John of AllFaith's Blog

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Understanding the Nazirite Vow (Part 2 of 2)

Please Note: This page contains the Holy Name of God.
If you print it out please dispose of the page in a respectful way.

"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite Vow
Part Two

John of AllFaith © 11.29.02 (updated 1.21.08)

For part one: Go Here
Or read the entire study at my Noahide Nazarene Website: Go Here

Master Y'shua of Nazareth was very clear that יהוה rejects the haughty and the religiously hypocritical (comp. Rev. 3:14-19). One should therefore never undertake this or any other sacred vow for the wrong reasons!

The Nazirite Vow
Nazir: Uncut Hair

The root word nazir denotes something that has been "set apart" or "separated," consecrated unto יהוה. The consecrated uncut hair of the Nazirite is called "nazir" in the sense of a spiritual "crown" worn by those under the Vow and is considered a living, growing sacrifice to יהוה.

Celibacy:

According to the Talmud, one of the reasons a person becomes a Nazirite is to abstain from sexual temptation and to develop self-control to better serve יהוה. Hence, among the vows of a Nazirite is celibacy. Many ancient sources maintain that celibacy promotes spiritual realization and improves focus during prayer, religious studies and states of spiritual ecstasy.

As a means of dedicating ones future family to יהוה an engaged couple might undergo the Vow for the thirty days leading up to their wedding. Paul gives the following insightful comment to married couples:

I Corinthians 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

It is permissible for married couples, upon mutual agreement, to undertake the Nazirite vow for a set duration of time in order to give themselves over to prayer and fasting. Those engaging in such vows, following the spirit of the Vow rather than the letter as Master Y'shua instructed, usually do not feel the need to shave their heads etc. Everything "is to be done decently and in order" as led by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of יהוה). Such short term Nazirites do not enter into the Nazirite priesthood and determine for themselves how to practice their commitment (preferably in consultation with a Nazirite priest. Nonetheless, during this time the couple lives as renounced as possible even though they may still go to the jobs, raise their children and so on. There are many uses for this Vow. At the heart of the Vow is ones desire to develop new intimacy with יהוה, to know His will or to seek His mercy. Typically, each session of the Vow is for 30 days as described above. Paul warns couples not to exceed realistic durations of prayer, fasting, celibacy and renunciation lest it endanger the marriage.

Undertaking the Nazirite Vow as a way of Seeking יהוה's blessing is surely an honorable motive for any Noahide.

Humility:

Another function of the Nazirite Vow is to promote humility and the appreciation of the goodness of יהוה. As the Nazirite humbles him/herself, spiritual favors are often granted. One therefore may undertake the Vow as an avenue to personal spiritual purity, realization or development. One who feels his/her spiritual life to be stalled or who desires a greater spiritual reality and connection with יהוה may opt to undertake the Nazirite Vow.

Priesthood

A layperson that undertakes the Nazirite Vow for purely spiritual reasons automatically becomes as a priest of יהוה according to Philo (Philo 1, Legum Allegoriae 249).

Our Noahide High Priest:
The High Priest of all Noahides and Nazirites is Eternal Melchizedek. According to the Bible Melchizedek will have a direct hand in the Restoration of the Kingdom (the following biblical text demonstrates that our Master, Prophet Y'shua, did not fulfill the requisite messianic prophecies). Even as the coming Moshiach will be (is) High Priest of the Jews, so too Melchizedek is ours:

Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. יהוה said unto my Master, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 יהוה shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 יהוה hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 יהוה at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Master Y'shua is, in this sense, the Noahide equivalent of Moses for the Jews. He explained how to please יהוה as we await the establishment of the Kingdom of God and Brotherhood of Humanity on earth.

In India holy Melchizedek is known as Srila Vysadeva or Mahamuni. Ek Devata revealed the Vedas to Lord Brahma, who revealed it to Srila Narada Muni, who in turn revealed it the Srila Vyasa (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.4.15–25). As Mahamuni (Greatest sage and scholar) Srila Vyasadeva chose (was granted by Ek Devata) with the eternal ministry of granting revelation to the human race. Hence it is holy Melchizedek (Srila Vyasadev) who, through the inspiration of Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of the One G-d), determines when humanity is ready to take the next step (as may happen circa 2012). As the unknown author of the Book of Hebrews explained:

5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
5 So also the Anointed Master glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the cause of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Therefore we see that the pre-Vatican followers of Master Y'shua considered themselves part of the movement stemming from holy Melchizedek. His priesthood is discussed elsewhere in more detail on this site.

Special Blessings:

Samson was given the boon of phenomenal strength during the Period of his Nazirite Separation. When his nazir was removed however so was his added strength:

Judges 16:17: "... There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." The diverse gifts of יהוה are His to bestow as He sees fit. One who is specifically consecrated to G-d's service may receive special graces due to undergoing the Nazirite Vow. The graces are always to be used in His service to the betterment of others as led by the Holy Spirit of יהוה.

Abstinence from Alcohol and Other Distractions:

As Nazirites devote themselves strictly to the service of יהוה, they shun all forms of personal enjoyment that might be distractions to their Vow. Things like alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are therefore avoided by them. Television, computers, movies and such are likewise avoided unless they are related to ones service to יהוה. The point or spirit behind such restrictions is the need for the Nazirite to remain focused on his/her service to יהוה. Anything that distracts from this is to be avoided.

Vegetarianism:

While under the Nazirite Vow, the person must avoid all contact with corpses. This would include eating animal corpses or foods that contain such. Hence, Nazirites should maintain a vegan (or at least a vegetarian) diet for the duration of the Vow.

Making the Vow:

At the time of making ones Nazirite Vow to יהוה, it is good to include ones reasons for undertaking the Period of Separation and the duration of the vow if known. A "perpetual vow" is generally not advisable. Better to commit oneself to the Vow not for the remainder of ones life, but until such time as one feels led by יהוה to forgo it. To this end, I advise making continuous thirty day commitments. We see from the case of Samson that a vow made to יהוה is not wisely broken. One usually vows to serve as a Nazirite for a period of one month at a time. For instance, the first Shabbat of the month may be set aside as a time to either end or extend ones Vow for another month. Such an intention should be clearly stated in the Vow.

1 And יהוה spoke unto Moses, saying:
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto יהוה...

The beginning of the Nazirite Vow requires the candidate to make a clear verbal Vow unto יהוה We don't have a traditional formal vow, however this is just as well. Verbally stating ones intention is more spiritually powerful anyway. Remember, in all things it is the intent of the heart that יהוה is looking for and not some ritualized statement. Read over the requirements that follow, and then make your vow to יהוה, specifying what you intend to do in detail, as you feel led by Ruach HaKodesh.

Renunciation of Society:

The Way of the Nazirite is typically a solitary one, though one need not be a hermit to fulfill it. The root word nazir refers to something that has been set apart or separated, consecrated unto יהוה and His service. So whether alone or with others, the Nazirite is always renounced and alone with יהוה. He/she accepts no responsibilities and places no demands on others. For the duration of the Vow She/he is to be given to spiritual contemplation and reflection. For this reason, it is very difficult if not impossible to undertake the Vow while maintaining secular employment and satisfying other worldly affairs. Other than in cases of short term commitments as described above, it would seen all but impossible. As our Master advised, "either we will cling to the one and despise the other, or else we will despise the one and hold to the other." It is most difficult to serve both יהוה and mammon (secular affairs).

