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8. Virtues Leading to Christlikeness
IA. The Concept of Virtue
1B. A Definition of Virtue
The term "virtue" in Greek often refers to "moral excellence" and "goodness." Arthur F. Holmes describes "virtues" in the following way:
A virtue is a right inner disposition, and a disposition is a tendency to act in certain ways. Disposition is more basic, lasting and pervasive than the particular motive or intention behind a certain action. It differs from a sudden impulse in being a settled habit of mind, an internalized and often reflective trait. Virtues are general character traits that provide inner sanctions on our particular motives, intentions and outward conduct.16
There are many key ideas in this definition, but for our purposes here I want to focus on two. First, a virtue is a tendency, stemming from who you are at your core level, to act in certain ways. Second, it is not simply, therefore, an impulse, good or bad, but rather a settled habit of mind. Third, it has a function of providing judgment on motives and outward actions. Virtues, then, relate to who we are as people; our character.
2B. Virtue in Greek Thought
Plato's concept of moral virtue or excellence (ἀρετή) centered on four inherent virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. Garcia comments:
In Plato's Republic, Socrates explains them through a doctrine of the three parts of the soul, suggesting that a person is prudent when knowledge of how to live (wisdom) informs her reason, courageous when informed reason governs her capacity for wrath, temperate when it also governs her appetites, and just when each part performs its proper tasks with informed reason in control.17
Aristotle added to this number and taught that such virtues were learned. The Stoics generally agreed with Plato. The Septuagint and the New Testament do not appear to use the word ἀρετή in the same way.18 Augustine was apparently the first one who began in earnest to bring Greek thought into theology and baptize it for Christian use.19 He developed the concept of the four virtues in relation to loving God and he added to them—and explained them—in light of the "theological" virtues of faith, hope, and love. For him the virtues were firstly theocentric, not anthropocentric.
3B. Relevant New Testament Passages Using the Term ἀρετή 20
1C. Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.21
2C. 2 Peter 1:3-5
1:3 I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 1:4 Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge…
IIA. Two Overarching Christian Virtues
The two central attributes of God are his holiness (expressed in his justice) and his love. These two characteristics, then, should characterize those who claim to believe in Him and follow Christ.
1B. Holiness (Righteousness/Justice/Goodness)
God is holy in the sense that he is both unique, i.e., there is no one else like him, and he is completely free of evil and infinitely good. From this character flows his righteousness wherein he always acts consistently with his moral nature (i.e., his holiness). He never breaks the standard of his own holy Law. Finally, he is just and his justice requires that all men live in accordance with the Law which he established. Thus, holiness, righteousness and justice—in a "creaturely" and derivative sense—should characterize the Christian's disposition: "Be holy as I am holy," says Peter, quoting the Old Testament (1 Peter 1:15-16). The one who claims to follow Jesus must be constantly growing in holiness, righteousness, and justice. The disposition of justice and goodness must permeate all other moral attributes, such as joy, conscientiousness, faithfulness, peace, kindness, gentleness; thus, I must be mixed with love, i.e., the best interests of the people involved. For example, gentleness is not a very admirable trait if it stems from a heart seeking immoral things. But if holiness and justice are its origin and permeate its presence, it is a beautiful thing. It is Christlikeness in action.
2B. Love
God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). The Bible preaches this message both by explicit and implicit means, through direct statement and a plethora of examples. Indeed, the cross of Christ demonstrates once and for all that God loves people (John 3:16). Love is at the very heart of God and motivates him to seek the welfare of lost and rebellious sinners. Love acts with the interests of others at heart. And it is precisely at this point that one must see it as needing: (1) holiness lest it go astray in determining what is best for someone and, (2) wisdom to know when and how to carry out the best actions. Thus, in Christian ethics, love is to be permeated with holiness and holiness with love and they find their fullest expression according to the wisdom that God gives us (e.g., Col 1:9-10). Holiness keeps love from turning into idolatry and codependence and love keeps holiness from turning into an aloof, austere judgmentalism. Holy love, therefore, must characterize the Christian who claims to be a disciple of Christ. We also aim to see it developed in the people God uses us to help. Finally, and just by way of note, the NT idea of love as oriented toward sacrifice for others is not really found among the pagans, but is a distinctively Christian development.
So holiness and love, that to which we have been chosen and called by God—the two overarching virtues—must undergird all other virtues giving them their motive and fire, contours, mode of operation, and goals.
IIIA. A Triad of Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love
The theological virtues are so-named because they relate primarily to the inner disposition of the heart toward God. But, of course, they are also intimately connected to and find their expression in our relationships with others (1 Cor 13:1-13). Faith in Christ gives rise to love for others and both of them are animated and strengthened by the hope we have in Christ (Col 1:4-5).
1B. Passages with All Three Mentioned
1C. 1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
2C. 1 Thessalonians 1:3
1:3 because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
3C. Galatians 5:5-6
5:5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness. 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight—the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
4C. Colossians 1:4-5
1:4 since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. 1:5 Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel.
2B. Passages on Faith, Hope, and Love
1C. Faith
1D. Romans 4:20-21
4:20 He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. 4:21 He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do.
2D. Hebrews 11:6
11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
3C. Hope
1D. Romans 5:5
5:5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
2D. Galatians 5:5
5:5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness.
4C. Love
1D. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
13:4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered, or resentful. 13:6 It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. 13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
2D. 1 Peter 1:22-23
1:22 You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart.
3B. The Theological Context of the Christian Virtues: God and His Work
Many of the Greeks including Aristotle and the Stoics argued that moral virtue was developed according to human achievement and that the goal in mind was personal happiness.22 Others argued that moral virtue was inherent, the natural disposition of the soul. But both of these ideas, while sharing some similarities with Christianity, are in fact at odds with Christianity's essential ethical orientation. The "virtues" which the NT espouses have God's character as their source, the Spirit as their efficient cause in the believer, Christ as their model, and love as their goal. They are developed in the context of the spiritual life as chapter 6 explained. They are certainly not inherent and they can be learned, but not apart from Christ.
4B. The Relational Context
The Christian virtues of faith, hope, love, wisdom, temperance, joy, courage, faithfulness, peace, and whatever other virtue there is, are learned in relationships with God (and the circumstances he brings into our lives) and others. By their very nature Christian virtues are relational; they cannot be learned in a vacuum. We learn to trust God deeper by joyfully going through the trials of life; wisdom by dealing with difficult people, courage by facing dangerous circumstances and people, faithfulness by constancy in promise keeping, patience by restraining anger, and humility by serving others. God has called us both into his body and to be salt and light in the world; he has called us into an interesting set of relationships which he uses and will always use to grow us. Personal discipleship of another person is one particular kind of relationship in which dispositions of faithfulness, gentleness, truth telling, patience, courage, etc should be esteemed and encouraged.
VA. Other Specific Christ-Like Virtues
1B. Wisdom and Discernment
Wisdom is the virtue of discerning the true nature of people and circumstance, how these relate to the salvation Christ offers, and therefore what to do in any situation. It is given by God himself, acquired through the word and prayer, and serious reflection and seeking over time. Christ himself is said to be the very wisdom of God, in that he is God's solution to the problem of sin and the Christian is commanded to ask for wisdom (James 1:5) realizing that all wisdom from God is more ethical in nature than it is speculative (Matthew 11:29; James 3:17-18). Wisdom is applied holiness and love.
1C. Philippians 1:9-11
1:9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight 1:10 so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
2C. Proverbs 2:1-10
2:1 My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands within you, 2:2 by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, 2:3 indeed, if you call out for understanding, and raise your voice for understanding, 2:4 if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, 2:5 then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 2:7 He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, 2:8 to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones. 2:9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way. 2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.
2B. Temperance and Self Control
The Christian virtue of self-control is the consistent ability to say "no" to our appetites and to live in moderation. It is motivated by a desire for single-minded worship of God and holiness (for it helps guard against greed and idolatry—a holiness which itself springs from a love for God and is accompanied by joy, not a hatred for all desire and passion.
1C. Galatians 5:23
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 5:23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
2C. 2 Peter 1:5-7
1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; 1:6 to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; 1:7 to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love.
3B. Courage
The virtue of courage involves doing difficult and dangerous things in light of keeping God's word and for the welfare of other people. Thus it is motivated by the realization of God's holiness, and that I must obey him no matter what, but it is expressed in love toward other people, sometimes whether they receive it as love or not. It is most endangered by the peril of death, but is intimately related to hope—a hope founded on our unbreakable connection to a person who has overcome death.
