it has upgraded a government department for alternative medicine to the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), and more than tripled its annual budgetto almost $290 million.

Developed by the AYUSH ministry, the COVID-19 advisory includes treatments such as clarified butter applied inside the nostrils; a hot concoction of pepper, ginger, and other herbs; and a patented formulation called Ayush-64. The latter, a mixture of four herbs, was developed in the 1980s for malaria by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), now a body under the AYUSH ministry.

Although last weeks protocol only recommends the remedies for mild disease, it says moderately and severely ill patients can make an informed choice about using Ayurveda as well, and refers readers to another Ayurvedaguideline documentthat prescribes similar herbal interventions for people with severe manifestations of COVID-19 such as respiratory distress and pneumonia.During a recent press conference, the AYUSH ministrys secretary, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, claimed the remedies were supported by dozens of in vitro, animal, and human studies, listedin a report onthe ministrys website.

But almost all the human studies are small and uncontrolled, critics say. These are con trials and faked studies, says Cyriac Abby Philips, a hepatologist at Keralas Ernakulam Medical Centre.

For example, in one of the studies the AYUSH ministry cites as support for Ayush-64,published in theJournal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, the investigators gave the drug to 38 patients with flu symptoms.There was no control arm, and some of the patients on Ayush-64 also received paracetamol and other modern drugs, making it impossible to tease out the effects of each.

In another study, published in 1982, investigators gave 29 malaria patients Ayush-64, while 30 received modern antimalarials, including chloroquine. The investigators noted that whereas all the patients on modern drugs were cured, only 72% on Ayush-64 responded. Nothing about the study supports Ayush-64s efficacy in malaria, Philips says.

And in any case, clinical studies for malaria and other diseases cannot be extrapolated to COVID-19, says Gagandeep Kang, a microbiologist at Christian Medical College, Vellore, who helped develop and test Indias first rotavirus vaccine. All diseases are not the same, she says.

N. Srikanth, an Ayurvedic practitioner and a deputy director general at CCRAS, tellsScienceInsiderthat trials of Ayurvedic therapies for COVID-19 are underway.And on 9 October, an association of government Ayurvedic scientists said IMAs claim that Ayurvedic drugs were no better than placebos was rigorously condemnable. They pointed out that some modern medical practitioners continue to use drugs such as hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, even though there is little evidence for their efficacy. (Indias health ministryrecommended hydroxychloroquineboth as treatment and prevention for the pandemic coronavirus in March, based on a few small and inconclusive clinical trials, a decision it didnt roll back after subsequent larger studies failed to bear out their advice.)

Pramesh dismisses that argument as whataboutery. Any system of medicine, whether modern or alternative, must back up claims of efficacy with well-conducted trials, he says. And I have seen very little actual data that shows the medicines being recommended by the AYUSH ministry to be useful.

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'A fraud on the nation': critics blast Indian government's promotion of traditional medicine for COVID-19 - Science Magazine

Americans Are Still Paying Out of Pocket for Complementary and Alternative Medicine – Shepherd Express

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Garlicky chicken soup was once the standard cure for a cold and peppermint was used to soothe an upset stomach rather than going to the drugstore for an over-the-counter pill. Grandmas remedies have been coming back in a big way: About 59 million Americans spend money out of pocket on complementary health approaches, totaling approximately $30.2 billion a year, according to information provided by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)a U.S. government agency housed under the National Institutes of Health that explores integrative and alternative medicine.

Complementary (also called integrative) medicine is when a non-mainstream practice is used in conjunction with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine uses non-mainstream practices in place of conventional medicine. Theyre often referred to together as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and have a similar objective: to find and treat the underlying causes of health problems rather than to just address symptoms.

CAM practitioners use holistic and preventive approaches to relieve and cure ailments ranging from the common cold to inflammatory conditions like arthritis. CAM treatments include herbs, whole foods nutrition and preventive lifestyle habits to support health, such as exercise, avoiding processed foods and smoking, stress management and light or no alcohol use. CAM also includes chiropractic, yoga, meditation, vitamins, minerals and natural anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, as well as ancient healing approaches such as acupuncture.