Entering into the Nazirite Vow
As discussed above, it is preferable to undertake the Nazirite Vow in the presence of others at a Noahide Nazarene shul or meeting place, or in the presence of spiritually supportive friends if this is not available. Under the direction of Noahide Nazarene elders and before the congregation would be ideal. One can take the Vow before יהוה alone however. At its heart, the Vow is a private matter between the candidate and יהוה. The following are the specific requirements on Nazirites:

Numbers 6:3 ... he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
4 All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone.

Thus, any products containing grapes or grape extracts are specifically forbidden to the Nazirite. In the case of Samson's Nazirite vow all "strong drink" was prohibited as well (Judges 13:7). One will therefore wish to add abstention from all intoxicants to embrace the spirit of this command rather than cling to the letter of observance only. This will include intoxicants such as caffeine, tobacco, illegal drugs and so on. When making ones vow to יהוה one does well to specify which areas of abstention one will observe. The greater the degree of abstinence one observes the better. We also know that at the conclusion of the Vow donations "according to ones ability" are prescribed. In the same spirit, one can include other areas of abstention not specifically required. In addition to grape products, all intended abstentions should be stated in ones vow. There's no point mentioning unrelated categories. For instance, one who smokes cigarettes would mention his/her abstention from them while a non-smoker obvious would not need to mention this. It is not abstention to abstain from something one does not do anyway.

The Nazirite Vow as presented in the Tanakh, is explained to Observant Jews, so it is naturally assumed the Torah's Kosher laws will be honored during the duration of the Vow. Noahides are not required to observe these Kosher Law under normal circumstances, as we are "not under the Law but under grace" (and the Seven Noahide Commandments.) However, Samson's mother was specifically told to eat no unclean thing while the child, a Nazirite from her womb, was within her body. Hence, those Noahides who undertake the Nazirite Vow will doubtless wish to observe all the laws of kashrut (or at least those kosher dietary requirements found in the Written Torah), during their period of separation unto יהוה. Before one begins the Vow therefore, one should understand these requirements.

5: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto יהוה, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. Just prior to making the vow, the Nazirite's head is to be shaved completely and anointed with holy oil. It is essential that no hair remain on the head. As a sign of ones righteous intentions, it is preferable that the candidate's head be shaven by a Noahide elder, brother or sister if possible, but again, this is not required. One may go to a commercial barbershop to be shaved if other options are not available (the oiling of the head should be done elsewhere). The shorn pre-vow hair should be saved and disposed of thusly: "And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings." As burnt sacrifices are no longer possible, it is acceptable to make a fire and toss the hair into it in a respectful manner, giving praise to the name of יהוה.

It is good to make ones Nazirite Vow as soon after being shaved as possible, in front of the Noahide Nazarene congregation is best if possible. Both male and female Nazirites are required to shave the head completely as a sign of their acceptance of the Holy Vow. As for the beard, there are no specific commands concerning it. However, most Noahides will probably honor the Tanakh's injunction against shaving the face in general and leave it uncut. For Noahides, this is optional:

Leviticus 19:27: "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard." During the duration of the Vow, shaving the face or other body parts is obviously prohibited.

Two points here: Avoiding contact with the dead is clearly stated in the text and so does not require comment. Verse eight reminds us that during the days of ones Vow one is in a special relationship with יהוה. During the term one is especially holy or consecrated unto יהוה. The mitzvahs or good works one does during these days are multiplied to the Nazirite's credit. In the same way, the Nazirite's prayers are more readily answered and so this is a very good time to spend extra time in prayer and meditation. However, the same is true of the evils that may be done. In every day life, one may make certain allowances, however during the term of the Vow purity of thought and deed is especially important. One needs to be conscious of ones position as a Nazirite at all times lest the good one intends produces an evil one does not.

Due to their special relationship with יהוה, Nazarenes and others may request beneficial prayers on their behalf. While the Nazirite requires nothing from anyone, those who contribute funds, foods, clothing, etc. to the Nazirite receive blessings from יהוה. At the same time, these should be only as needed lest the Vow become a system for material support. The Nazirite is the servant of all. As Master Y'shua explained, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40).

Here we face the sorrow of the absence of the Holy Temple. As it is not possible to meet these requirements today, it is suggested that if ones time of consecration is violated as described above, one should donate to the poor as one is able, and undertake a fast to begin immediately upon realizing ones contamination. This fast may last from one to seven days, the longer the better in most cases. On the eighth day after the defilement, ones head should be shaven as before, the hair disposed of as described below, and the same vow, for the full period of time as before, should be taken up again and fulfilled properly. As the sun sets at the beginning the eighth day after defilement the Nazirite is considered clean as though the interruption had never happened.

Upon the successful completion of the Vow it is right to honor the goodness of יהוה's empowering of the person with a celebration because without יהוה one could not have fulfilled the Vow. Such a celebration can include Noahide brothers and sisters, family and friends. As this is a holy thanksgiving, one wants to make sure that יהוה is the Guest of Honor! The details of the celebration can be left to those involved. It can be a formal affair or a friendly potluck. There are other options for those who don't have a spiritual community, and in this Dark Age we must often serve יהוה alone. The important thing is to honor the fulfillment of the Vow and give thanks to יהוה.

At the end of this celebration the Nazirite's head is again shaved. This time however the nazir is holy, consecrated to יהוה, and so must be handled with great care and respect. As it is cut, the hair should be carefully kept together and placed in a container. As before, no hair should remain on the head. Since the Nazirite is not currently able to offer Temple sacrifices to יהוה, there is some question about what should be done with the nazir. Some feel that a fire should be built and the hair should be sprinkled into the flames as before. Another option is to make a large round piece of unleavened bread into which the hair can be folded, and then be placed in the fire. Others believe that the hair should be buried or that the hair should be saved by the Nazirite in a special container as a remembrance of the Vow. I think it would be unwise to save the hair because undue attention may be placed on maintaining it and memorializing the completion of the Vow. In a sense, the nazir could, become an inadvertent idol. Also because the nazir now belongs to יהוה rather than to the Nazirite, it should not remain in his/her keeping. To keep it, under any circumstances, therefore does not seem appropriate. I believe that placing the consecrated hair into a fire using matzoth or bread to contain it is the most appropriate, although it's important to understand that the fire is not intended to be an alter and the rite, however it is played out, is merely symbolic. Another conflicting view is that head of one who has fulfilled ones vow need not be shaved at all. The individual Nazirite in concert with his/her spiritual elders should decide the course to take and follow that course in faith.

21: This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, and of his offering unto יהוה for his Naziriteship, beside that for which his means suffice; according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship. Another activity that the post-Nazirite might consider is the giving of gifts. According to his or her means, donating to ones shul or meeting house, or to the poor, giving to a worthy cause; giving gifts is an appropriate way to show thanksgiving to יהוה. Such mitzvahs are optional, but surely pleasing to our God.

