Life Of God Research Articles

Positive Status Disclosure and Sexual Risk Behavior Changes among People Living with HIV in the Northern Region of Ghana.

To investigate sexual behavior changes adopted by People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV) on Antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Northern Region of Ghana. We employed a cross-sectional survey with a questionnaire to collect data from 900 clients from 9 major ART centers within the region. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were applied to the data. More than 50% of PLHIV on ART use condoms, reduce sexual partners, practice abstinence, reduce unprotected sex with married/regular partners, and avoid casual sex. Fear of others getting to know patients' HIV-positive status (χ2 = 7.916, p = 0.005), stigma (χ2 = 5.201, p = 0.023), and fear of loss of family support (χ2 = 4.211, p = 0.040) significantly predict non-disclosure of HIV-positive status among the participants. Change in sexual behavior is influenced by the following: "to avoid spreading the disease to others" (R2 = 0.043, F (1, 898) = 40.237, p < 0.0005), "to avoid contracting other STIs" (R2 = 0.010, F (1, 898) = 8.937, p < 0.0005), "to live long" (R2 = 0.038, F (1, 898) = 35.816, p < 0.0005), "to hide HIV-positive status" (R2 = 0.038, F (1, 898) = 35.587, p < 0.0005), "to achieve good results from ART treatment" (R2 = 0.005, F (1, 898) = 4. 282, p < 0.05), and "to live a Godly life" (R2 = 0.023, F (1, 898) = 20. 880, p < 0.0005). High self-disclosure rate of HIV-positive status was identified, with participants disclosing to their spouses or parents. Reasons for disclosure and non-disclosure differed from person to person.

Opus Dei: a Challenge for Church Leadership

Opus Dei (God's work) is all life in the world, but God's work has been tainted by human evil. Man tends to ignore God's justification. Opus Dei should be the mission of all believers, but especially the leaders in churches. The purpose of this article is to answer several questions including: What does justification mean in the Bible? What are the characteristics of leadership? How is Opus Dei in the world: A Doctrine of Justification Educational Challenge for Recipients of the Relay of Church Leadership? A literature study informed this work that demonstrated that: (1) Justification belongs to God and is given to man. God removes guilt and punishment for his sins. (2) The factors that influence the success of leadership are: being an effective leader, implementing Christian leadership, everyone being a leader, and deciding God-centered policies. (3) The Holy Bible justifies and bases the type of testimony it makes on church leadership. The Doctrine of Justification Education to receive the witness of the church is mandatory throughout one's life: (a) learning to know about the messages that God has sent through the Bible. (b) learning about the values of living in Opus Dei so that one can become a doer of the word. (c) learning to live together with the church. (d) learning to be yourself as a process of a leader as God's representative in the church. (e) A righteous life in God's eyes means that the church leader places himself in public view as a complete human being. He or she should not enter and become trapped in the secular world, bute master and use God's truth to develop His church ministry. A church leaders must lives in Opus Dei.

Unlearning: Rethinking Poetics, Pandemics, and the Politics of Knowledge

Unlearning: Rethinking Poetics, Pandemics, and the Politics of Knowledge

Membangun Spiritualitas Dialogal Antariman Umat Katolik dengan Umat Beragama Lain

Mission of the church today should and foremost be characterized as an exercise of dialogue.Just as the interior life of God is a perfect communion of gift and reception,identity and openness to the other, communion in relationship and communion in mission, so the church that is called into being by that mission must be a community that not only gives of itself in service to the world and to the peoples of the world,s cultures but learns from its involvement and expands its imagination ot the depths of God unfathomable riches.And just as the ways about persuasion and freedom - respecting love, mission can no longer proceeds in wys that neglect the freedom and dignity of human beings. Nor can a church that is rooted in a God that saves through self-emptying think ofitself as culturally superior to the peoples among whom it works.Mission,as participation in the mission of the triune God can only proceed in dialogue and can only be carried out in humility.

