Cultural Education

People from the Western world often do not appreciate the extent to which the conflict between Church and State which led to the separation of both institutions, and the emergence of secularism in Western culture is a unique feature of their history.

Conflict is a universal feature of social and political life. Conflict between Church and State is therefore also universal. But the particulars of the phenomenon in Western civilization, leading to the separation of both institutions and final emergence of secularism, is so unique that we need to take a closer look to explain how and why such rift occurred in Western history.

The conflict between Church and State, in Western cultural history, has its roots in the innate incompatibility of Christianity, in its Judaic roots, with secularism. All traditional societies maintain a secular outlook to life, side by side with public ritual ceremonial celebrations of the private spiritual dispositions of individuals to the sacred. The sacred and profane aspects of social life observe culturally defined boundaries of their exclusive domain in the fluidity of intrusive interaction with each other. In most traditional societies the boundaries are usually not explicitly stated but are commonly recognized and observed.

The common “Judeo-Islamic” group of Semitic religions, from which Christianity arose, and with which it shares salient dispositional traits, does not acknowledge such boundaries. Thus, in the context of a non-Semitic culture, with its insistence on the duality of secular-public and sacred-private aspects of life, Christianity, in its insistence on the unlimited influence and reach of religion in social life, was bound to violate, in the long term, the values of a non-Semitic culture.

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The invaluable function of providing for family physically, emotionally, spiritually or intellectually transcends any monetary figure.

It is now 100 years that the modern day western tradition of Father’s Day was begun in Spokane Washington by Sonora Dodd after hearing a sermon about Mothers Day. She proclaimed that her father who had raised 6 children single-handedly after his wife had died, ought to have a special day to be recognized and acknowledged.

In 1966 President Johnston signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.

A Fathers Day of some kind – a day that is for Fathers of any kind – is recognized and maintained in many countries. there are also less known practices of honoring the father in more ancient history. Wikipedia has some interesting reading as to how and when it is practiced in other parts of the world.

It has become a traditional way to exercise a family value of unity. An outward display of our respect for fundamental concerns toward parenting. Lest we forget that it is the parenting factors of father and mother that raised us and introduced us into this world and showed us how to interpret our life and living skills. That introduced us to traditions socially and culturally. How would we know about our cultural backgrounds if it were not for mothers and fathers and grandparents to show us our traditions of all the other celebrated days culturally, socially and religiously? They nurture a perspective we can use in our lives to raise our own children. A perspective that allows us to at the least have a commonality in society whereby we can respect other families and their parenting choices and cultural traditions.

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Known throughout the world for its high anti-bacterial properties, silver has been used in almost all cultures for healing, restorative or preservative purposes. As antibiotics are an invention of our modern times, ancient civilizations turned to the rich variety of plants and minerals with therapeutic effects. There are facts about silver that prove its medical uses in traditional medicine throughout the centuries; we find such information in written medical records or oral traditions in the case of local cultures. Both interesting and advanced knowledge of the therapeutic effects of silver appear in Greek, Roman and even Egyptian traditions.

The Greek philosopher and historian, Herodotus, mentions silver as being used long before the birth of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, only silver containers were used to keep water and food fresh, due to the preservative properties of the metal. Let’s not forget that even holy water in the various Christian rites has always been stored in silver vessels, since no bacteria can resist to the high vibration of the metal cells. In fact, the chemical explanation of the anti-bacterial properties lies in the formation of silver positive ions that purify anything they come into contact with.

Due to scientific studies, we now know that the wealthy that used silver cutlery and vessels to store their food were better protected against plagues particularly during the Middle Ages. Used all around the globe, silver appears mentioned in Egyptian writings and in Chinese royal customs as well. Moreover, for at least a millennium and a half, colloidal silver has been used in traditional medical facilities to prevent open wounds from getting infected. This powerful bactericide has made quite a history to this day when it is included in a variety of homeopathic products meant to improve serious health conditions.

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