As stated above, there are no set formulae to be observed. Following is an example only: If one is a member of a supportive shul or similar group, the elders or other Noahides may pronounce these blessings on the Nazirite. In the absence of this, one may proclaim them aloud before יהוה asking that His blessings be bestowed. This is part of the celebration described above. The bestowal of these blessings can be part of a great worship time exalting the glory and mercy of יהוה.

Following is a possible prayer one might make to יהוה when beginning ones period of separation:

If one is assisted in this celebration, such may anoint the head of the Nazirite with holy oil, lay hands upon the person and pronounce:

"May יהוה bless you, and keep you;
May יהוה make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you;
May יהוה lift up His countenance upon you; and give you peace."

If one is alone with יהוה one may pronounce:

After such a pronouncement, when everything else is completed, the nazir is shaved completely and offered to יהוה. The beard is not included and is not shaved at this time, if at all.

Once the offering of the nazir is made, the post-Nazirite takes a glass of wine, raises it toward the heavens and loudly and joyously proclaims "To Life!" and drinks the wine. If the Noahide is averse to the drinking of alcohol any grape based drink may be imbibed as it is never required to break a right principle in the service of יהוה.

Thus ends the person's obligations under the holy Nazirite Vow of Nazirite Separation.

This has been a basic summary of our Noahide Nazarene beliefs concerning the Nazirite Vow. More information is available in the other articles on this web site and this article will be updated from time to time.

Do be aware: there is no official body that speaks for Noahide Nazarenes (nor for Noahides in general). There are various groups trying to establish themselves as such, however each of us must prayerfully study to show ourselves approved unto יהוה and walk this Noahide Nazarene Way as we are led.

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Bamidbar 5 in the 1917 JPS

(JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY BIBLE).

1: And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:
2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto HaShem,
3: he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
4: All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone.
5: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto HaShem, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
6: All the days that he consecrateth himself unto HaShem he shall not come near to a dead body.
7: He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his consecration unto G-d is upon his head.
8: All the days of his Naziriteship he is holy unto HaShem.
9: And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
10: And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting.
11: And the priest shall prepare one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of the dead; and he shall hallow his head that same day.
12: And he shall consecrate unto HaShem the days of his Naziriteship, and shall bring a he-lamb of the first year for a guilt-offering; but the former days shall be void, because his consecration was defiled.
13: And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall bring it unto the door of the tent of meeting;
14: and he shall present his offering unto HaShem, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,
15: and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.
16: And the priest shall bring them before HaShem, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering.
17: And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto HaShem, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.
18: And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings.
19: And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it is sodden, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaven his consecrated head.
20: And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before HaShem; this is holy for the priest, together with the breast of waving and the thigh of heaving; and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
21: This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, and of his offering unto HaShem for his Naziriteship, beside that for which his means suffice; according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship.
22: And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:
23: 'Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say unto them:
24: HaShem bless thee, and keep thee;
25: HaShem make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
26: HaShem lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27: So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.'

Monday, January 21, 2008

Understanding the Nazirite Vow (Part 1)

Please Note: This page contains the Holy Name of God.
If you print it out please dispose of the page in a respectful way.

"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite Vow
Part One

John of AllFaith © 11.29.02 (updated 1.21.08)

The name of our Noahide Nazarene Way refers to our being descendants of Noah, our acceptance of the universal Noahide Covenant made through him to us, our acceptance Master Y'shua of Nazareth (Yeshua ben Miriam) as our teacher and spiritual guide, and of our desire to walk the Way he taught. More information about the Noahide Nazarene Way is available elsewhere on this domain.

A similar biblical term refers to a particular vow that the Tanakh describes in some detail. Among those who are seeking to understand the original Way of our Master, are some who refer to themselves as "Nazirites" and who place themselves under this vow according to their understandings.

The subject of this present study is the Nazirite Vow, its implications and applications for today. Is it possible for Noahide Nazarenes to place themselves under the Nazirite vow in the our modern world?

That the vow is authorized by the Tanakh is evident:

Numbers 6:2:

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazirite, to separate themselves unto יהוה

From this verse, we see that the Nazirite Vow is a specific vow that can be undertaken by both men and women of people Israel. The instructions for the Vow are, as recorded here, given, "unto the children of Israel." There may be a proscription imagined here in that Gentiles, even Noahides (who are not under the Mosaic Law) are hence not eligible to take part in this vow. The reason this might be a problem is that:

Numbers 6:

13 And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
14 And he shall offer his offering unto יהוה, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

Typically, such offerings were only made by people under the Holy Mosaic Covenant, and hence not by Gentiles. Ignoring the fact of the absence of the Jewish Holy Temple for the moment, as Noahides are not under the sacrificial Torah Laws it may be argued that they can't bring forth their sacrifices, as the Jews did, and hence they cannot enter into this vow. This obstacle may be countered however in that there are sacrifices rightly performed by the "strangers" (ie. the ger or "resident aliens," us.):

Leviticus 22:18

Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto יהוה for a burnt offering.

It is certainly easy to make the case that faithful Noahides, "those who worship the God Whose Temple is in Jerusalem," would qualify as ger tzadeq or "righteous Gentiles" considering that the ger toshav or resident aliens are allowed to sacrifice to יהוה and to make vows. While they are not Jews, and typically not Judaeans, they do worship the God of Israel and therefore may enter into vows with HaShem as well as the children of Moses.

Therefore scripturally nothing about the Nazirite Vow itself would disqualify Noahides from participating in its blessings and responsibilities.

However, the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE and the Third has yet to be built as of the time of this writing (2002 CE). Without the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, few of the requisite sacrifices can be performed as directed in the Torah. Therefore no one, neither Jews nor Noahides (the ger tzaddiks) may undertake the Nazirite Vow as directed in the Torah.

This does not negate the spirit behind the Nazirite Vow however. As Noahide Nazarenes it is the spirit of the Torah that we, following Master Y'shua's teachings, seek to fulfill, not the ritualistic details. Consider Jeremiah 6:

16 Thus saith יהוה, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

As important as the Holy Temple was (and will be) it is not required to please יהוה. Even when sacrifices were correctly offered, as we see from verses like this, יהוה still may refuse our offerings if the key ingredient in all sacrifices is missing. What is this critical element without which יהוה will reject sacrifices?:

Micah 6:6-8:

6. With what shall I come before יהוה,
And bow myself before the high God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?

7. Will be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8. He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what יהוה requires of you:
Only to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God.

There are several things we Noahides are not allowed to do according to the Torah, as well as many things we are required to do. Master Y'shua stressed this essential element of divine service time and time again. Whether we are Jews or Noahides, what does יהוה require of us? Only to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God in the light we have been given.

Part of being a Noahide or a Noahide Nazarene then (as opposed to a non-observant Gentile), is the recognition of the unique place held by People Israel. We can and indeed should study the Torah and learn from its wisdom and apply its lessons to our lives, however we are not to do this by mechanically obeying the "letter of the Law," but by honoring its spirit. This was a very important teaching of the Master and his central critique of people Israel:

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

One of the things we learn in the Torah is the holiness related to the Nazirite Vow. Under the Vow, a person consecrates him/her self to יהוה by meeting specific conditions. As a result of this added level of dedication and commitment to יהוה, the person is blessed and comes into a deeper realization of the truth of the blessings of our common Noahide Covenant.