An example of courage in a discipling relationship is telling the truth in love (Eph 4:15), even when it hurts. It is done out of obedience to God (though it may cost you the relationship with the other person) and for the growth of the other person. Sometimes this expression of courage isn't well received (Prov 9:8), but sometimes it is (Prov 9:9). Of course, the greatest act of courage was Christ's obedient death on the cross. There we see courage lived out in obedience to God's holy demand (Matt 26:42) and for the ultimate welfare of lost sinners. Thus, courage is not foolhardiness and reckless abandon. Rather, courage aims at God's holiness and the welfare of people, with a full realization of both the actual and potential danger and cost involved.
1C. Joshua 1:6-9
1:6 Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them. 1:7 Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep! Do not swerve from it to the right or the left, so you may be successful in all you do. 1:8 This law scroll must not leave your lips! You must meditate it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful. 1:9 I repeat, be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do."
2C. John 16:33
16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but have courage—I have conquered the world."
3C. 1 Corinthians 16:13
16:13 Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.
4B. Faithfulness
Faithfulness often has to do with doing what we say we're going to do and not doing what we say we don't do. It is being in practice what we claim to be and it involves doing it over long periods of time. The person who shows up for a meeting on time all semester long is a faithful person. But again, the virtue of faithfulness must be ungirded by holiness and love. Are we faithful at something in an attempt to bring God glory and the greatest good to others, i.e., loving them buy demonstrating long term commitment to them? Or are we faithful only to what we want and striving after that? There is nothing necessarily evil with wanting something, and let's say, working hard over a long period of time to get it. But what about faithfulness to other people and their legitimate needs?
1C. Galatians 5:22-23
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 5:23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
2C. 3 John 1:3
1:3 I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth (NRSV).
5B. Peace
Peace as a Christian virtue includes the idea of being at rest and harmony on the inside, irrespective of what's happening on the outside. It is the opposite of being in turmoil and emotionally upset, and even further, being restless. It is available to those who live a holy and loving life and is centered in the knowledge of God's sovereignty and faithfulness. It rests on the knowledge of his kind disposition toward us and the truth that we know that he works all things together for our good, according to his predetermined plan to conform us to the image of Christ (Rom 8:28-39). Therefore, we can still have peace—harmony and well-being in our soul—even when we're suffering in difficult circumstances. We cannot, however, expect God's peace when we've not dealt properly with known sin. And, we must also realize that there are times when he withholds his peace, even after we've confessed, in order to deepen our confession and give us more zeal in the mortification of sin (cf. Rom 8:13). From our peace with God we are to exhibit peace with other people. Indeed, as far as it depends on us, we are to be at peace with all men (Rom 12:18; Col 3:15).
Peace, like other virtues, is not an end in itself nor the highest virtue. It is not more important than "truth" rightly understood and held, nor is it more important than "truthfulness." Thus it too must be informed by God's holiness and lived out under the watchful eye of genuine love.
1C. John 14:27
14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.
2C. Colossians 3:15
3:15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart, for you were in fact called to this peace, and be thankful.
6B. Gentleness
Gentleness as a Christian virtue is often closely related to kindness and is the opposite of being intrusive and obnoxious. It is exhibited in tenderness, softness, and the conscious exercise of loving caution in dealing with people. It is very concerned about "where other people are at" and seeks to befriend and come along side to help. It is not cowardly, however, but strong and caring. It shares the truth, listens attentively, and asks permission before blindly speaking into someone's life.
1C. Philippians 4:5
4:5 Let your gentleness be seen by all. The Lord is near!
2C. James 3:13
3:13 Which of you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings.
VIA. Summary
Christian virtues are settled dispositions that cause us to act in certain ways—ways that are Christ-like. All godly virtues are integrally related to the overarching Christian virtues of holiness and love and are produced by the Spirit as we strive to see them matured in our lives.
VIIA. Questions for Thought
1. What is a virtue? Restate the thoughts in the notes in a different and memorable way.
2. What are the overarching Christian virtues and how do they relate to other virtues. Give some example that explain the connections and relations.
3. How do the virtues relate to knowing God's will? See Romans 12:1-2.
4. How do the virtues contrast with momentary attitudes, emotions, or responses to situations.
4. Discuss at least three virtues (other than love and holiness) and relate them to corresponding vices. See Galatians 5:16-24 for help.
16 Ethics: Approving Moral Decisions, Contours of Christian Philosophy, ed. C. Stephen Evans (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1984), 116.
17 Jorge L. A. Garcia, "Cardinal Virtues," in The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, ed. Robert Audi (Cambridge: CUP, 1995), 103; Plato, Republic, bk. 4.
18 See O. Bauernfeind, TDNT, I: 457-60. In the LXX the term ἀρετή means "excellence" or "fame."
19 See R. H. Mounce, "Cardinal Virtues, Seven," in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984), 193; W. N. Kerr, "Virtue, Virtues," in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984), 1146.
20 The only other passage to use the term, besides Philippians 4:8 and 2 Peter 1:3, 5 is 1 Peter 2:9.
21 See Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians, The Word Biblical Commentary, ed. David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker, vol. 33 (Dallas: Word, 1983), in loc. elec. version. He says, "Very likely Paul, in using this word, had in mind the Stoic sense of "moral excellence or goodness" in spite of the fact that for the Stoic ἀρετή tended to focus attention on the excellence, merits and achievement of mankind rather than upon God's deeds."
22 Happiness, in much of Greek ethical thought, however, was understood differently than we think of it today. We think of it primarily as a psychological state of mind. Many Greek philosophers understood it more in line with a deep seated contentment resulting from a life well lived.
Related Topics: Christology, Spiritual Life, Discipleship

subset: commoncrawl


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One of the central themes of the New Testament, if not the central theme, is the way to obtain salvation. To be on the right road is, in New Testament terminology, to be justified. The corollary is that unless we are justified we are unrighteous and are on the road to final perdition. In other words, justification, as a right relationship with God, is a matter of eternal life or death. If it is not important, nothing is.
According to Christian faith, justification is a gift of God, who grants it through His Son and the Holy Spirit. Fifteen hundred years of intense reflection have left us with a number of questions. Four seem to me to be crucial: 1) Is justification the action of God alone, or do we who receive it cooperate by our response to God's offer of grace? 2) Does God, when He justifies us, simply impute to us the merits of Christ, or does He transform us and make us intrinsically righteous? 3) Do we receive justification by faith alone, or only by a faith enlivened by love and fruitful in good works? 4) Is the reward of heavenly life a free gift of God to believers, or do they merit it by their faithfulness and good works?
In the sixteenth century Martin Luther came up with answers to all these questions based primarily on his study of Paul. He affirmed, first, that justification, as God's act, is independent of all human cooperation. Justification, secondly, consists in the favor of God, who freely imputes to us the merits of Christ. It is not a matter of inner renewal. Justification, in the third place, is received by faith alone, independently of any good works or obedience to God's law. And finally, eternal life is a sheer gift; it is not merited by good behavior.
At the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, the Emperor Charles V ordered the Lutheran party to explain its position. They did so in the Augsburg Confession, composed by Philip Melanchthon at the behest of Luther. A group of theologians assembled by the Emperor studied that Confession and faulted it at several points, especially for its teaching on merit.
After several colloquies had unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile the Catholic and Lutheran positions, the Council of Trent in 1547 set forth the official Catholic doctrine in its Decree on Justification. The Council taught that although justification is an unmerited gift, it needs to be freely accepted, so that human cooperation is involved. Secondly, it taught that justification consists in an inner renewal brought about by divine grace; thirdly, that justification does not take place by faith without hope, charity, and good works; and finally, that the justified, by performing good works, merit the reward of eternal life.
For the next four hundred years the two churches went their separate ways. The divisions were hardened by polemical tracts. But in the ecumenical climate of the present century, as represented by Vatican II, both sides have striven to appreciate what is authentically Christian in the other's positions and to achieve the greatest possible degree of consensus. Bilateral dialogues dealing with justification have been conducted on the international level and in several countries.
The United States Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue in 1983 published an important statement that highlighted twelve important points of agreement. The sixty-page statement concluded with a Common Declaration setting forth what it called "a fundamental consensus on the gospel." According to this declaration, justification is an undeserved gift granted through Jesus Christ and received in faith, whereby we pass from sin to freedom and fellowship with God in the Holy Spirit. At the end of its statement the Dialogue asked the respective churches to study this consensus and make appropriate decisions for the purpose of confessing the faith in unison. It also stated that in view of the convergences achieved, the remaining theological differences about the doctrine of justification, though serious, need not be considered church-dividing.