BERIMAN DI TENGAH PANDEMI COVID-19: ANTARA BERSIKAP SKEPTIS ATAU BERSERAH (SURRENDER) KEPADA ALLAH

This article aims to explore and describe the faithful life of God's people during the Covid-19 pandemic that has occurred until now. The pandemic has created new problems and sufferings in human (faith) life, which not only shakes the physical life but also the life of faith. The anxiety that existed was then explored through the formulation of the problem: how is the process of faith being lived by mankind amid the current Covid-19 pandemic? To find answers to the existing problems, the author will collect various data through literature studies and analyze qualitatively by studying books on faith (especially in the teachings of the Catholic faith), journal articles, and other sources related to the author's theme. Based on the formulation of the existing problems, the authors found that having faith in the Covid-19 pandemic means surrendering (surrender) to God because being skeptical in faith is nothing but a sign that faith only stops in the mouth and without reflection of faith so that it does not grow again and bear fruit in life when faced with the difficulties, challenges, and sufferings of life. Everyone who believes in God is required to deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him in all the impossibilities that occur. God will never leave let alone stop loving humans because before birth He has written our names on the palms of His hands.

KESELAMATAN: BERADA DALAM ALLAH BAPA DAN TUHAN YESUS KRISTUS

What and how is salvation? The Apostle Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians gives an explanation of salvation. This paper wants to explain Paul’s explanation of salvation argumentatively. For Paul, salvation is manifesting life in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a gift through the events of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Besides that, Paul linked salvation with waiting for the coming of the Lord. He uses the term parousia, which means presence. The salvation that Paul proclaimed through experiencing God’s presence in life now leads to its fulfillment at the end of time.

Bornavirus Genes in the Human Genome: Bringing the New from the Old

The genomic era has provided unassailable evidence that humans have evolved from common ancestors we share with chimpanzees and (further back in time) with all other primates and with all other mammals. One class of this evidence is the presence of ancient viral genes that were spliced into the genomes of our prehuman ancestors and transmitted to us. Retroviruses are the classical exemplar of this phenomenon, but more recently genes derived from potentially pathogenic bornaviruses have been discovered in our genome. At least two of these genes have been coopted to provide important functions. The advent of humanity, due in part to capabilities generated by random genetic mechanisms, is describable in theological terms as creatio ex vetere—creation of the new from the old (from stardust and antecedent species). This concept is applicable to the biblical depiction of human development, as seen in the commissioning of humanity as the image of God. Genetic changes are usually innocuous but may generate either disease or new capabilities. The cost of evolution reflects the biblical theme that suffering precedes glory, of which the history of Jesus is paradigmatic. Our biological history argues against our tendency to self-glorification—our hubris—but can be seen, from a theological point of view, to be part of the divine plan by which a redeemed and transformed humanity will be raised to share in the very life of God.

ШЛЯХИ ПОДОЛАННЯ СМЕРТІ В РЕЛІГІЯХ СВІТУ

To explain the essence of religion, we have to answer the questions: why do we need a religion and what part does a religion play in human life? Religion researchers compiled an excellent list of religious functions. The author of this research focused on only one function of religion. This is to answer the eternal human question about life and death. The man wants to live and to overcome. He invests many resources in this goal's achievement. Every religion tries to explain the essence of death and tries to answer the question of its negotiation. The followers of most religions in the world are sure that God created man for eternal and immortal life. But in the past, a bad case happened. Its consequence was human death. In Christianity, this case is called an original sin. Ever since people first sinned, they have begun to die. The original sin changed the material part of man because it brought death to him. But it could not change the human essence. Because God wanted to create an immortal man, a man always wants to have eternal life and has a negative attitude towards death. The mission of religion is not only to give a theoretical explanation, but primarily to create a practical means of salvation. That is why religions not only explain how death entered human reality, but also offer ways for humans to be saved. All religions in the world explain the causes of death in the same way. On the other hand, they explain the methods of salvation in different ways. The author of this research defines four classical answers to the question of human salvation. The first answer concerns the group of religions that includes Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism. The followers of this religion see salvation in the resurrection of the dead. God loves people so much that he disagrees with a man's death. God tolerates man's choice to do what he did in the moment of original sin. Therefore, man will necessarily die. However, God gives him one more possibility. It is man's resurrection for eternal life. The second answer concerns the group of Indian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism). The followers of this religion are sure that death is inevitable. If the man was born, he would have to die. To not die, a man must not be born. Because the followers of the Indian religions believe in reincarnation, they call upon their followers to live so as to achieve nirvana, i.e., leave the regeneration circle. Then man will not be born; therefore, he will not die. The third answer concerns Plato's philosophical doctrine and Gnostics. They are sure that the material body is the cause of all man's misfortune and death. Though death is bad, it is good to die, because a dying man gets rid of death for ever. The fourth answer concerns the followers of many ancient religions. Their ideas about death were hazy and buried. They were sure that death was not the end of human life, but their representation of the afterlife was pessimistic.