This is something greatly to be desired by Noahide Nazarenes! Therefore, by understanding the spirit of the Nazirite vow and agreeing to observe its righteous precepts, the Noahide Nazarene does a good thing (a mitzvah). It can be argued that due to the absence of the sacrificial offering, the Noahide is not technically a Nazirite in the literal, historic sense of the term. Despite this, Noahides may still enter into a deeper relationship with יהוה due to the commitment and added discipline of observing the heart of the Vow, the spirit of this level of dedication.

Master Y'shua of Nazareth was very clear that יהוה rejects the haughty and the religiously hypocritical (comp. Rev. 3:14-19). One should therefore never undertake this or any other sacred vow for the wrong reasons!

Part Two Coming Soon!

Children Of Noah All	The Noahide Nazarene Way
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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Think you've had a bad day?

This is what a Bad Day looks like. . .Not just bad, but REALLY BAD. . . . .

(Thanks Pinky!)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Dr King and I

Welcome to AllFaith.com

True Stories
That Changed My Life
What a short, strange trip its been!

Dr. King and I

The Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:

Personal Reflections.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has had a profound influence on my life in many ways. This piece is a sort of confession, a remembrance, as well as a tribute to the civil rights movement and to this great human being.

I was born and raised in North Georgia, an hour or so north of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King's Atlanta congregation.

Despite living so close to what might be considered the hub of the civil rights movement, our town and area could hardly have been further away! We still lived in the South that had been, while Dr. King was bringing us, kicking and screaming, into the world that now is. These were very different places!

Like most White Southerners of the day, despite the whitewashing attempted by most of my generation and the ones proceeding mine, we were, in a word racists, and proud of it!

Without going too deeply into the depths of my families racism (and it goes deep indeed), many of my earliest memories are of hearing my dad and others disparaging the works of the civil rights movement and, especially, the man they called the Nigger King (henceforth referred to as the N King).

Now, here I am in 2008, a preacher of love and a respecter of diversity, and I would use that offensive word in a public blog! Why on earth would someone who believes as I do ever use such a word? Good question, and there IS what I believe is a good reason (chances are you will never hear me use this word again!). But here it is intentional and relevant to what I wish to share, so please be forgiving.

Even as a growing minority of people are beginning to question the reality of the Holocaust, so too if you hear Southern Whites of my generation talk, you would think we were all open minded, socially conscious people in those days! It isn't so friends! Most of us were hateful and we used racial and other epithets without even thinking twice about what we were saying! May I repeat my conviction that the majority, I'd even say the vast majority, of Southern Whites of my generation and those proceeding it used these sorts of words, and for the most part we didn't even think about it (and we were far from alone in this!)! BUT lots of us are getting better...

To the majority of people I grew up with, the idea of equal rights for anyone other than Whites was revolutionary... and wrong! The Bible even condemned it! Or so our ministers claimed. Dr. King was routinely referred to as a Communist and a rabble-rouser! When one grows up hearing such things, one naturally comes to accept them as facts, unless they are challenged. If everyone agrees, then it must be true! Right?

Of course not! But we today can see the exact same mentality at work! We still have groups of people that society tells us it is good to hate! Much of our Western controlled media, society and religions tell us it is "American" to hate Muslims, it is "Christian" to hate homosexuals, it is "patriotic" to hate Socialists... and prejudice against people of color is still with us as well of course. Millions of people accept these divisive notions with little or no question! Just as I did growing up! When I was a boy, we were supposed to hate Communists, Jews, Catholics, hippies, people of color (any color besides our own!), and all non-conformists. Bigotry was virtually written into our DNA, even though many won't admit it today!

But on April 4, 1968, my father killed Dr. King!

... Allow me to explain...

During the months leading up to this fateful event, the anti-civil rights movement rhetoric in our neighborhood had become deafening. Most everyone we knew felt positive that a long overdue race war would begin any day. Indeed, my parents, like so many others, had fled Atlanta for the White outlying towns out of fear, ignorance and prejudice. Most of our homes contained stockpiles of weapons, our Southern ministers urged all God fearing White folks (the only sorts allowed in our churches) to be ever vigilant against the Communist and Black menace, and the civil rights movement that was doubtless among its vanguard. I well remember being afraid much of the time lest the Blacks of Atlanta invade our Caucasian refuge!
And yet as I was being trained in firearms there was a sense of excitement as well! The South would soon rise again! We all knew it! Save all your Confederate money!

This same year, Helter Skelter was released by the Beatles and Charles Manson proclaimed its hidden meaning: the anticipated race war was coming soon! My parents didn't like the Beatles (I loved them, especially John and George!) and they certainly were no fans of the Manson Family (I was fascinated by them), however our lives were charged with race war fever and we were ready to fight! Well... that was the general sense at any rate! But those Southern boys, back then, could have raised Hell!

As for me, I was an unpopular lanky eleven-year-old introvert without a clue! A year away from the vision that forever changed my life.

The guns were cool, the energy was electrifying and betwen dodging bullies, I bought the "the South's Gonna Rise Again" hype without question! Although, what a Restored Confederate States of America might look like was frankly a bit intimidating!

But... this particular day, Thursday, April 4, 1968 I had things to do! I probably suffered through another day at grammar school, but thankfully have no memory of it, but how well I remember what happened after school!

I raced into the yard on my bike, quickly changed out of my school cloths and into a pair of cutoffs (my mom demanded I at least wear that much), that's all I ever wore when I had the option, cutoffs, no shirt, no shoes, no fuss. Dressed in my preferred attire, I hurried off into the back yard where I had been building a very cool fort! It wasn't large as I recall, but it was two floors and it was one of my favorite private places to escape the world. In those days, I often sat hidden behind the branches, pine needles, and plywood walls of the top floor doing something I had been firmly ordered never to do! Twas a most heinous sin, one that I will now reveal to you, my hopefully tolerant reader! Confession, they say, is good for the soul. Hopefully you will feel none the worse towards me after hearing of it!

From whatever sources I could manage, from school and sometimes from the meager school supplies my mother provided, I would take perfectly good sheets of paper and draw on them! I even invented a game where I would draw maps on the paper and then, with pencil lead missiles the nations would fight their wars. The "Kar Nation" was evil and unstoppable (it's just a coincidence that my dad worked for GM right?)! These activities were harshly condemned as a terrible waste of paper, but ofttimes I hid in my fort and indulged in such misbegotten fantasies for hours!

So, there I was sitting on the second floor of my recently completed backyard fort, my Stars and Bars (the Confederate flag) flying from a makeshift pole just outside (I still have that flag!), when from the direction of the house I heard the screen door bang open and my sister rushed out. She would have been around 13 or 14 at the time.

Under the plywood of the second floor, I had prepared a hiding place to stash my cigarettes and desecrations (my abuses of paper). As I heard her walking towards me, calling not my insulting nickname but my real name, I quickly stashed the papers and hopped to the bottom floor and into the early evening air. It was around 6 PM.

"We got to go, pack a bag and hurry!" my sister urged.

"Go where?" I asked.

"We got to go stay with the Mrs. Barnett [I believe it was]."

"How come? You go ahead and I'll stay in my fort."

"No you can't, momma and daddy won't be coming home tonight."