The American dialogue had important repercussions. An ecumenical group of Protestant and Catholic theologians in Germany in 1985 undertook a study of the condemnations issued by each church in the sixteenth century. Concluding that none of these condemnations held against the partner church today, this study proposed that the churches make binding pronouncements to the effect that those condemnations should no longer be cited as if they still held against the other church. The canons on justification in the Council of Trent and in the Lutheran Book of Concord figured prominently in this study.
From 1986 to 1993 the Lutheran-Roman Catholic International Commission conducted its own study of the problem of justification and in its final statement, Church and Justification, supported the conclusions of the North American dialogue and applied them to ecclesiology. Thus the road seemed clear for the churches to take some official action signifying their acceptance of the results of the dialogues.
The Joint Declaration was drafted in 1994 by a small committee of church officials and ecumenical professionals appointed by the Holy See and the Lutheran World Federation. Their mandate was to summarize the results of the dialogues and pave the way for a public act of solidarity and reconciliation.
The Lutheran World Federation submitted the draft to 124 Lutheran member churches and obtained responses from eighty-nine—eighty favorable, five opposed, and four mixed. In the light of the official reactions and private theological critiques, the text was revised to produce the final version of 1997. On June 16, 1998 the governing council of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, Switzerland, unanimously approved the Joint Declaration.
The Roman authorities were not bound to conduct any consultation, but informal reactions were obtained. Because the Holy See had been heavily involved in the composition, its acceptance was taken for granted. But to the surprise of many observers the Council for Promoting Christian Unity on June 25, 1998 released an "Official Response" expressing a number of severe criticisms and apparently calling into question the consensus expressed by the Joint Declaration.
After a flurry of conferences the parties drew up an "Official Common Statement," an "Annex," and a "Note on the Annex" that addressed some of the Roman questions and got the process back on track. The official signing ceremony was held in Augsburg on Sunday, October 31, 1999, the date that Lutherans annually observe as Reformation Day. Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians, signed for the Catholic Church and a number of officials signed for the Lutheran World Federation. The event was an historic one because the disagreements on the doctrine of justification are generally regarded as the principal cause of the division between Protestants and Catholics in the sixteenth century.
The heart of the Joint Declaration is surely paragraph 15, and more particularly the sentence: "Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works." This consensus does not go beyond the clear conclusions of the dialogues. While it is in perfect accord both with the Augsburg Confession and with the Decree on Justification of the Council of Trent, it dispels some false stereotypes inherited from the past. Lutherans have often accused Catholics of holding that justification is a human achievement rather than a divine gift received in faith, while Catholics have accused Lutherans of holding that justification by faith does not involve inner renewal or good works. By mentioning both faith and works, both acceptance by God and the gift of the Holy Spirit, this sentence strikes an even-handed balance calculated to satisfy both sides.
If the Joint Declaration had stopped at this point, it would have been a breakthrough of sorts because the two churches have never in the past jointly expressed their shared convictions about justification. But the Declaration goes further. In the following paragraphs it addresses an assortment of subordinate questions that have proved divisive. First of all comes a general question of method: Does the doctrine of justification hold a privileged position as the criterion by which all other Christian doctrines are to be judged, or is it to be viewed as one doctrine among many? Then the Joint Declaration takes up seven more specific issues. To simplify somewhat the language of the Declaration, one could list these issues as questions:
1) Do the justified cooperate in the preparation for, and reception of, justification? 2) Is justification a divine decree of forgiveness or interior renewal?
3) Is justification received by faith alone or by faith together with hope and charity, which bring one into communion with God?
4) Does concupiscence, that is to say, our innate tendency to be self-indulgent, make us sinners, even when we do not give in to it?
5) Is God's law given only in order to accuse sinners of their failures, bringing them to repentance, or also to provide them with a rule of life that they can and must observe?
6) Does faith include an assurance that one will in fact attain final salvation?
7) Are the heavenly rewards for which we hope things that we also merit, or are they to be understood exclusively as undeserved gifts from God?
Each of these seven points, like the preliminary question about criteria, is treated in three phases: a brief formulation of the consensus, a Lutheran perspective, and a Catholic perspective. Lutherans and Catholics are not expected to accept each other's perspectives, but only to acknowledge that these perspectives are tolerable, in the sense that they escape the condemnations pronounced by each church in the sixteenth century. But even this, as we shall see, is a bold statement, difficult to defend.
The delicacy of the matter is illustrated by the Official Response of the Catholic Church to the Joint Declaration issued in June 1998. It is divided into two parts. The first is an acceptance of the remarkable convergence already achieved. The second part calls for theological clarification of some unresolved issues.
In this second section the Official Response is rather blunt, but the seriousness of the matter calls for more than diplomacy. For example, it asks about the doctrinal authority of the Lutheran World Federation and the synods or ecclesial bodies it consulted. Can they speak decisively for the Lutheran community? The Response also calls attention to some lacunae in the Joint Declaration, such as its lack of attention to the sacrament of penance, in which justification is restored to those who have lost it. In addition, it contests the Lutheran view that the doctrine of justification is the supreme touchstone of right doctrine. It asserts, on the contrary, that the doctrine of justification must be integrated into the "rule of faith," which is centered on the triune God, the Incarnation, the Church, and the sacraments. Most importantly for our present purposes, the Catholic Response raises the question whether the Lutheran positions as explained in the Joint Declaration really escape the anathemas of the Council of Trent. Without repeating the exact words of the Official Response, I can indicate some of the objections it poses regarding the first, second, fourth, and seventh of the issues I have mentioned in my summary of the Joint Declaration.
Regarding the first issue, human cooperation in the preparation for and reception of justification, the Council of Trent taught under anathema that the recipients of justification cooperate freely in their own justification and do not receive it purely passively as if they were puppets (can. 4, DS 1554). The Joint Declaration contends, on the contrary, that human beings possess "no freedom in relation of salvation" (para. 19) and that "God's gift of grace in justification remains independent of human cooperation" (para. 24). It reports Lutherans as holding that we are merely passive in receiving grace and make no contribution to our own justification, even while conceding that we are "fully involved personally in [our] faith" (para. 21). These statements are intelligible only if one understands justification as a divine decree, prior to any human act of faith or love. The Catholic response quite understandably asks whether the Joint Declaration on this point can be harmonized with Trent, which, as we shall see, teaches a very different doctrine of justification.
The second issue goes right to the heart of the matter and is considered by the Official Response the most serious obstacle to agreement. Does justification consist in an imputation of Christ's righteousness, as Lutherans generally hold, or in an interior renewal and sanctification, as the Council of Trent taught? Lutherans distinguish between justification and sanctification, making the first prior to the second, whereas for Trent justification and sanctification are two sides of the same coin. The Joint Declaration seeks to achieve consensus by treating justification and sanctification as two distinct but inseparable aspects of God's saving action. The process involves both the forgiveness of sin and the divine self-gift. Lutherans, who emphasize the element of forgiveness, do not deny renewal, but they insist that God's justifying action is not dependent on the transformative effects of His grace. Catholics, who emphasize interior renewal through the reception of God's gift, do not wish to deny that God's saving initiative precedes our response and is independent of it.
Does this explanation succeed in bridging the gap between the two positions? The answer depends on what kind of renewal is understood to be involved in justification. Are we really made righteous through being interiorly renewed, as the Council of Trent insisted (can. 10, DS 1560), or is our righteousness a non-imputation of sin or an imputation of the "alien righteousness" of Christ, as Lutherans have commonly said? So far as I can see, the Lutheran position in the Joint Declaration favors the theory of alien righteousness that was rejected at Trent.
This reading of the Lutheran position is confirmed by the handling of the fourth issue, that of concupiscence—a technical term signifying the disorderly desires and spiritual weakness that afflict our fallen human nature. Lutherans hold that the justified person remains a sinner because "concupiscence" is not removed by baptism. In their view the justified person is, as the phrase goes, simul justus et peccator—at once righteous and a sinner. Catholics, by contrast, hold that concupiscence is not sin, and that justification removes all that can properly be called sin. The Council of Trent taught that justification effectively makes us righteous and condemned the view that our justification is only an imputation of Christ's righteousness (DS 1560–61). It also condemned under anathema the view that concupiscence is sin (DS 1515). When Lutherans say that concupiscence makes people sinners, they seem to imply that it makes us guilty before God and needs to be forgiven or at least covered over by the merits of Christ. This was and is contrary to Catholic teaching.