Thomistic Simplicity and Distinguishing the Immanent and Economic Trinities

I argue that there is a discrepancy between the Thomistic doctrine of divine simplicity and affirming the immanent-economic distinctions in the Trinity. Since God is an absolutely simple essence whose essence it is to exist, and since the simple God exists as pure act—lacking all potential—there exist no real distinctions in God, such as physical or metaphysical parts, and there exist no divisions in the life of God, who exists in atemporal eternity. Per the immanent-economic distinctions in the Trinity, the Son is submissive to the will of the Father in the latter but not the former. This appears to be a distinction in the life of the Triune God, which is not acceptable per divine simplicity. After examining the Trinity doctrine and christology of Thomas along with possible solutions to the problem proposed, I conclude that said solutions fail to eliminate the discrepancy between Thomas’s account of simplicity and the immanent-economic distinctions in the life of the Trinity.

Theology and Mathematics in Plato’s Later Ethics

In Plato’s later ethics, the key challenge to one’s personal progress is unorderly thoughts and motions of soul. This disorder should be corrected by recognising and repeating the orderly thoughts and motions of cosmic gods. This paper examines the theoretical assumptions of Plato’s later ethics. A closer analysis of the Timaeus reveals a peculiar conception of mathematics, according to which numbers and their relations not only reveal facts about the reality, but also express values and ideals. By learning mathematics human beings come to know the everyday ethical life of cosmic gods and become like them.

The Painting of Isaac Levitan “Over Eternal Rest” and its Interpretation in Modern Poetic Texts

The article examines the painting of Isaac Levitan “Over Eternal Rest” and its interpretation in modern poetic texts. Any cultural text, whether it is painting, fiction, music, etc., functions in a single socio-cultural space against the background of important modern integration processes in the world. In this regard, the study of the mutual influence and mutual enrichment of different types of art, in particular painting and poetry, is quite relevant. The main general scientific methods of observation, description, analysis and interpretation were used in the analysis of the material. The author explores the very concept of peace in dictionaries, absolute peace as an inhuman cold in the ninth circle of hell in Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. The understanding of peace in the Christian Church is considered, namely: to enter the Heaven, to accept the kingdom there, to commune with God, to rest in the bliss there, to commune with angels, to live an immortal life. “If a man does not know what sorrow is, he will not know what peace is.” The philosophical concept of the Ukrainian philosopher of the 18th century is close to this understanding. Grigory Savvich Skovoroda: peace is the reward for all the earthly sufferings of a “true” person, peace represents eternity, the eternal home. In Levitan’s painting, judging by the image depicted on it, by the predominance of dark and cold colors, by the very plot (a church and an abandoned cemetery), eternal rest is understood by the artist not as death, but as a special state of mind: this is the macrocosm, the microcosm, and the biblical understanding of eternity. The article analyzes the world of poetic images that arise under the influence of I. Levitan’s painting.

Never trust a stranger: Effects of explicit belief statements from strangers on children's reality status beliefs and beliefs about consensus.