Carol Brown is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. She had worked in conventional medicine as a primary care physician before training in integrative methods. Sixteen years ago, she formed her own integrative practice in Oak Creek, Wis., CMB Health Specialties (formerly known as the Center for Integrative Health Care). Brown uses holistic approaches such as nutritional support, specialty lab testing to detect food allergies-sensitivities and hormonal imbalances, as well as intravenous nutrition therapy. She uses conventional medicine as appropriate and may refer patients to practitioners of alternative services, such as acupuncture or massage, or to conventional medicine physicians.

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Integrative medicine gets back to physiology; how does the body work, and what do we need to do to make it work? Brown says. Its about nutrition, supplying what the body needs and looking for underlying causes. If someone has a headache, there are pills for headaches, but we look to find out why they have a headache. It could be gluten intolerance, not enough sleep or any number of underlying issues.

Brown notes there is a population of people that are not helped by everyday medicine and are driven to seek care outside of conventional approaches. Theyre looking for some other way to help themselves. Theres also a population of older patients who know how medicine used to be, where there was more time to get to the bottom of ones health. Younger people are suspicious, because everyday medicine has become so commercialized. A lot of people are afraid to take a drug, and they want to get better without meds if that is possible, she says.

Sarah Axtell is a naturopathic doctor and founder of Lakeside Natural Medicine in Shorewood, Wis. A licensed naturopathic doctor is a primary care physician who is trained to diagnose and prescribe, as opposed to traditional naturopath who can do neither.

She also sees a growing demand for CAM approaches. With a shortage of primary care doctors, exponentially escalating health care costs, epidemics of lifestyle-related chronic disease and obesity and increasing dissatisfaction with conventional medicine, naturopathic doctors are a valuable solution in light of these critical shortages, she says.

Naturopathic approaches emphasize direct care, prevention, wellness and health promotion. Axtell has a doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine and is board certified by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners. Shes currently licensed as a primary care physician in the state of Oregonone of 22 states that has licensing or registration laws for naturopathic doctors.

Axtell notes that a licensed naturopathic doctor attends a four-year, in-residence, graduate-level naturopathic medical school; studies conventional, holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy; is educated in the identical basic sciences as an M.D. or D.O. (Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine); has three years supervised clinical training as part of medical school; and takes rigorous, national, professional board exams. Shes one of many licensed naturopathic doctors in the state advocating for naturopathic licensure in Wisconsin.

We are gaining momentum here in Wisconsin and hope to gain licensure in the near future, Axtell says. The Wisconsin Naturopathic Doctors Association has generated great support from both Democrats and Republicans in both houses of the legislature. They have worked hard to educate legislators on the importance of licensure for NDs. When legislators fully grasp the positive impact naturopathic medicine has on the health of Wisconsinites, legislators in turn support licensure, which will increase access to and ensure safe delivery care by highly trained natural medical providers. The Association hopes to see a licensure bill introduced in the 2021 session.

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services is the state agency that licenses medical professionals, including M.D.s, D.O.s, nurse practitioners and dieticians. They also license professionals practicing alternative medicine modalities such as chiropractic, acupuncture and massage. Theres currently no state licensing required to practice alternative therapies like aromatherapy, biofeedback, herbalism or nutrition counseling-coaching. Training in those methods often range from self-study to certification through trade organizations or associations that offer online distance learning to in-person classes and workshops that issue certification.

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Its easy to get lost on the internet when researching the efficacy of CAM therapies, and like any topic, there are articles that both support and criticize it. The NCCIH was established with a focus to conduct and support research and provide information about complementary health products and practices. Brown likes to refer people to PubMed, a comprehensive database of scientific and medical journals documenting peer-reviewed studies, many of which have researched CAM topics.

Theres actually a ton of research out there, Brown says, and she points to the Cleveland Clinics Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine Department as an example of a big hospital system that has implemented CAM approaches. She notes that countries such as Germany, Sweden, Italy and Japan have done advanced research on CAM therapies, but here in the U.S., drug companies have the deep pockets to fund a myriad of large-scale studies that dwarf non-profitable natural approaches. But some of the strongest proof that CAM therapies work has come from its users. The evidence of getting better is proof enough, Brown affirms.

Most major health insurance plans dont cover CAM therapies and are quick to deem them as experimental or not medically necessary. Some cover CAM therapies such as chiropractic care with restrictions or co-pays or include CAM in flex spending accounts (people are advised to first check with their insurance companies to find out what services are covered). Most practices offering integrative or naturopathic careor services considered alternative, like acupuncture, massage or nutrition counselingdo not accept insurance and are private pay, which can be a prohibitive cost for some people.