Still another issue flagged by the Official Catholic Response was that of merit, the seventh on my list. The Joint Declaration states quite correctly the position of both churches, namely, that nothing preceding justification merits justification. In that sense justification is a totally free gift of God. But Lutherans and Catholics have disagreed about whether one can, after justification, merit the increase of grace and the reward of eternal life. Trent clearly says yes. Lutherans have denied this. The Joint Declaration attempts the following compromise:
When Catholics affirm the "meritorious" character of good works, they wish to say that, according to the biblical witness, a reward in heaven is promised to these works. Their intention is to emphasize the responsibility of persons for their actions, not to contest the character of those works as gifts or far less to deny that justification always remains the unmerited gift of grace. (para. 38)
This statement seems to fall short of what Catholics believe and what Trent teaches under anathema. The fact that a reward is promised does not make it merited, since one can promise to bestow gifts that are completely undeserved. In the Catholic view, justification makes us capable of meriting in a true sense. Yet eternal life is also a gift because our capacity to merit is God's gift, which is itself unmerited.
Many other objections could be raised against the claim of the Joint Declaration that the condemnations of the sixteenth century no longer apply to the partner churches, even on the particular issues it took up. On the third issue in my list, whether we are justified by faith alone, it is very difficult to make out a consensus since the Lutheran position is based on the assumption that faith is the means whereby we are clothed with the merits of Christ, in whom we believe. Lutherans reject justification as interior renewal because in their view such renewal is always imperfect and presupposes justification. Here again, no agreement has been reached.
Because of the serious criticisms made in the Official Response, many assumed that the Joint Declaration was as good as dead. But the Holy See, almost unaccountably, continued to insist on its readiness to sign. How could the Vatican agree to sign a document that it found so defective?
The Annex appended to the Official Common Statement of 1999 purports to give further clarifications, but I personally do not find it helpful. It simply piles up more quotations from Scripture and from the sixteenth-century documents that were presumably familiar to the authors of the Catholic response.
To explain the attitude of the Holy See it seems important to say something about ecumenical method as currently understood in the Catholic Church. Vatican II, which is normative, lays down the basic principles. It states that the separated churches can acknowledge each other as truly Christian and as being in a state of real though imperfect communion (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Dialogues between experts from different churches and ecclesial communities should be undertaken with a view to restoring full communion (UR 4). The deposit of faith has been handed down in different ways in different places and cultures (UR 14). The deposit of faith is one thing, and theological formulation quite another (Gaudium et Spes 62). Varying theological formulations must often be considered complementary rather than conflicting. "It is hardly surprising, then, if sometimes one tradition has come nearer than the other to an apt appreciation of certain aspects of a revealed mystery, and has expressed them more lucidly" (UR 17).
John Paul II in his encyclical on ecumenism reaffirms these principles and insists that theological dialogue must take account of the ways of thinking and historical experiences of the other party (Ut Unum Sint 36). Assertions that reflect different ways of looking at the same reality, he says, should not be treated as though they were mutually contradictory (UUS 38).
According to an older theological model, ecumenism would aspire to take the statements of the Lutheran Book of Concord and those of the Catholic councils one by one, and examine them atomistically and fit them into a single internally coherent system. What seems to be surfacing is a willingness to acknowledge that we have here two systems that have to be taken holistically. Both take their departure from the Scriptures, the creeds, and early tradition. But they filter the data through different thought-forms, or languages.
The Catholic thought-form, as expressed at Trent, is Scholastic, and heavily indebted to Greek metaphysics. The Lutheran thought-form is more existential, personalistic, or, as some prefer to say, relational. The Scholastics adopt a contemplative point of view, seeking explanation. Luther and his followers, adopting a confessional posture, seek to address God and give an account of themselves before God. In that framework all the terms take on a different hue. For a Lutheran to say that we are merely passive in receiving justification, that we are justified by faith alone, that justification is an imputation of the righteousness of Christ, that the justified continue to be sinners, that concupiscence is sin, that God's law accuses us of our guilt, and that eternal life is never merited—all these statements are possible and necessary in the Lutheran system. These statements find strong resonances in the Catholic literature of proclamation and spirituality.
In the dialogues of the past fifty years, Catholics and Lutherans have come to respect one another as Christian believers. We find that in spite of our different thought-forms, our different languages, we can say many things—the most important things—in common. And precisely because of our different perspectives we can learn from one another. Lutherans can teach Catholics that we must be in some sense passive in submitting to God's word, that we must always acknowledge ourselves as sinners, that God's law never ceases to accuse us, that we must throw ourselves on God's mercy, and that we depend on the perfect righteousness of Christ, without being able to make it completely our own. For all these reasons it now seems appropriate to measure the Lutheran theses against some standard other than the decrees of Trent, valid though those decrees are in Catholic dogmatic teaching.
The Official Catholic Response, in its concluding section, calls for deeper reflection on the biblical foundation in light of a joint effort on the part of Lutherans and Catholics to forge a language that can make the doctrine of justification more meaningful to men and women of our day. In face of a world that is so alien to the gospel, our churches are called to unite their forces in restoring missionary and evangelistic power to the gospel message of God's powerful mercy.
These considerations, I think, are behind the eagerness of the Catholic Church, at the very highest level, to sign the Joint Declaration, even while recognizing that theologians have not yet been able to establish how, or to what extent, certain Lutheran positions can be reconciled with official Catholic teaching. It is not enough to say that we have different frameworks of discourse. It is necessary to establish that Lutheran proclamation and Catholic speculation are both legitimate derivatives of the same gospel, and therefore compatible. Performative language cannot be unrelated to informative; the law of prayer must harmonize with the law of belief. The Joint Declaration, helpful though it is, has not overcome all difficulties. More theological work is needed.
The Declaration differs from documents of the Catholic Magisterium that are drafted and promulgated by persons in full communion with the Church of Rome. The Roman Response indicates that theological misgivings can legitimately be expressed from the Catholic side, and the same will presumably be true among Lutherans. But notwithstanding all the theological reservations on both sides, the signing of the Declaration with the "blessing" of John Paul II can be a powerful symbolic event. It says clearly to a world that hovers on the brink of unbelief that the two churches that split Western Christendom on the issue of justification nearly five centuries ago are still united on truths of the highest import. They can confess together that we are sinful members of a sinful race, that God offers us the gift of justification, that this offer comes through Christ, our only Savior, that it is received in faith, that the Holy Spirit is conferred upon those who believe, and that, having been inwardly renewed, they are called and equipped to excel in deeds of love. In view of this shared heritage of faith, we are confident that our doctrinal formulations, currently expressed in different idioms, can in the end be reconciled. Our readiness to declare the nonapplicability of the sixteenth-century condemnations on justification is based on this conviction.
Avery Dulles, S.J. , holds the Laurence J. McGinley Chair at Fordham University. This essay is adapted from the McGinley Lecture, given at Fordham in October.


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Frutarom's first-quarter profit rose 3.8% and its flavors business comprised a larger proportion of total company sales amid booming demand for natural flavors and strength in North American and emerging markets.
For the quarter ended March 31, Futarom's net profit rose to $14 million from $13.5 million a year earlier.
First-quarter sales increased 0.6% to $152.2 million from $151.2 million a year earlier, and the currency effect was negligible. Flavor sales, Frutarom's core activity representing 73% of total company sales, grew organically by 1.5% to $110.6 million during the quarter. Fine ingredient sales for the quarter remained relatively level at $37.5 million.
"The past few quarters have brought to fruition a number of strategic processes which the company has been implementing and whose main affect is expected to be felt over the next few quarters, including an increase in the proportion of the flavors activity segment out of total company sales, with a focus on the increasing demand for natural flavors; an emphasis on unique, innovation based solutions combining taste and health," said Ori Yehudai, president and CEO of Frutarom.
The company, which recently announced a pact to acquire South African flavor company JannDeRee, also said growth in North America and in emerging markets is expected to continue this year and the next. Frutarom will continue accelerated expansion into markets with higher growth rates, such as the emerging markets of China and South East Asia, Central and South America, Eastern Europe and Africa and will realize the cross-selling options it has gained through acquisitions.
"Over the last few months, we have continued with the integration of the R&D infrastructures, which will position Frutarom at an even better starting point in the competition on market segments, both in the large multinational segment as well as in the provision of unique solutions for medium-size and local customers in developed and emerging markets, with an emphasis on private label customers," Yehudai added.


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Judgement on the Apparitions of Kibeho
Bishop Augustin Misago of Gikongoro, Rwanda
On Monday 2 July, the Holy See released the declaration of Bishop Augustin Misago of Gikongoro, on the apparitions that took place in 1982-83 in Kibeho, Rwanda. The text we offer is a translated summary from the original 23-page French report on the apparitions of Our Lady in Kibeho and on the work of the two commissions (medical and theological) that studied them for the past twenty years.
Twenty years have already passed since the beginning of the study of the dossier on the apparitions of Kibeho. These unusual phenomena began on 28 November 1981, in the college of Kibeho.