Children learn about much of the world through testimony and may hear explicit belief statements (e.g., "I believe in God" or "climate change is real") about entities whose existence is controversial. Prior research has shown that these statements, when spoken by a parent, influence children's beliefs about the reality status of the entity and their beliefs about societal consensus surrounding that reality status, in contrast to statements that only imply belief (e.g., "God lives in heaven"; Dore et al., 2019, Journal of Cognition and Development, 20, 35), suggesting that children are attuned to the nature of parental statements about reality. In the current study, we tested whether explicit versus implicit belief statements from strangers differentially affect children's beliefs. We followed procedures by Dore et al. (2019, Journal of Cognition and Development, 20, 35) but used strangers to provide testimony rather than parents. Results showed that explicit belief statements from strangers did not influence children's beliefs. This lack of an effect of explicit belief statements relative to implicit ones suggests that, despite being attuned to these statements when spoken by parents, children may not be attuned to explicit statements about reality that they hear from strangers. Although even very young children often learn words and other facts from unfamiliar speakers, these findings suggest that nuances perceived in parent speech about reality may not be picked up in the speech of strangers.

An analysis of the cases of teenagers dying in taverns in South Africa: Some Biblical and African considerations

According to the Holy Scriptures, parents must care, teach, and guide their children to lead a Godly life. Comparably, the African traditional religion expects parents to do so too. On the morning of 26 June 2022, South Africa woke up to the harrowing news of the death of twenty-one young people in a tavern in East London, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Later, the number of deaths rose to twenty-two. Young people, the youngest being thirteen years old, lost their lives on this fateful day. First, this research seeks to reflect on the lessons the country should learn from this unfortunate ordeal so that such incidents do not occur again. Secondly, this research draws wisdom from the Christian teachings on parenting and African indigenous knowledge system that has anchored African communities for millennia. The research seeks to draw lessons from the teaching of the Bible and African indigenous knowledge system, exploring a Setswana proverb, Ngwana sejo o a tlhakanelwa, meaning a child is a food around which we all gather, implying that a child's upbringing is a communal responsibility. This research also argues that the Enyobeni Tavern incident reflects that Black African families, communities, and the Church’s societal role have changed over the years and how these changes harm their social fabric. The research uses a literature review as a research method to formulate the data and conclusion of the study. The research concludes that, with the change in Black African family structure and communities, some biblical and African considerations drawn from the proverb Ngwana sejo o a tlhakanelwa are relevant to mitigate various social challenges Black African communities face in South Africa.

The Healing Power of the Body of Christ: An Ecclesial and Neurological Argument for Social Connection Despite Social Distancing

The modern crisis of social isolation is a devastating and lethal phenomenon encompassing many dimensions of human life: the sociological, psychological, neuro-psychological, and spiritual. Loneliness and disengagement leave existential longings within the hearts and minds of persons, causing depression, anxiety, and the fragmentation of community. Yves Congar’s ecclesiological and pneumatological theology explicates the fulfillment of humanity’s deepest longings when individuals gather as a communal body realized in the ideal form of the Church, a supra-ecclesial community. When people share their unique charisms gained through the grace of the Holy Spirit for the good of the community, a healing grace permeates into individual hearts and restores communal relationships. The article has three sections. The first section describes the detrimental consequences of isolation and the spiritual perils of social distancing and human separation. The second develops Congar’s theological insights into how community allows for participation in the life of the Trinitarian God. The third section applies Congar’s theological principles to practical pastoral healing remedies for the tendencies of division within the present age, especially dealing with the global pandemic. When each person becomes receptive to the action of the Holy Spirit, who unifies the Body of Christ, the fullness of life emerges.

Harold B. Lee and Mormonism's Black Priesthood and Temple Ban

Harold B. Lee and Mormonism's Black Priesthood and Temple Ban

The fears in our life

To the human eye, this world is very beautiful, but it is also insecure and full of disasters, wars, and diseases. As a consequence, we are living with fears. This writing investigates three kinds of fears and how we can overcome each fear. To answer the research question, I base the writing on the teaching of the Gospel and the Catholic doctrine. In the end, the writing shows that we can overcome our fears if we put our life in God’s hands and keep His commandments. I suggest you use this writing to reflect and strengthen your faith in God.