"How come?"

"'Cause daddy and Mr. D. done killed the N King! Now hurry up!"

I was incredulous! Sure, I had heard Daddy say hundreds of times that someone should kill Dr. King and I had been told often enough that our family friend, Mr. JD Stoner, had burned down some churches in Alabama... but actually to do it? We had had all heard rumors of course, but...

"How do you know that?" I asked her pointedly.

Just then, my brother, who would have been around 15 I suppose, came in and asked if we'd "heard the good news."

We looked at him blankly.

"They killed the N King!" He was overjoyed! We all were, although my sister and I were also worried about what this good deed might mean for us. Our dad made the money. If he was in jail...

"I know!" my sister replied, "Mrs. B. called and said we should stay with her till momma gets home. She figures daddy might have to stay in jail for a week or two, just for show. But maybe longer if the N's make too much noise about it."

The assumption was that everyone would be thrilled by the courageous act and that he and Mr. D. would certainly never be charged with anything! Why, they would be heros!

Just then, my brother turned the TV on to one of the three chanels we got and sure enough, it was on there.

"They killed him in Memphis and momma and daddy and the D.'s were going to see Mr. Stoner in Chattanooga, I bet they all went together and did it." My brother sugested.

"I don't think Momma would have killed him!" I objected.

"Of course not [my insulting nickname]," my brother said thumping me on the head. "She and Mrs. D. probably had dinner with the ladies while the men did God's work."

That made sense to us, so my sister scribbled a note saying where we were and we all hiked over to Mrs. B.'s house. We were all so proud, something we rarely felt!
But our joy was short lived. When we arrived Mrs. B had the TV news on and the talking heads were droning on about a man we hadn't heard of before. Soon my mother and father showed up at the door, a quizical look on their faces. They'd been with the D's, but they had had nothing to do with the murder. Today I thank God for it, but back then...
I still recall our absolute certainty that he had done it. Still, I recall how gloriously happy everyone was that someone had. I seldom remember my dad seeming any happier than he was that night!

Of course I don't remember the exact words we spoke, but the above would have been quite close I'm sure.

Over the next few days it was the talk of the area. Everyone was celebrating, thrilled, there was even a street party of sorts, but people were also anxious that the assacination might bring on the war and that would be a mixed blessing. City after city erupted in riots in the aftermath of the murder. Most everyone I knew stayed home from school, just in case. I think I was out for two weeks. Since I absolutely loathed school, the joy of not having to go to that forced hell contributed to the festive feel of the days. The men patrolled our neighborhood hoping "to get lucky" but as far I know, nothing racial happened, at this time. As time went by the riots ceased and life returned to normal.

As I said at the outset of this piece, if one is raised in the midst of racism, racism seems like a perfectly normal outlook. The same is true of antisemitism, homophobia, sexism and so on. I must confess that while I was at times bothered by some of the overt hatred and the thought of having to kill people in the coming race war, it really didn't strike me as something that was immoral. Racism (we thought of it as respecting the natural order God had instituted) is just the way the world works! Or so I then believed. I am of course leaving out a LOT of events for the sake of brevity!

If nothing ever happens to rattle our assumptions, one will probably never change them. Rattling assumptions and preconceptions is what Dr. King and the civil rights movement did however!

Due in large part to the rage brought on by the assassination of Dr. King, I became curious. Why were people so upset? Even some White people seemed to think the killing was wrong judging by the TV news! What was up with that? The TV news wouldn't lie to us! I asked my teachers at school about it; I don't recall any of them bringing it up in class, and for the most part, their response was, 'this is the sort of thing a boy should ask his parents about at home'. That told me nothing. I knew what they thought. So I just continued with my life with one ear open, but otherwise nothing much changed (except my body, it was changing a lot in those days).

But then about a year later everything changed!

In 1969, I had a vision. I won't go into it here (I recount much of it at MyStory), but in short, it convinced me that there was much more to life than I had ever dreamt possible! I began to listen with different ears, to see with different eyes... Still, when it came to racism ("white pride") I didn't rock the boat; it is just the way things had always been. I didn't know any black people, had never talked with any black people, had never met any black people, and didn't expect I ever would, other than in unavoidable social encounters like restaurants etc. (this still angered my dad, that they had been forcibly integrated) but even then the races stayed to themselves 'as God intended'. Still, the vision got me thinking...

Then came 1970 and the eighth grade.

I'm told that my recollection here isn't completely accurate and that may be, but its close. Apparently my high school (we had no middle schools) had already accepted a few black students (I had not thought so) but on my first day of high school a bus unloaded and what looked at the time like hundreds of black kids disembarked, it was probably more like 20 or so, and they were probably as worried as we were!

I had been in the presence of black people before by this point, and once a year we made our family pilgrimage into depths of Atlanta to watch the Sears Department Store light the "Great Tree" (now its done at Lenox Square) and there were many African Americans present there. But the sight of so many black kids at a school I'd be atending, and the thought that I might actually be in class with one or two of them was disconcerting to put it mildly!

AGAIN, please understand that this is how I was raised and that chronicling such events I think are important, lest we forget that segregation and overt racism have not been gone for that long.... not that they are now of course either!

Most of the White kids were carrying knives etc. including me. Most of us expected that the race war would begin at school because of the forced integration and we wanted to be ready to do our bit for the Race.

But something happened at that school for which I was not ready but will be forever thankful!

A lovely African American girl named Sicilia.

Sicilia decided, for reasons I still cannot fathom, that she loved me! Not just liked me, she loved me! She told me this repeatedly and at the most awkward times. I would be walking down the hall and she'd brush up to my side and take hand. Being a Southern gentleman as such things went, I didn't want to be rude, so I would snatch my hand back and dash for the nearest boy's bathroom or some other place she was unlikely to follow. This went on for probably two weeks, it seemed MUCH longer!

Then one day, I was sitting in the school cafeteria alone when in walked Sicilia! Some of her girl friends were on the other end of the room so I wasn't too concerned; I just made a point of looking away.

But then... down came her tray, out came the chair next to me and she was there, actually leaning on me and asking how I was doing! Being a boy of normal hormones, I would have been stoked had she been White, but.... I was terrifed!

I stood up and reached for my plate to leave. "Sit your White butt back down! You ain't through eating yet!" she demanded.

I obeyed and she kept talking to me, being friendly... I stared stoically at my food tray.

From a nearby table I could hear the other kids snickering. "Hey look [nickname I dislike] is a Backerds Oreo!" And it seemed the entire room was in hysterics, laughing at me, condemning me. For those who may be blessed enough not to know, a "Backwards Oreo" is a person who is 'White on the outside but Black on the inside,' in other words, a White person who associates intimately with Black people: An N lover in more common terms back then.

As ashamed as I am today to admit it, I stood up, took my lunch tray and shouted at Sicilia, "Listen here N! Leave me the F alone!" or hateful words to that effect and was about to storm out, to demonstrate my disgust with her kindnesses. I had enough problems already, I certainly didn't need that!

But to my absolute shock, Sicilia stood up and ran out of the room in tears.

I was floored! Everything I had been taught had just flown out that door with her! I put down my tray and chased after her (actually, I probably walked nonchalantly from the cafeteria, and then chased after). I saw her ducking into some nearby woods and hurried after her.