The apparitions continued for a considerable length of time. Many words have been spoken by the alleged visionaries, and many facts, more or less mysterious, have taken place over the years. However, the phenomenon of the proliferation of alleged visionaries in the region of Kibeho and in the rest of the country might have really disoriented public opinion.
Two study commissions, one of doctors and one of theologians, were immediately set up by the local Bishop; they have been at work since April 1982.
On 15 August 1988, the local Bishop decided to approve a public devotion linked to the apparitions of Kibeho. Recognizing the legitimacy of this devotion, he deliberately put aside two questions whose solution was of capital importance for the future:
Did the Virgin Mary and Jesus appear in Kibeho as some alleged visionaries affirm?
If so, what visionary, man or woman, can be believed, in view of the large number of people who in those days began to talk about visions and messages from heaven?
The advanced state of the study commissions' work now offers sufficient elements to allow competent ecclesiastical authorities to pronounce definitively on this question.
As a result, Bishop Augustin Misago of Gikongoro, who represents this authority, has published his declaration concerning the definitive judgement on the apparitions of Kibeho, Rwanda. This important event in the history of the Diocese of Gikongoro, as in the life of the Church in Rwanda, took place on 29 June 2001, on the solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul, during a solemn Mass concelebrated in the cathedral of Gikongoro.
All the Catholic bishops of Rwanda with the Apostolic Nuncio of Kigali were present, together with many priests, religious and lay faithful from various parishes and religious communities of the Diocese of Gikongoro, but also from other Dioceses of the country.
Bishop Misago, who was the main celebrant of the Mass, personally read, in front of the assembly, the long-awaited Declaration, but only its most significant passages, for lack of time. The 23 page text is composed of three parts or chapters.
1. Explanation of the facts
The first part (pp. 1-10) consists in a brief exposition of the facts, in which the Bishop primarily establishes some historical reference points, then he presents the elements of the message and finally he shows how the apparitions of Kibeho have born fruit, good fruit, in spite of the difficult moments that Rwanda and the other countries of the Great Lakes region have lived in the last 10 years.
II. Studies and conclusions
The second part (pp. 11-19) is the heart of the matter. It begins by recalling the initiatives to promote the devotion to Our Lady taken by Bishop Augustin Misago of Gikongoro. In 1988 his predecessor authorized public devotion at the site of the apparitions. He was Bishop Jean Baptiste Gahamanyi, of the Diocese of Butare, from which the Diocese of Kibeho was cut off. After a comment on the new phases of the work of the commissions, the Bishop declared that the dossier is ready and so the moment has come to publish the conclusions, summed up in 16 points.
We mention here some statements that govern the rest of the document. The Bishop declared as follows:
The three initial authentic testimonies of the apparitions at Kibeho
1. Yes, the Virgin Mary appeared at Kibeho on 28 November 1981 and in the months that followed. There are more reasons to believe in the apparitions than to deny them. Only the three initial testimonies merit being considered authentic; they were given by Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and by Marie Claire Mukangango. The Virgin appeared to them with the name "Nyina wa Jambo", that is "Mother of the Word", which is synonymous to "Umubyeyl W'iamna" that is, "Mother of God", as she herself explained.
2. Various reasons justify the choice by Our Lady of these three visionaries already recognized as visionaries. These witnesses, historically linked, were the only ones on the scene for some months, at least up to June 1982. They are the ones who made Kibeho known as a place of apparitions and pilgrimage causing crowds of people to flock there. What is more important is that Alphonsine, Nathalie and Marie Claire corresponded satisfactorily to all the criteria established by the Church in the matter of private apparitions and revelations. In contrast, the evolution of the alleged subsequent visionaries, especially after the apparitions were over, reflects disquieting personal situations, which have reinforced the existing reservations in regard to them and discouraged ecclesiastical authorities from proposing them to the faithful as points of reference.
3. In the evaluation of the facts and the messages, only the public apparitions are taken into consideration. Public are those apparitions that take place in the presence of various testimonies, which does not necessarily mean a crowd.
The most active period of these apparitions ended with the year 1983. Everything said or done after that date at Kibeho did not bring anything new with respect to what was already known,from the point of view of the messages and of the signs of credibility. This is also valid for Alphonsine who continued to attract many people up to the end of her apparitions.
First two years of apparitions at Kibeho
4. The first two years of the apparitions at Kibeho (1982 and 1983) constitute a decisive period for whoever wishes to know what happened and form an opinion. In fact it was during these two years that significant events were produced. These made Kibeho known and caused crowds to flock there. It was always in that period that the fundamental elements of the message of Kibeho were communicated and recapitulated and the apparitions of the major part of the first visionaries ended.
5. In the case of the three visionaries named above, who are at the origin of the fame of Kibeho, nothing that they said or did during the apparitions is contrary to Christian faith and morals. Their message is in conformity with the Sacred Scripture and the living Tradition of the Church.
The alleged apparitions of Jesus reported at Kibeho beginning in July 1982 are not taken into consideration in this Declaration for various reasons, primarily because the alleged visionaries of Jesus known to the pilgrims of Kibeho, developed disquieting personal situations. Regarding instead the first visionaries of the Virgin Mary, "no decisive objection has been formulated against the apparitions; the arguments in favour of their supernatural character appear to be very serious and the passing of the years has only made them more incisive".
Usefulness of apparitions for applying Gospel to current events
"The recognition or negation of the authenticity of an apparition does not guarantee infallibility; it is based on proofs of probability more than on apodictic arguments". In the sphere of the apparitions there is then no absolute certainty for the witnesses, except perhaps for the visionary. The definitive judgement about the Apparitions of Kibeho should be interpreted in this spirit. The recognition of these apparitions should not be considered a requirement of faith. Therefore each Christian is free to believe or not.
"A recognized apparition, that strengthens the life of faith and prayer, is certainly a powerful help for Shepherds of souls, but the message linked to this apparition is not a new revelation; it is rather a way of recalling the ordinary teaching of the Church, which has been forgotten".
III. Pastoral directives: Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows and public devotion
The third part of the Declaration (pp. 20-23) contains a group of pastoral directives that indicate to the faithful the line of conduct to follow in this context, in particular for all that regards the exercise of public Marian devotion linked to the apparitions of Kibeho already officially recognized. These practical instructions repeat in part what Bishop Jean Baptiste Gahamanyi had formulated in his three known Pastoral Letters on the events of Kibeho. The Bishop of Gikongoro completes them adding others, judged opportune in the present circumstances.
The name given to the Marian sanctuary at Kibeho is "Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows", as the Bishop had anticipated when the first stone was laid, 28 November 1992, and repeated in his message of 15 September 1996, with fuller explanations.
"That Kibeho become a place of pilgrimage and of encounter for all who seek Christ and who come there to pray, a fundamental centre of conversion, of reparation for the sins of the world and of reconciliation, a point of meeting for 'all who were dispersed', as for those who aspire to the values of compassion and fraternity without borders, a fundamental centre that recalls the Gospel of the Cross" (from the Declaration).
The Declaration, formulating a definitive judgement on the apparitions of Kibeho, permits the clarification of a situation which was ambiguous for many faithful for a long time, and for public opinion, not only at Kibeho but in the whole country. "in the great number of celebrations for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 of the Redemption and of the Centenary of evangelization in Rwanda, this Declaration makes it possible to respond to the expectations of the People of God and to bring new enthusiasm to the public devotion recognized already for 13 years".
The complete text printed in Kinyarwanda and in French is available at the diocesan offices of Gikongoro.
Gikongoro, 29 June 2001
Rev. Ignace Mboneyabo
Chancellor of the Diocese
Taken from:
L'Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
11 Jult 2001, page 8
L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See.
The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by:
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Baltimore, MD 21201
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Description: In The Lost Hero we discovered a new blood-chilling quest:
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.
Who are the other four mentioned in the prophesy? The answer may lie in another camp thousands of miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea.
Review: While reading and enjoying The Lost Hero, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to Percy Jackson, a character I've come to love for five books. Surely, Riordan couldn't return to Camp Half-blood and not include him. The Son of Neptune answers all of our nagging questions that The Lost Hero generated.
In last book we learned that Percy had disappeared and there were only vague vague hints of what could have happened. In The Son of Neptune, Percy returns as one of the main characters but can't remember anything. At the very beginning of the novel we find Percy Jackson being hunted by two gorgons. He encounters Juno in the form of an old lady, who gives him a choice: he can regain his memories but go to the Roman half-blood camp where he will be lead to a treacherous journey or stay where he is and be assured of his safety.