Was Joseph Smith a Monarchotheist? An Engagement with Blake Ostler's Theological Position on the Nature of God

Was Joseph Smith a Monarchotheist? An Engagement with Blake Ostler's Theological Position on the Nature of God

An analysis of the cases of teenagers dying in taverns in South Africa: Some Biblical and African considerations

According to the Holy Scriptures, parents must care, teach, and guide their children to lead a Godly life. Comparably, the African traditional religion expects parents to do so too. On the morning of 26 June 2022, South Africa woke up to the harrowing news of the death of twenty-one young people in a tavern in East London, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Later, the number of deaths rose to twenty-two. Young people, the youngest being thirteen years old, lost their lives on this fateful day. First, this research seeks to reflect on the lessons the country should learn from this unfortunate ordeal so that such incidents do not occur again. Secondly, this research draws wisdom from the Christian teachings on parenting and African indigenous knowledge system that has anchored African communities for millennia. The research seeks to draw lessons from the teaching of the Bible and African indigenous knowledge system, exploring a Setswana proverb, Ngwana sejo o a tlhakanelwa, meaning a child is a food around which we all gather, implying that a child's upbringing is a communal responsibility. This research also argues that the Enyobeni Tavern incident reflects that Black African families, communities, and the Church’s societal role have changed over the years and how these changes harm their social fabric. The research uses a literature review as a research method to formulate the data and conclusion of the study. The research concludes that, with the change in Black African family structure and communities, some biblical and African considerations drawn from the proverb Ngwana sejo o a tlhakanelwa are relevant to mitigate various social challenges Black African Communities face in South Africa.

Someone said once that God lives on

Someone said once that God lives on Michael Pittard (bio) the other side of the lake.It might be so. I've heardif you gather leaves to seton fire & breathe the smoke,God will emerge from behinda holly tree & answer three questions. Such as why do I have to burnthings to have a conversationwith Him. Or why I can't seemto ever find a comfortable pairof socks. Or why can't I pincha raindrop between my thumb& forefinger to squeeze it & seethe world clearly, only for a moment,& know what my future holds. I've never been to the other sideof the lake. The bridge is almostalways out & it's too far to swim.A man from town once waded out,his pockets filled with rocks.His glasses washed up a few dayslater & when I put them on,the view through the cracked lenseshurt so much I threw them back intothe water where they sankwithout so much as a ripple. [End Page 75] Underneath the tree roots Godslinks about as a black snake,warming Himself in the afternoonsun & slowly digesting mice. Ormaybe He's a starling, His wingsshimmering from a high branch.I suppose He watches those whocome to talk, sees their hesitations,the match trembling in their hands. [End Page 76] Michael Pittard Michael Pittard is an English lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He currently serves as the Book Recommendations editor for The Bookends Review. He has an MFA in Poetry from UNCG and is a former poetry editor of The Greensboro Review. His poetry has appeared in such places as Poetry South, Coffin Bell, and The Citron Review. Copyright © 2022 Berea College ...

Koi Fish Pattern As A Source Of Inspiration In Painting

The general purpose of this research and creation is to revive the author's love for fauna, especially koi fish. The variety of life in God's creation is very interesting to be used as an idea for creating art, one of which is the koi fish. The attraction of koi fish lies in the variety of patterns, colors, and movements that are captivating. Judging from its existence, koi fish have long been a part of human life, from the imperial era in China and Japan several centuries ago to the present. The beauty of koi fish is an attraction for humans to own, maintain, even as part of a lifestyle that can improve economic status and social status. For the writer's life, koi fish is one part of a hobby that since childhood, can bring fun and entertainment, calm the soul, as well as a source of inspiration in creating painting. These works of art can add to the richness of the repertoire of visual arts in Indonesia, in terms of the concepts, media, and techniques that are revealed. The method used in this research is the first observation or direct observation of the object under study, data collection through interviews, the internet, books, and data analysis. While the method of creation used is exploration, experimentation and creation of works. From these methods, six works were realized, including: 1. Tanco and the Japanese Flag, 2. Samurai Shiro, 3. Gosanke Worldwide, 4. Peace and Calm, 5. Victory, 6. The King of Ornamental Fish. In realizing a work, it is viewed from two aspects, namely ideoplastic aspects and physioplastic aspects. The benefit of this creation is that the public can appreciate this painting, both in terms of aesthetics and ethics.