Now, this is going to sound VERY harsh, VERY ignorant and perhaps hard to believe... but it's the truth.

As I entered the woods Sicilia was seated on an exposed tree root and I sat down across from her and stared. For a few moments neither of us spoke. My gaze was transfixed on her beautiful ebony sweat gleaming face. In her face I beheld a loveliness I had not seen prior to that moment, but that was not what held my gaze. What left me speechless was the that from her eyes tears were streaming. I carefully, gently reached out with my index finger and wiped a tear. I looked at the wetness, rubbed it between my thumb and first finger, then back at Sicilia. I was dumbfounded!

"What?" she asked.

"You, you're crying!" I exclaimed.

Her look was one of utter dismay. She said nothing, but her look said, "Duh!"

I stammered for words, which I often did in those days, and finally managed, "But, you can't cry!"

"I can't?"

"No!" I insisted. It was not possible!

"How do you figure that? You really hurt my feelings!"

"I... wa... how...."

She was staring at me now, trying to understand my obvious perplexity.

"But... you're a N...."

"You noticed huh... and we prefer Afro American if you don't mind."

"Sorry, but... Nig, I mean, Afro Americans can't cry...."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Only humans can cry!"

You can doubtless guess the direction this heart to heart conversation developed. I had been taught growing up that God had created White people in His image and that Black people had somehow evolved from apes by a trick of Satan; that's what tripped Darwin up. He didn't recognize Satan's trickery because he was not "saved"! I had even seen books that purportedly proved it! I say, "seen," because I was still functionally illiterate at this time, but they had illustrations. My understanding was that Blacks were less than human and incapable of having true emotions. To see her tears and to hear her tell me that I had hurt her feelings, coupled with my vision the year before that had convinced me I needed to question everything I then believed, knocked the White pride racial prejudice right out of me! Well... began the process.

As you listen to the speeches etc. you will hear Black leaders speak with pride about a sign in Memphis that read, "I am a Man!" We had always rejected that notion as devil-wrought absurdity. The fact that they had to claimed it proved otherwise! It was a dfferent lifetime!

Sicilia explained that her father was a very successful Atlanta lawyer who worked with the civil rights movement and other "freedom fighters." She and her brother had grown up in a relatively privileged environment and had gone to private elementary schools. As they grew older however her parents had insisted that she and her brother attend a public high school in order to experience the real racist world more fully. The type of encounter we had had was exactly what her dad had been wanting! She knew it, but it didn't make it any esier for her. Overall however, our encounter was good for Sicilia and it changed my life for the better as well. When hardships come they seem overwhelming, but as the Scriptures assure us, "All things work together for the good for those who love the Lord."

Well, maybe this wasn't exactly what he wanted... because our relationship became physical, which he probably would not have liked at all. After a few Black kids were stabbed at my high school and the situation turned progressively more violent, Sicilia's parents removed she and her brother and I never saw either of them again. (Are you out there Sicilia? I'd love to hear from you!)

In the years that followed I read everything I could get my hands by or about Dr. King (with the help of a Jehovah Witness friend I taught myself to read in 1975). I became a frequent visitor to Ebenezer Baptist Church, I marched in rallies with people like Hosea Williams of Atlanta and Jesse Jackson in New Orleans; I was fascinated by the life and realizations of Malcolm X and so on. I eventually came to understand the ties, both literal and spiritual, between Dr, King and Gandhi and Desmond Tutu and other Black heros whose work freed not only their people but the world.

But the truth is, it takes more than intention to rid one's heart of racism, sexism, homophobia, religious bigotry, etc. It takes understanding, determination, introspection, and patience and it takes the patience of others when we slip up, when inbred ignorance rears its ugly head. Words and attitudes are deeply ingrained within us all from childhood and they are not so easily replaced. If we truly hope for social justice and harmony, we all must be on guard, with Love... and Love was Dr. King's power.

So, today we remember the life of one of the most important people to ever live, the Baptist Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is one of those blessed people who saw wrongs and successfully worked in love to right them. The roster of civil rights heroes is a long one. Countless people, like dear Sicilia, will remain forever un-praised for their contributions, other than by those whom they have touched. However as I consider the life of this incredible man, I think also of Sicilia and of all the others who have patiently reached out their hands in love to enlighten the world to the dream of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I Have a Dream!

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

But the Life That Dreamed the Dream

Was Cut Short.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008

What is Karma? The Path to Liberation!

What is Karma?
By John of AllFaith © 7.5.07 (updated 1.12.08)
It is my conviction that we are all eternal beings of Pure Light, children of the Ek Devata or One God. I further believe that Reality utterly transcends the material manifestation. In that Reality concepts such as karma, marga and even dharma are transcended. When we speak of karma therefore, we are referencing the material manifestations known in the East as Saguna Brahman.
Within the eternity of our limitless existence there is neither time nor space, and yet to conceive of this Reality we use such words qualitatively. And so with this caveat we can understand that, "at some point in endless time" we entered into this material manifestation, into this physical reality. I often refer to this material existence as the Dark Cloud... it works as well as anything else I've heard
First then, we need to understand that are two "planes of being," Nirguna and Saguna Brahman. These terms come to us from the Vedic and Upanishadic texts of India:
Nir [or "no"] Guna {or "material qualities"] and Sa [or "with"] Guna [or "material qualities."

The "spiritual existence" of Nirguna Brahman is completely transcendent to all material qualities. It is our eternal Home and natural state of being.
The "material existence" of Saguna Brahman exists in "layers" or "dimensions" of materially manifested form and quality.
Within Saguna Brahman duality is a primal factor (as emphasized in Gnosticism and Paganism). Maleness and femaleness, yin and yang, good and bad, positive and negative, righteousness and evil, black and white, sameness and difference, such forces fundamentally drive the material manifestation. This material duality of Saguna Brahman is governed by three basic material laws (known as the trinitarian essence in certain traditions).
First Karma and Dharma:
Karma or Action: All actions cause reactions. These reactions bind the soul (or embodied living entity) to the material planes of being. All karma must be settled/resolved before the soul can transcend material reality and reawaken spiritual consciousness. Hence the material world is sometimes referred to by the sages as a prison. I prefer to think of it as a school that must be graduated from. This is governed by the Law of Reciprocity.
Dharma or Divine Law: There exists the Supreme Person, the Holy One. I often refer to this Holy Being as Ek Devata, the "One God." The Nature of this Holy Individual transcends all material consciousness and conception. Through this Supreme Person all existence, both within Saguna and Nirguna Brahman come to be and exists. All of existence exists within God, and yet God transcends existence:

This conception is supported by the Srimad Bhagavad Gita as follows:

7:8-11: I am the taste in water, O son of Kunti, the light of the moon and sun, I am the sacred syllable Om contained in the Vedas, I am the sound in ether and the virility in men.
I am the sacred fragrance in the earth, I am the brilliance in fire, I am the life in all living entities, I am the austerity in penitents.
Know Me to be the seed [from which] all living entities [arise], O child of Partha. Of the intelligent I am the eternal intellect, of the brilliant I am the brilliance. I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and attachment. I am desire in all beings, which is not opposed to dharma, O best of the Bharatas.
7:12: Whether in the nature of goodness, passion or ignorance, everything thus comes from Me, but know that although I am not in them, they are all in Me.
7:13, 14: This entire universe is deluded by the three qualities of material nature [goodness, passion and ignorance] and hence does not know Me who is supreme and immutable.
This extraordinary power of Mine, consisting of the qualities of material nature, is difficult to transcend, but those who take refuge in Me pass beyond it. God has made certain determinations. These determinations are included within Dharma. The soul (jiva) who is trapped by the effects of karma (action and reaction) must restore harmony and balance in accordance with Dharma. -- translation mine (click here).