Percy's decision to accept the challenge and go to the Roman camp allows the reader to be introduced to the Roman demigods, the Roman way of life, and discover a new quest. The Roman camp named Camp Jupiter (Jupiter is the roman name for Zeus) is fascinating. Unlike the laid back attitude of Camp Halfblood, Camp Jupiter is organized and has rules that everyone seems to follow. Lares (house gods) saturate the area and the demigods are divided into legions similar to those of the Roman army. Riordan does a great job in introducing his readers to the various aspects of Roman culture. I loved comparing the differences between Greek and Roman mythology.
The Son of Neptune introduces us to new demigods, Hazel and Frank, who come from very interesting backgrounds and have special powers that we haven't seen before. I don't want to go into their details in fear of giving a lot of the story away, but I'm always stunned how Riordan creates new fascinating characters that are ethnically diverse. I had absolutely no trouble in embracing these new heroes and I'm glad they were able to work together so well with Percy.
The Son of Neptune picks up nearly all of the key threads that were started in The Lost Hero. We get further hints as to the meaning of the prophecy about the seven half bloods. It's very possible that we've already met the seven demigods, but like readers of mythology, we all know that prophecies aren't always what they seem. Unlike the plots of the Percy Jackson series, where readers can guess which famous Greek hero stories Riordan uses for inspiration, The Heroes of Olympus is much more complex and intricate. We get a better understanding of what troubles the gods are having and why the Greek and Roman demigods must work together. If the Percy Jackson's overall lesson is to learn and accept family then the Heroes Olympus lesson seems to teach its characters and readers to challenge and not accept prejudices. The brooding tone of the book foreshadows the tough choices and sacrifices our heroes will make throughout this series.
Unlike in the Percy Jackson series, which was written entirely in the first person, The Son of Neptune continues with the third person narrative, giving us the perspectives of Percy, Frank and, Hazel. This style feels more mature in many ways, especially since the characters are at different points in their lives. Percy has definitely grown since we last saw him, but he still holds on to those endearing characteristics that made readers love him. Just a warning: the book ends with a cliffhanger and I'm very anxious to see how things unfold in the next book. It's just too bad that we have to wait another year for the next book.
Rating: 5 stars
Curriculum Connection: English and Social Studies
Words of Caution: There are some scary, fantasy violence that is PG rated. I think this book is appropriate for Grades 4 and up.
If you like this book try: The Mark of Athena (Book 3 of the Heroes of Olympus series, available Fall 2012), The Red Pyramid and Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan, Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus, The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh, Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu


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Library main page
Courtesy of VINx
Email Announcement:
Suggested subject line:COVID-19 and your pet: what are the risks? From <hospital name>
Dear <hospital name> friends,
Thank you for being patient as our practice implements measures to keep you and our staff safe from COVID-19. We know your family, like ours, has a lot going on these days, and it can be hard to keep current on the facts.
One of the big questions we've been asked lately is, "Can I catch COVID-19 from my pet?"
While the full answer is a little complicated, the short answer is "No."
Fluffy and Fido are not a threat. Though there have been cases of a few non-human animals testing positive for COVID-19, there is no evidence so far that our pets can transmit this coronavirus to us. In fact, if there is a concern, it may be the other way around. So far, the only cases where animals have contracted COVID-19 have been where they were in contact with a virus-positive human.
We know what you're thinking: "Oh, great! I don't want to make my pet sick!". Don't worry, we're on the same page there.
All evidence points to COVID-19 being much better adapted to thrive in humans than in other species. There have been a couple of experimental studies (click here and here) to test infectiousness of the virus in other animals. So far here are the results:
But what about the tigers?The lesson learned from the tiger at the Bronx Zoo is the same one we'd like you to take away from this. If you or anyone in your household is showing signs of illness (fever, cough, etc.) or has been exposed to someone known to have COVID-19, it's best to avoid direct, close contact with your pets – especially cats and ferrets.
You don't have to do anything drastic, just wash your hands before and after handling your pets, and if there are sick humans in your house, keep pets of the feline, canine, and ferret variety out of the sickroom. No kitty snuggles for the convalescents with this bug.
For additional information on COVID-19 for pet owners, we recommend these articles:
And one more important thing to keep in mind: information and recommendations may change as our understanding of the virus and associated disease evolves, so be sure to check with us and/or monitor the shared sources in this newsletter regularly for new information.
Most importantly and as always, if you think your pet isn't well, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here for you!
Sincerely,Your friends at <hospital name>


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Seafood Potpie
2012, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:30 minInactive Prep Time:30 minCook Time:1 hr 35 min
4 to 6 servings
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
1 cup chopped fennel
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups fish stock or clam juice
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound sea scallops, sliced in half horizontally
1 tablespoon Pernod
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 pound cooked fresh lobster meat
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (not "baby" peas)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
For the pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or heavy cream, for egg wash
Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fennel and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp and scallops and cook for 2 minutes, just until firm. Remove the seafood to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the stock.
When the flour is cooked in the onion and fennel mixture, slowly add the stock, the Pernod, salt, and pepper and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream.
Cut the lobster meat into medium-size cubes and add it to the onion and fennel mixture with the shrimp and scallops. Add the frozen peas, frozen onions, and parsley and pour the mixture into a 9 by 13 by 2 baking dish.
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse 10 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough on a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Roll the dough out to fit the baking dish with about 1/4-inch overlap. Use the egg wash to paint the outside rim of the dish. Place the dough on the filled baking dish and press it lightly to adhere to egg wash. Brush the dough with egg wash. Make 3 slashes in the top to allow the steam to escape. Place the dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.


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Mark Say are you going to take every Sale?
Is there going to be video for the ones who cant attend.
Read the Schedule here!!!
10th 11th 12th Oct 2013
THIS Event is going to be a Group of guys Interested in Environment.
Carlos & Craig will Both give a Full HOW to not a Demonstration but a Instructional course on how to Restore surfaces.
Un-Official Schedule up
Seminar Schedule for National Cleaning Expo 2013
Hosted By.. PressureWasher.net and Sirocco Performance Vacuums
October 10, 11, 12 2013
Location: Crown Plaza Hotel-Mission Valley
2270 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108
To book rooms: LINK TBA
Educational Seminars is Free, Complimentary Classroom & How TO sessions are included.
Call for more info.. 619-448-8111 ..ask for Jerry or Doris
To register.. e-mail contact info to.. email@example.com
October 10th Thursday, 2013 in San Diego, CA
Location: meeting rooms, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
8:30AM to 9AM check in
9 AM to 9:30AM opening introductions,
9:30 to 10:30AM RoundTable discussions, industry concerns for Liability Customers, Employees and Equipment.
10:30 to 11:30 Environmental Health and Safety for Pressure Wash Contractors
11:30AM to 1PM LUNCH
1 PM to 2:30 PM Jerry McMillen, of BullDogPro PressureWashers
will be giving a seminar in.. PressureWasher Troubleshooting and "Bullet-Proofing"
This industry's first, beginner to hard-core "all systems" educational
for the equipment owner / manager, and Service Center technicians.
That's right.. even a "seasoned veteran" of pressure washers
can benefit from this class.. Learn to Eliminate downtime FAST.
to register for this class..
UAMCC members get in FREE !!
For a seat .. e-mail your contact info to: firstname.lastname@example.com
for FREE person or you can register here..
click here for credit card form ..and fax to.. 619-448-8233
or.. email to firstname.lastname@example.com
or.. you can register here..
for your Certificate: your name & Company name
Thursday continued..
Location: north side of pool area, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
3 PM to 5 PM Craig Harrison of Front 9 Restorations
Craig will be doing .. outdoor demonstrations of the Barc9 product line..
with discussion and BMP's of chemical safety,
..and demonstrating Concrete Stain Removal
Concurrently.. there will be Pressure Wash Equipment demonstrations
6PM to 7PM PressureWasher.net and the UAMCC are hosting a casual Social gathering.. come see us in the upper level of the Islands restaurant
Oct 11th Friday's Educational Seminars
check in 7:30 AM
8 AM to 12pm
WashWater.org Presents..
Wash Water Control Certification- the BMP's School
Sponsored By Sirocco Performance Vacuums..
This industry's first, complete educational for outdoor cleaning applications.
Learn how wash water control affects every jobsite, and how to truly be a
"pollution control specialist" in a world of pollution management opportunity
(aka.. cleaning contracts). Every outdoor cleaning professional and stormwater
professional should know wash water control technology. That's right.. everyone
from "seasoned veterans" of pressure washing to salesmen of relative equipment
will benefit from this class..
Learn to Eliminate liability exposure FAST.
Our BMP program is the best in this industry by design.
This is the fast track to a sustainable relationship with the environment.
click here for more Info or call .. 619-448-8111
to register for this class..