But some alternative medicine providers are striving to make their services more affordable. Milwaukee Community Acupuncture is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering acupuncture on a pay-what-you-can model, with a sliding scale from $20 to $50 per visit. Amy Severinsen is a licensed acupuncturist who co-founded Milwaukee Community Acupuncture with Oliva Crane. Severinsen realized the need for affordable acupuncture after she visited China and toured acupuncture clinics and saw how affordable it was for people there, so people came in more frequently.

Previously, I had a private practice, and people responded really well, but because they were paying out of pocket, they couldnt afford to keep coming in, she says. Acupuncture works best when a patient receives a series of treatments. Because one doesnt have to disrobe while receiving an acupuncture treatment, Milwaukee Community Acupunctures professionals can see more than one person per hour in a group setting, making their community model cost-effective. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to alter their business to see fewer patients in the treatment room at one time; check the website for COVID-19 safety precuations.

Severinsen believes most insurance companies dont cover alternative therapies such as acupuncture because stronger studies are needed to support its effectiveness. Once they see those results, I think they will offer to cover more, she says. I also think its difficult to plug acupuncture into the system of coding and diagnosis, because its a different way of diagnosing people and looking at the body.

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer who enjoys capturing the stories behind Milwaukees happening food, beverage and urban farming scenes. She also pens articles about holistic health, green living, sustainability and human-interest features.

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Americans Are Still Paying Out of Pocket for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Shepherd Express

A Few Words on Health Disparity in the Asian American Community – Pager Publications, Inc.

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As stressed medical students looking for an eventful destination to spend our spring break, my friend and I chose to take a trip to Americas Big Apple, New York City. On a sunny day in NYC, I remember enjoying our morning cups of coffee and walking into a subway station when, suddenly, an older man shouted at us, Take your Corona and get out of my country!

Having grown up in Hong Kong and then Southern California where there is a prominent Asian population, I am fortunate to say I have never really experienced discriminatory events, especially none this direct. More than shocked, I was disheartened. Despite hindrances and inconsistencies in life, my ancestors never stopped pouring sweat to better America, this country that we call home. Knowing that Asian American history is deeply intertwined with this countrys development, it felt like our contributions did not matter when that man verbally attacked us. It felt like we were not welcome after all.

That got my friend and me, both Asian American medical students thinking: Are Asian Americans misrepresented and experiencing disparities within our health care system, too?

Health disparity is a term that refers to the differences in medical resources and health outcomes experienced by social groups. These groups are defined by gender, race, education and socioeconomic status, to name a few. Despite significant research on health disparities, Asian Americans are among one of the least studied groups on this matter.

And why is that?

From our nations history, there is a deeply rooted belief in the model minority myth. This ideology stereotypes Asians to be more educated, financially stable and healthier compared to other minority groups. While this generalization might seem positive, it actually brings more harm than good. Such a social myth can undermine the struggles experienced by less fortunate Asian Americans. By generalizing the whole Asian American community using a few successful examples, Asian American folks in need are inevitably overlooked. In reality, certain Asian groups (Vietnamese, Hmong and Cambodians) have higher poverty rates than the national average. In addition, suicide is ranked as a higher leading cause of death among Asian Americans than among other ethnic groups combined.

Secondly, there is immense diversity within the Asian American community. In Asia alone, there are 49 countries with 23,000 different languages in use. Data also shows that about 70% of Asian Americans are foreign-born. In a clinical setting, the immense diversity of languages poses a language barrier to equal access to medical resources. According to research done by Dr. Grace Ma at Temple University, cancer is the leading cause of death in Asian patients. Yet, they have the most trouble understanding clinical instructions and the highest dissatisfaction rates in regards to their cancer care.

Last but not least, many health providers are ill-equipped to discuss Eastern medicine with Asian patients. Growing up in an Asian household, I experienced Eastern medicine, such as tiger balm or herbal tea, like many people in our community. On several occasions, these products have worked wonders. Asian patients may resort to Eastern medicine and, in turn, oppose Western treatments. Since most Western physicians are unfamiliar with alternative medicine, such a preference can further pose as a threat for disparity and miscommunication. As healthcare providers, we should educate ourselves on topics such as alternative medicine to better serve our patients from Asian American communities.