Marga or the Course or Way: Literally, marga is the course taken by the planets through the sky, however the word has a deeper meaning. Marga is the path taken by the souls on their way Homeward. Marga is similar to "destiny" but with subtle differences not relevant here. It also references what Master Y'shua referenced as "the Way" because it signifies the Path taken by the jiva or soul. Due to karma (actions and reactions) the soul is "destined" to walk certain paths as dictated by dharma. The soul has erred in action and is hence required by divine reciprocity to experience the reactions of that sin. The same works for good as well. Every action will produces a reaction. And so acts of charity and kindness also have their reactions. Marga is therefore the course one walks while meeting these karmic requirements. Marga can lead upwards or downwards according to the development of the soul.
Throughout the material multiverses these three powers are in effect, from the lowest regions of Patala to the heights of Brahmaloka, from hellish existence to heavenly bliss. Such terms merely seek to convey understanding. Call them whatever you will.
Here's the difficulty:
Karma must be satisfied.

We can think of this in terms of paying for sins, of learning requisite lessons, of fulfilling destiny, of providing restitution or simple reciprocity, but all slats must be cleaned before the Soul leaves the Dark Cloud and returns to the Light. The goal of AllFaith Spirituality is to facilitate this.
Whether one performs "good" actions or "bad," there are always consequences, always more karma. This is the result of dharma, the indisputable Law of material nature. The Higher Law (Dharma) demands that these actions and reactions must be fulfilled ("for evil shall not enter into His Presence").
These karmic necessities exist only in saguna and so it is here they must be satisfied. Why only in Saguna Brahman?
Because "good" and "bad" are "qualities" and qualities only exist within Saguna Brahman (as explained above). All qualities must be cast off if one wishes to return to Nirguna Brahman (spiritual reality "without qualities").
Our natural state of existence (as eternal souls) is transcendental, being devoid of all material qualities. This is confirmed in the Torah:

Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did HaShem make coats of skins, and clothed them.

This references the souls entrance into material nature. The Pure Light Atman (the immortal Spirit Entity) is temporarily coated or covered with material flesh and becomes subject to karma, dharma and marga.
In our eternal condition we transcend all material qualities. This is not to say there are no spiritual qualities in Nirguna Brahman, only that spiritual qualities transcend material qualities even as spirit transcends matter.
This has been explained nicely by His Holiness Srila Caitanya Mahaprabhu as achintya bheda bheda, or "inconceivable oneness in diversity."
In Saguna Brahman everything exists within diversity: duality, hot and cold, wet and dry, yours and mine, black and white, positive and negative and so on. But in Nirguna Brahman everything is inconceivable diversity within the Oneness of Ek Devata. Note that I say inconceivable diversity in Oneness rather than Oneness in diversity!
It is not that Ultimate Oneness is temporarily manifest in diversity, but rather that eternal diversity exists within a state of Eternal Oneness, within Ek Devata. In the same we seek to realize the Brotherhood of Man and the Parenthood of Ek Devata. We are many and yet as One in God.
Those who embrace Vedanta, Buddhism and similar teachings (which I deeply respect!) typically believe that within Nirguna Brahman there is absolute undifferentiated oneness, that there is no individual existence, no "you" and "me," no "God." They insist that "All is One." Despite the common misconception, according to this view, one does not "become God" because God, like everything else, is but part of the Wholeness of the All. The teaching is therefore that one ceases to exist as an individual and merges with the Totality, thus transcending individual existence. That totality may be deemed "God" by Monists but from the traditional usage of the term as God exists as an independent self-aware Being what is being perceived is not God by the "brahmajoyti" or spiritual effulgence of Ek Devata.
I believe however, as taught by Sri Caitanya and others and as confirmed in the Katha Upanisad that:

1. 'There is that ancient tree, whose roots grow upward and whose branches grow downward;--that indeed is called the Bright, that is called Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. All worlds are contained in it, and no one goes beyond. This is that.'
2. 'Whatever there is, the whole world, when gone forth (from the Brahman), trembles in its breath. That Brahman is a great terror, like a drawn sword. Those who know it become immortal.' (Second Adhyaya, sixth valli)

This analogy tells us that Saguna Brahman (the material manifestation) is an imperfect and temporary reflection of Nirguna Brahman (the spiritual manifestation), or as many western mystics have told us, "As above so below." We who dwell within the Dark Cloud therefore remain connected to our spiritual roots at all times.
We in Saguna Brahman know love, Nirguna Brahman IS Love. We know isolated individuals, in Nirguna Brahman there are individuals beings in Oneness. The nature of Nirguna Reality utterly transcends human reason and conception and Saguna Brahman is it reflection. As the Apostle Paul assures us:

I Cor. 13:12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The question remains, how can one break the chains of karma and leave the temporary realm of Saguna Brahman if every action causes a reaction that further binds us?
Again we are not these material bodies. We are pure spirit entities or souls. In eternal consciousness we are untainted by all material constraints. It is illusion or maya that keeps us from understanding this truth. For a time we have entered into this Dark Cloud of material existence and accepted these materially conditioned forms. While we are here everything seems so important, but once we return Home to our natural state as pure jiva-atman all of this, our entire existence within the Dark Cloud throughout our myriad forms, reincarnations and experiences, will be but a twinkling of eye, a shiver up the spine."
Karma is therefore a temporary construct or learning devise the jiva (soul) employs while in Saguna Brahman. Karma guides and inspires the soul but all too soon the mirage-like qualities of material life and the reciprocal requirements of karma and dharma imprisons or brainwashes the eternal soul. The entity forgets spiritual reality and embraces the temporary realms of matter. Speak to those still asleep about such things and they scoff, call you a dreamer, a religious fanatic, and yet to the awakening soul the Path is life!
Deep within the soul the memory of eternity lives on. The soul knows there is something more, something far better, and so begins a process of remembering, of waking up and the jiva begins to desire to leave the material realms, to escape the suffering and return Home. But how? This is difficult to accomplish due to the lifetimes of accumulated karma and illusion.
The ultimate goal of religion and spirituality is to help the soul achieve "neutral karma," wherein as ones karmic debt is gradually erased through life's experiences one draws closer to freedom and mukti (release). And yet, no actions are truly neutral in the duality-based material expansion!
To achieve mukti people accept spiritual masters, chant japa mala, recite prayers, perform pujas, study the scriptures, and do so many good works and deeds. But its never enough!
Despite the accumulation of good and neutral-leaning karma by such actions, the soul remains bound to the material conception of life and death. The entity may achieve progressively better births and may even advanced to the higher material planets and realms such as Brahmaloka or Heaven, but they remain within Saguna Brahman, the manifest reality of the Dark Cloud.
And yet there is eventual release, there is moksa or salvation. But not works:

Ephesians: 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

And again:
Srimad Bhagavad Gita: 18:56: Always performing all activities and taking refuge in Me one achieves, by My Grace, the eternal and immutable abode.