UAMCC members get in FREE !! .. email your contact info to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Friday, continued..
1 PM to 2:30PM Mark Belyan
Mark will join us to discuss.. "Doing Business with Property Managers"
..from the Property Manager's Perspective.
One of this industry's largest contract opportunities lies at the hand of property managers..
Come hear Mark talk about Doing a "Compelling Demonstration",
Writing a Compelling Proposal, and Winning Sustainable Contracts.
Every outdoor cleaning professional should hear the tricks to the trade, from the inside out.
Get a rare glimpse right here, FREE !
This is the fast track to the most profitable and sustainable contracts.
click here for more Info or call .. 619-448-8111
2:30PM to 3:30PM Carlos Gonzales Showing us How to effectively Clean a Rear Area and Dumpster with EBC.
This is not just a Demo, Carlos will provide Instruction and Technics.
3:30 PM to 5 PM Craig Harrison of Front 9 Restorations
Craig will be doing ..continuation of outdoor demonstrations..
Concrete Stain Removal
Concurrently.. there will be Pressure Wash Equipment demonstrations
OCT 12th, Saturday 9 AM to 11AM Demos, Demos, Demos
10 AM to 11AM Craig Harrison of Front 9 Restorations
Craig will be doing ..continuation of concrete restoration demonstrations..
Concrete Stain Removal and sealing
..and more Pressure Wash Equipment demonstrations
Register By emailing your INFO here email@example.com


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Congressman Charles Rangel (D-New York), formerly one of the most influential members of the House, has been convicted of 11 of 12 ethics charges (he was originally charged with 13, but two were combined). After a nearly two-year investigation, a House subcommittee ethics panel formerly convicted him of improperly soliciting donations for a public center and library bearing his name and omitting over $600,000 of income and assets on disclosure statements. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California), the chair of the House ethics committee, stated, "We have tried to act with fairness led only by the facts and the law, and I believe that we have accomplished that mission."
Now, the full ethics committee will conduct a hearing to determine the appropriate punishment for the Congressman and that recommendation will be sent to the House. The possible sanctions include a House vote deploring Rangel's conduct, a fine and denial of privileges.
With all due respect, it is time for Congressman Rangel to step aside. He was given his presumption of innocence and provided due process. The system ran its course, and the focus must now turn away from the Congressman and to the people of Harlem.
Congressman Rangel has honorably represented the people of the 15th District of New York for 20 terms over 40 years, and it's the people of Harlem that have been the direct beneficiaries of his leadership. He was re-elected to a 21st term on November 2.
What should not get lost in the debate about ethics charges, trials and parking violations is his laser-like focus on the interests and needs of the people he has served. What should not get lost in the focus on his personal battles is an understanding of the positions he took in 1969 on the Vietnam War; his position that the "War on Drugs" was anti-people – you can't focus on the user and not the supplier; or his 2003 stand to "democratize" the military to ensure that those with the least were not sacrificed to protect those with the most. It's been about the people.
His life and politics have been shaped by the people of Harlem. Throughout his political career, he has been a strong voice of support for social programs such as Medicare, Head Start, Social Security and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Congressman Rangel understood the impact that drugs were having on the community long before that issue became a political football. As a member of Congress, Rangel has used his personal power and the power of the committees that he has participated in and chaired for the good of the people.
In spite of all of this political history and accomplishment, Rangel has reduced most of his political legacy to a battle for his political life. The battle is over; it's time to surrender. The longer he drags this out, the worse it will be for him, his legacy and the people he was sent to Congress to represent.
It is ironic that he is suffering the same fate as the man he replaced, The Reverend and Hon. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Powell represented Harlem in Congress for 26 years, and during his tenure, served as chairman of the powerful Education and Labor Committee. Following allegations that Powell had misappropriated committee funds for his personal use, the House Democratic Caucus stripped Powell of his committee chairmanship. The full House refused to seat him until completion of an investigation by the Judiciary Committee. Rangel defeated Powell in the Democratic primary in 1970.
A proud and brilliant political mind has been reduced to an unfortunate pubic spectacle. Rangel's initial legal team quit out of fear that he would not be able to pay the $1 million for his trial. He has stated that he cannot afford an attorney and requested more time to raise the needed funds.
Congressman Rangel could have made this go away months ago with an admission of guilt on some fairly minor charges. His ego would not allow him to clearly see and accurately assess the reality before him. One must never underestimate the blindness that attends arrogance. Proverbs 16.18 states, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Once again, a great career in Harlem must come to a close. Congressman Rangel is suffering the same fate as the man he replaced. Those who fail to study and learn from history are doomed to repeat it.


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Sunday, April 26, 2009
Where the Green Ants Dream
Werner Herzog's Where the Green Ants Dream is an oddity even in the filmography of a director who has more or less made nothing but oddities of various kinds. It's an elliptical, mystically infused tale of a confrontation between a tribe of Australian aborigines and a mining company that wants to drill and blast on land that the aborigines consider sacred. It is, they tell the mining company's representatives, the place "where the green ants dream," and if this place is disturbed and the ants are no longer able to dream, it will be a disaster for the entire world. Needless to say, the company is not overly concerned, and immediately begins trying to figure out how to go ahead with their mining anyway, and how to get the aborigines out of the way with the least fuss. They try bribes, but when these are rejected they drag the tribe into court, where there's little doubt how the establishment will decide, with the Commonwealth of Australia itself lining up on the side of the mining company.
It is, of course, equally obvious where Herzog's sympathies lie. His depiction of the aborigines sometimes draws on the "magical negro" cliché, but he does seem to see these people as genuinely spiritual and good and noble. There is little condescension in his vision of aboriginal life: Herzog, with his complex relationship to the natural world and his fascination for man's confrontations with wildness, has great respect for these people, who seem to understand things in a deeper, more spiritual way. It's the whites in the film who are lost, struggling to understand, their minds a confused jumble. The mining company's head geologist at this location, Lance Hackett (Bruce Spence), gets the brunt of Herzog's satirical wit. Hackett is plagued by metaphysical doubts and torturous theoretical thinking. He ties his mind into knots trying to grasp the nature of an ever-expanding universe, trying to come to terms with Earth's place in the vastness of space. The aborigines cut through these kind of knots with the simplicity and finality of Alexander severing the Gordian Knot: they say that the whites ask too many questions, that they don't understand things on an intuitive level. This is why the aboriginal leaders Miliritbi (Wandjuk Marika) and Dayipu (Roy Marika) seem so calm, so tranquil, why they don't expend their energy in long, rambling discourses. When they speak, they are direct and to the point, in their minimal and heavily accented English, describing their ideas in the simplest possible terms. Hackett, meanwhile, struggles to communicate to them the necessity of the mining company's operations, finds himself unable to describe the procedures of drilling, and thinks he's being deep when he stumbles across Philosophy 101-level conundrums like "maybe everything we're seeing is an illusion."
Herzog thus depicts the confrontation between the aborigines and the whites in purely symbolic terms, as a conflict between ancient spirituality and modern commerce and civilization. The languid, hallucinatory rhythms of his images consistently reflect the former. The film opens with grainy, ragged images of a tornado forming above a desert, its black funnel rotating with the slow grace of a spinning ballerina, drawing up dust and dirt into its orbit. It's a scary, beautiful image, one that recurs towards the end of the film, its purpose utterly mysterious. Throughout the film, Herzog returns to images of mystery and strange beauty, like the sight of a green plane descending into the hazy desert, reminiscent of the similar heat-hazed images that opened his desert hallucination Fata Morgana. In one of the film's more bizarre subplots, this plane takes on a strange symbolic resonance for the aborigines, tied into a legend that's recounted to Hackett by a slightly crazed and very Herzogian etymologist who has stationed himself at a location where the Earth's magnetic field is supposedly at its most warped. This man tells Hackett about the life cycle of the green ants, sexless creatures whose mating ritual involves a massive swarm flying over the mountains, where only two individuals within the entire swarm acquire sexual characteristics and mate. The plane becomes a mechanized giant green ant, flying towards the mountains to ensure its species' continuation.