Asian Americans are not only a minority in number, but it is also undeniable that we are among the groups vulnerable to health disparities. As future educators and physicians, it is important for us to understand the factors that create health disparity in our system. Even seemingly positive stereotypes can cause us to overlook the diversity within a group and cause patients to suffer. Especially in a sensitive time when Asians are experiencing more xenophobia due to COVID-19, we should question societal beliefs and be cautious about our assumptions with all patients.

Image Credit: Three Women, Masked 02(CC BY-NC 2.0)bybyronv2

Contributing Writer

University of California Riverside School of Medicine

Jasmine is a first year medical student at University of California, Riverside School of Medicine in Riverside, California class of 2023. In 2019, she graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics. She enjoys traveling, eating and napping in her free time. After graduating medical school, Jasmine would like to pursue a career in surgery or emergency medicine.

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A Few Words on Health Disparity in the Asian American Community - Pager Publications, Inc.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics joins national trial testing alternative treatment for appendicitis – UI The Daily Iowan

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UIHC is one of 25 clinics across the U.S. to participate in the Comparing Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy trial to examine if antibiotics can treat appendicitis as well as surgery

Tate Hildyard

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are seen on Tuesday, June 23, 2020.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is one of 25 clinics across the U.S. to participate in a national trial that, so far, shows antibiotics could be an alternative to surgery for treating appendicitis.

UIHC is participating in Comparing Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy. Trial Site co-leader at UIHC Dionne Skeete said the hospital had 156 of the 1,552 participants enrolled with appendicitis.

Because of Iowas population and UIHC joining the study halfway through the trial, Skeete said UIHC has a smaller number of patients in the study.

UI Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine Brett Faine, who co-leads with Skeete, said comparing treatments for appendicitis has been a controversial question and has not formally been studied in the U.S. before the current trial.

The early results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week.

This trial included all patients with all levels of severity for appendicitis, Faine said. So, it really provided the best evidence we have ever had.

So far, he said antibiotics were found to be an alternative to an appendectomy as a treatment.

The trial found that three out of 10 patients who received antibiotics underwent an appendectomy within 90 days, Skeete said. The patients who took antibiotics also experienced the same symptoms for an equal amount of time compared to patients who had surgery, she said.

Chair of the studys Patient Advisory Board Bonnie Bizzell said patients who had an appendicolith a stone-like deposit in the appendix had worse outcomes when taking antibiotics.

Skeete said it is up to the patient to weigh the pros and cons of their personal situation to determine if they want to take antibiotics or get surgery for an appendicitis treatment.

The benefit of surgery is that you know you get the appendix taken out and then you do not have to worry about appendicitis ever again, Skeete said. But the downside is that its surgery. So, there is a risk. The benefit of antibiotics is that, you know, you get a dose of an antibiotic and you avoid surgery. You get better without having to have that kind of operation.

The treatment option of antibiotics allows more flexibility for clinics when something such as COVID-19 stresses hospital availability, Faine said.

RELATED:UIHC performing trial to reduce celiac disease symptoms

Being in the middle of the pandemic, if operating rooms have to be shut down, or as we saw earlier because of the pandemic, if operating capacity has to be limited, antibiotics do seem to be suitable options, he said.

The trial gave attention to preventing selection bias within the criteria that patients had to meet to be a part of the study. Skeete said previous studies of the same kind excluded women as a part of the study population.

Bizzell said that patient engagement was a large part of the trial.

I think, what else makes it very unique is that the CODA Trial included patients that had not been included before and in other trials that looked at, comparing antibiotics to surgery, she said.

The last patients trial was enrolled and completed in January, Skeete said, but the study will be finishing up for the next two years.The team will look for the rate of complication during the follow up.

We are still going to do the follow up to see if the group is having adverse effects, Faine said. But, overall, antibiotics versus surgery were not inferior to the improvement outcomes.

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University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics joins national trial testing alternative treatment for appendicitis - UI The Daily Iowan

UAE to provide incentives to Indian healthcare firms with strong R&D facilities: Envoy – The Tribune India

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Dubai, October 19

The UAE government will provide incentives, including financial contributions, and will make efforts to create a full ecosystem to support Indian healthcare manufacturing companies having strong research and development facilities, Indias envoy in the country said.