And yet again:

Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

In the final analysis the soul comes to learn the Great Truth. 'The soul that sinneth shall die' but 'whosoever the Anointed has set free is free indeed.'
It is solely through the Mercy and Grace of Ek Devata that one is freed from karma and sins and returns Home, back to Godhead. Om Santi (Praise peace and pursue it), ~John of AllFaith

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

AllFaith.com is Moving

AllFaith.com is Changing Servers

My current domain host has decided to change how their clients connect to their servers and many of us are moving elsewhere because their new design is stupid and very user unfriendly. The transition of AllFaith.com to my new web host should be complete in 24 hours. During this transition period AllFaith.com (NOT my site here) may be offline. Once the transition is finished I'll be going through all the hundreds of pages at AllFaith.com checking links, graphics images and so on.

You will be able to tell when the transition is finished (if you are interested) because of the note on the top of my new homepage that says, "Please Note: AllFaith.com has moved to a new server...." If that shows up, the transition is finished.

If the graphics on this page are broken or missing (one on the top, one toward the bottom) it means the transition is in process (the graphics are hosted by AllFaith.com)

Wanna help me out?

Once the transition is complete: If you find anything wrong with any AllFaith.com page I would appreciate a heads -up (whether that's a broken link, a broken image or even a typo). Its a very large site and will take some time for me to go through it all. You can notify me through this site or:

(there should be an image above with my e-mail address)
(if not, I can be contacted via: http://www.allfaith.com/contact.html )

I think I have everything ready for the transition EXCEPT for the http://allfaith.com/Questions section but I wont be positive until the transition is complete. In the past when I've changed domain servers it has taken a bit more work than expected to get everything back up and running properly. While I have finished correcting the links on the http://allfaith.com/Questions/index.html page, those pages
linked from and back to there (ie the questions and answers) do not have good links returning yet (so there's no need to let me know about them). I'll be working on those pages later today and tomorrow.

When I ftp'd my site over to new host the file directory codes stayed attached, so I have to remove them individually. This process will hopefully be finished by January 15th.

Thanks for your patience during this period of change.

~John of AllFaith

STOP QUEEN HILLARY!

My Fellow Americans,
If you cherish the freedoms we have left
If you want the United States to continue to exist as an independent country rather than as part of the North American Union....

STOP Queen Hillary!
Vote for ANYONE else!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Acintya Bheda Abheda Tattva

A web friend asked an important question: What is the difference between Achintya Bheda Abheda and Dvaitadvaita.

This question goes to the very heart of the nature of God as well as of our own existence. I thought I'd share my reply with you. As always, your questions and thoughts are invited.

Hi again John!

I was wondering...
What is the difference between the Achintya Bheda Abheda and Dvaitadvaita philosophies?

Thanks...

Hi "J,"

Glad to help clarify this.

Dvaita philosophy is pure dualism. According to this school there exists in reality both Nir-guna brahman (non-manifest existence, "no-qualities") and Sa-guna brahman (manifest existence, "with qualities"). These two realities are eternal and never meet. They are eternally separate realities. There is God and there is mortal kind, the spirit worlds and the material worlds. Yin and Yang (but no Tao). this is, in a nutshell, Dvaitadvaita.

Acintya bheda abheda means "Inconceivable oneness and diversity." In other words, according to this philosophy (championed by Srila Caitantya) there is existing simultaneously, inconceivably, both Oneness (as taught by Vedanta) as well as duality (as taught by Dvaita). How this can be is acintya or inconceivable, however when we consider that we are discussing esoteric truths about the nature of God and existence we should not be surprised to learn that there are certain things beyond human comprehension (humility is required of all who would seek to realize the Truth!) and yet when we consider the idea it is quite logical and, I believe, enlightened.

Srila Caitanya came to this conclusion by contemplating the nature of the Person of Ek Devata (the One transcendent God beyond all description). According to the Scriptures and logic everything that exists exists within Param-atman (God). That being generally accepted as a given, we find that all is One IN God. This seems to support the views of Srila Sankara and others (ie Vedanta). However, we also understand that God is a specific Being, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who alone possesses all attributes (which of course could only exist within Saguna by standard conception as Nirguna, by definition is 'without attributes').

Srila Caitanya therefore questioned how the Ek Devata could be both the accumulation/personification of everything that exists, while simultaneously maintaining a separate, independent existence as a Person called God (by countless Names and Attributes). Yet this was clearly the conclusion of the the scriptures as well. This sounded like a contradiction, a contradiction that had for thousands of years divided the Indians of the Sanatana Dharma (ie Hindus) into rival philosophical camps.

Srila Caitanya concluded that all sides were limitedly correct, noting the nature of Ek Devata is inconceivable (acintya).

Having established this, he concluded that since all existence exists within the Person of God (ie in Oneness) and yet exists as individual living entities with independent thought, karma, marga etc. then the creation (the "Body" of God) must also be inconceivably one and different with the Param-Atman (the Supreme Person) "as above so below."

Hence, the teaching is that the nature of ALL existence is inconceivably and eternally One (same) and Diverse (different) -- acintya bheda abheda. As Sri Krsna explains to Arjuna:

Srimad Bhagavad Gita 2:11: The Blessed One said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.

2:12: Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings, nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

2:13: As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul also passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change (from my translation: http://allfaith.com/Religions/Hinduism/gita2.html ).

Hope this helps,
~John of AllFaith
Jagannatha Prakasa

John of AllFaith's Blog

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Understanding the Nazirite Vow (Part 2 of 2)

"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite Vow
Part Two

The Nazirite Vow

Nazir: Uncut Hair

Celibacy:

Humility:

Priesthood

Special Blessings:

Abstinence from Alcohol and Other Distractions:

Vegetarianism:

Making the Vow:

Renunciation of Society:

Bamidbar 5 in the 1917 JPS

(JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY BIBLE).

Monday, January 21, 2008

Understanding the Nazirite Vow (Part 1)

"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite Vow
Part One

John of AllFaith © 11.29.02 (updated 1.21.08)

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Think you've had a bad day?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Dr King and I

Dr. King and I

Saturday, January 12, 2008

What is Karma? The Path to Liberation!

What is Karma?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

AllFaith.com is Moving

STOP QUEEN HILLARY!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Acintya Bheda Abheda Tattva

Contributors

Blog Archive

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite VowPart Two

The Nazirite Vow

Nazir: Uncut Hair

Celibacy:

Humility:

Priesthood

Special Blessings:

Abstinence from Alcohol and Other Distractions:

Vegetarianism:

Making the Vow:

Renunciation of Society:

Bamidbar 5 in the 1917 JPS

(JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY BIBLE).

Monday, January 21, 2008

"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite VowPart One

John of AllFaith © 11.29.02 (updated 1.21.08)

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Dr. King and I

Saturday, January 12, 2008

What is Karma?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Thursday, January 03, 2008

The Nazirite Vow
Part Two

The Nazirite Vow
Part One