All of this is, to say the least, highly dubious as mythology or biology. Herzog reportedly invented the legend of the green ants rather than deriving it from any genuine aboriginal customs. In this respect, the film is not actually about aboriginal culture, but about Herzog's own vision of their culture, a vision informed by his own preoccupations and concerns, his ideas about nature and spirituality and progress. This gives the film a kind of schizoid looniness, with typically Herzogian characters drifting in and out of the narrative. There's an exaggeratedly racist mining company foreman (Ray Barrett) who wants to bulldoze the aborigines out of the way. A black former air force pilot (Gary Williams) is mostly drunk all the time — reflecting the miserable conditions in which these people live within their designated reservations — but still harbors dreams of getting a plane up in the air again. In an almost entirely unconnected subplot, an old woman (Colleen Clifford) wants the mining company to help her find her missing dog, who may have wandered into the caves opened up by the drilling and explosions. She sets up watch at the mouth of one of these caves with an umbrella shielding her from the sun and a wad of black, feces-textured dog food congealing in a dish beside her. She mirrors the attentive watch of the aborigines, driven by her own personal quest just as they are by their spirituality.
In a way, this is what Herzog is really getting at here. He's always been fascinated by people who possess mysterious inner motors, driving them towards obscure destinations that no one else can even see or imagine. He finds — or creates — in these aborigines a similar inner drive, a deep and ancient spiritual understanding of the world that sets them apart entirely from modern culture, even when they don the accoutrements of society. Thus, they make even familiar modern technology and comforts seem strange and alien, turning a beeping digital watch into a puzzle to be deciphered. They look uncomfortable but dignified in the modern suits they wear to court during their final confrontation with the mining company: they are clearly out of place in this context but maintain their dignity despite the unfamiliar surroundings. They are stubbornly resisting modernity, and Herzog of course respects this, respects people who are out of sync with their time and place, people who retain their essential distance from Western civilization.
Herzog's respect for these characters is refreshing, even though they always remain characters rather than genuine representatives of aboriginal culture. Herzog isn't that interested in documenting their actual culture — though he would venture into the genre of ethnographic documentaries later in the 80s and during the early 90s — but in documenting the kinds of clashes and misunderstandings that result from these encounters between Western modernity and people who represent earlier ways of living and thinking. One of the film's most poignant moments is the appearance of an aboriginal man who is described as a "mute," not because he actually can't speak, but because he is the last representative of his tribe, the last person on Earth to speak a dead language, unable to make himself understood to anyone. He nevertheless gets his moment in court from Herzog, standing up in a suit and addressing the court in a language no one else can speak, and which no one else will ever speak again after he is gone. This kind of complete separation from the modern world, a disjunction so profound that no one can bridge the gap, is what fascinates Herzog here. It is this kind of person to whom Herzog is so poetically paying tribute.
3 comments:
- Unknown said...
cool. gonna watch it.
- May 2, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Insightful write-up, as always. The opening of your last paragraph--"Herzog's respect for these characters is refreshing, even though they always remain characters rather than genuine representatives of aboriginal culture"--just about sums up my ambivalent feelings toward Herzog. He often (if not always) seems a filmmaker more interested in projection than depiction, yet he simultaneously exhibits so much compassion for his projected archetypes that they take on a reality of their own. This makes Herzog an undeniably visionary but also problematic filmmaker--one whose belief in his own manufactured brand of humanity sometimes reveals a certain contempt for actual human beings, who remain perpetually overshadowed by their fantasized prototypes.
- J. Nyhuis - May 17, 2009 at 1:51 PM
- Ed Howard said...
Thanks, J. I don't usually feel the ambivalence you do about Herzog's characterizations. It strikes me as slightly problematic when, as here, he's specifically trying to engage with another culture. The movie has little if anything to say about actual aborigines, despite their appearance as actors. On the other hand, even here I wouldn't say there's anything like "contempt" for the real human beings whose lives and cultures are being stylized and exaggerated for Herzog's purposes. I think he cares deeply about people; he just doesn't care much about being factual or sticking to the literal truth.
- May 18, 2009 at 12:40 AM


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By Nick Toscano
Dock workers have launched a fierce attack on industry bosses for trashing a proposed safety code just eight days after an employee was crushed to death on Melbourne's wharves.
Toll Shipping worker Anthony Attard, 42, was helping load cargo on board a vessel docked at the Port of Melbourne on May 20, when he was run over by a trailer. Paramedics rushed to the waterfront but could not revive him.
The father-of-three's death followed a recent run of accidents seriously injuring other waterside workers and sparked renewed calls for the tougher safety laws to be introduced.
''When I started, he told me, 'Have eyes at the back of your head, and keep a look out','' said Mr Attard's brother, James, who worked with him at the port. ''And he was one of the most careful guys there.
''Working with heavy machinery every day, it's dangerous. Safety should be No. 1, no matter where you work.''
A stevedoring code of practice - intended to replace national guidance material - is being developed by Safe Work Australia through a working group of regulators, stevedoring companies and the union.
But the Australian Logistics Council this week criticised the draft code, saying it should ''not go ahead at all''.
The Maritime Union of Australia on Friday called the council's comments ''disgraceful'', showing ''just how little regard'' the stevedores industry had for worker safety.
''This month, we have seen yet another worker killed on our waterfront in what was another preventable accident,'' assistant union secretary Warren Smith said. ''His workforce were completely and totally traumatised … these people have had their hearts ripped out. And to have the logistics council come out a week after one of our mates has died on the job and want to reduce waterfront safety is just unacceptable and we are abhorred.''
Mr Smith said the fact that Mr Attard's employer, Toll Holdings, sits on the board of the Australian Logistics Council ''makes this call all the more disgusting''.
''Companies can say safety is the priority - they can put it on the sleeves of our shirts, on the bottom of their emails - but when push comes to shove, we know profits come before people.''
The maritime union, of which Mr Attard was a delegate, said national statistics showed the death rate per 100,000 workers was 14 times higher on the wharves than in any other Australian workforce, and more than double that of the army.
Safe Work Australia said the draft national stevedoring code aimed to provide practical information about managing hazards when loading and unloading cargo, stacking on the wharf, and receiving and delivering cargo within terminals to "better address risk in the stevedoring industry''.
Australian Logistics Council managing director Michael Kilgariff said it was committed to improving safety across the supply chain, but the draft code ''misunderstood'' how the stevedoring industry worked in Australia. He said many of the issues were already covered by international marine orders, workplace health and safety laws, and other codes of practice.
''Fundamentally, in [the council's] view, the safe work practice was driven more by the requirements of some in the industry, rather than what was best for safety in industry.''
Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney said every worker had the right to return home safely each day.
A Toll Group spokesman said an investigation into Mr Attard's death was under way.


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(visited by Philipp Funovits, Katharina Hoff and Anna Steiner)
09-Sep-2007 -- This was the first visit to this confluence. We thought of turning up in Yamamoto or Watari two small Towns on the coast and asking around at their harbors for someone who would be willing to bring us to the confluence. But upon arrival at Sendai we stumbled over the local tourist information center and thought that we might as well give them a chance. This proved to be an excellent idea. Half of the very helpful staff spent almost an hour on the phone to find some fishermen who would bring us (three foreigners mind You) out for a reasonable price. We had not thought that it would be that tough, Japan is a seafaring nation after all!
We were so anxious to keep our appointment with our boat that we in showed up one hour early. While waiting we explained our endeavor to one of the fishermen mending their nets on the parking lot by the harbor. One of them brought us to the administration office nearby where some official explained us at length that for several reasons it would be impossible to go to confluence. This made us a little nervous. But once our ship showed up, our apprehensions were forgotten. The ship was between 15-17 meters long and almost to big for our purposes, and the captain and friendly crew had started the engines even before we had figured out how to put on the live jackets.
The GPS showed a distance of approximately 9 kilometers to the confluence. The captain brought us out a few kilometers and went for some shipwrecks near another Yamamoto south of Watari because he surmised we just wanted to make an ordinary day trip. We asked him to stop the engine and took five minutes to explain our desire to visit the confluence. After that it was almost to easy. The ships navigation equipment operated with GPS and automatically corrected the course for wind and drift as we went along. It brought us exactly to the spot. I loved to see all zeros at the minute and second digits of the display. But we had drifted a few dozen meters before I was able to take a picture of the GPS.
The weather was clear and from the confluence we were able to see the whole stretch of the bay. On the way back some of our party succumbed to seasickness, but even that did not stop the gleeful smile that a successful confluence visit fixed on their faces. Once back to the shore the captain invited us for lunch at an Italian place in Watari and brought us back to the train station afterwards.


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JBC Rail Services has increased the variety of services we offer based on the requirements and needs of our customers.
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These spirits are considered to nimbly bustle about mountains at will. A kodama's outer appearance is very much like an ordinary tree, but if one attempts to cut it down, one would become cursed etc., and it is thus considered to have some kind of mysterious supernatural power. The knowledge of those trees that have kodama living in them is passed down by the elderly of that area over successive generations and they are protected, and it is also said that trees that have a kodama living in them are of certain species. There is also a theory that when old trees are cut, blood could come forth from them.
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