The UAE-India Healthcare Conference 2020, which was organised on Monday jointly by Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, and Consulate General of India, Dubai, FICCI and Invest India, helped explore ways to promote collaboration and partnerships in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and alternative medicines.

Pavan Kapoor, Ambassador of India to the UAE, drew attention toward close collaboration between the two countries during Covid times and stated that the UAE side had shown a strong desire for setting up manufacturing facilities for vaccines and generic medicines by Indian companies having strong R&D facilities.

The UAE government will provide incentives, including financial contributions, and will also make efforts to create a full ecosystem to support such healthcare manufacturing companies from India, he said.

Kapoor asked Indian companies to look into this offer, which will provide an excellent opportunity for them to enter into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as African markets in the entire pharma supply chain ecosystem.

The GCC is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates - except Iraq.

Ambassador Kapoor also emphasised that there were huge opportunities for the UAE to invest in India where seven mega parks- three in the pharmaceutical sector and four in medical devices have recently been announced.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana requires a lot of infrastructure and the same can be complemented by the UAE side. The introduction of AYUSH system of traditional Indian medicine can also be used to complement the health system in the UAE, he added.

Humaid Al Qutami, Director-General of Dubai Health Authority said, The UAE and India share a deep-rooted, historic partnership and there are several areas in the health sector where both sides can explore collaboration and continue this partnership with an aim to benefit the people of both the countries and provide high-quality and efficient patient care.

Humaid Al Qutami also highlighted areas such as innovation, research and development, medical education and training as well as telehealth, where there is a strong potential for further collaboration.

He added that this conference would be the right forum to establish a channel to achieve the common goals for the healthcare sectors of both countries. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration between both the countries, he added.

Ahmed Albanna, Ambassador of the UAE to India, said that COVID-19 has altered the dynamics of our global economic ecosystems.

Ambassador Albanna said: COVID-19 will mark an era of a paradigm shift in the realm of diplomacy with healthcare medical diplomacy taking the centre stage.

In the wake of the pandemic, the new dimension of medical diplomacy has indeed further bolstered the strategic partnership between the two nations. There is a huge untapped potential in the healthcare sectors between the two countries, he added.

Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI, said that at no other time in the world has healthcare become as centerstage as it is today.

This is an important meeting of people with shared ideologies to innovate, collaborate and to find new solutions, she said.

Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan, Chairman, Sharjah Health Authority, and Dr Amin Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of Health Policy and Licensing, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Abu Dhabi stressed on the historic and strategic relationship that exists between both the nations.

We have great cooperation with India, and we look forward to supporting any Indian pharma or medical industry to invest with us, Dr Amiri said. Dr Amiri also provided several facts about Indian healthcare workers and UAE as well as pharma and medical tourism, going forward.

Dr Praveen Gedam, Additional CEO of National Health Authority, highlighted the transformation currently underway in India as the Ayushman Bharat Programme is being delivered.

This program will eventually benefit more than 500 million people and create huge opportunities for investment by the UAE and other international investors in the healthcare sector., he said.

Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India, said, This conference becomes all the more relevant as key stakeholders from UAE and India healthcare landscapes join together to deliberate on exploring new avenues for partnership between the two countries.

Abdul Salam Al Madani, Executive Chairman, Waterfalls, UAE said that there is a need to further strengthen business relations with India.

Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman & MD, Aster DM Healthcare; Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman & MD, VPS Healthcare Group; Girish Krishnamurty, CEO & Director- Tata Medical and Diagnostics, Tata MD; Dr Akbar Moideen, VP Thumbay Group; Dr Viren Shetty from Narayana Hrudayalaya; Sophiya Faizal, Director, KEF Holdings (Meitra Hospital), Dr Taher Shams, MD Zulekha India, made presentations on opportunities in healthcare in the UAE and India.

The conference also had three separate sessions focusing on the UAE India Partnership in Healthcare Delivery, Pharma & Medical Devices and Ayush in which renowned doctors, entrepreneurs and regulatory authorities made their presentation and discussed ways and means to further boost bilateral cooperation in the respective fields. PTI

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UAE to provide incentives to Indian healthcare firms with strong R&D facilities: Envoy - The Tribune India