Are males the weaker sex?

[joasia]

Exactly, Joasia. I like the way you think, you never leave theology out of anything.

I have read a father who said that God foresaw the fall of man and accounted for the fallen condition in the design of the body, but I can't remember who said it. I will have a look around, it was along the lines of what you said.

Man is created in the image of God, not the other way around. Before the Incarnation, Christ our God appeared to men because He is the Incarnate God. Although He was born in time as the Son of Mary, Christ has always existed as the Incarnate God.

Christ our God appeared in the Garden of Eden, walked with Adam and spoke with him. The high priest Melchizedek is a prefiguration of Christ the High Priest. Some theologians say Melchizedek is Christ (before His birth in time). Christ our God appeared at the Oaks as an angel and announced that Abraham would bear a son. Christ our God appeared as an angel in the burning cauldron and walked around with the three youths who escaped unharmed.

The image of God isn't about the body. But, God already had it planned that our bodies would be designed this way after the fall. I was referring more to the spiritual mysteries of God's creation that can be realized when looking at nature.

One day, I was thinking about the butterfly and how it starts off as a caterpillar, on the ground, then develops into a cocoon and afterwards comes out as a butterfly that flies. It's like a transition from earthly to heavenly. Then I thought that it can be an analogy of the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament was earthly...the letter of the law and confined to boundaries. The butterfly is the New Testament. Freed from limitation and able to rise to higher levels...the spirit of the law. The cocoon part is the transition where Jesus Christ converts the Jews. The butterfly is the completion of the potential of it's former state as a caterpillar.

You see. God created the caterpillar/butterfly but because of His Almighty Wisdom as the Creator of all, His lessons to us are visible in everything He created if our contemplation of God can see it. The saints have pointed out such lessons when they observed nature.

[Maria]

Our bodies are created good. Not only our bodies but also our souls are sanctified, illuminated, and deified through the reception of the Holy Mysteries, especially Holy Communion.

That we can receive the Holy Eucharist, become deified, and like St. Seraphim of Sarov, become as a living flame, are the reasons why the devils hate us so and are actively working to cause our damnation. The angels cannot receive Holy Communion as they do not have bodies like we do. Through our reception of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we become higher than the Angels, yet this presents a danger, as unworthy reception through pride can also lead to our damnation. It is truly a two edged sword, and that is why our priests command us to pray certain pre-communion prayers so that we may humbly and attentively receive the Holy Eucharist.

Since our very bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit, this is why the church condemns cremation, and also why organ donation is not recommended. We must watch out for gnosticism which teaches that our bodies are mere shells to be discarded and burned after we die. My mom, who is now a Protestant, believes in this heresy.

[jgress]

If you think it was not a general comment on the way women use their hearts over their heads then delete it.

If you think it is somehow deficient to trust people by nature who appear to be your friend, I guess it's slander. I would take it as a compliment because I have to think the most evil thoughts just to figure out how to explain this stuff, and sometimes I enjoy it.

War is not kind to the average ideal, it favors idealist monsters.

My job is to hard, I need a holiday.

What I'm concerned with is your antagonistic tone. And if you really enjoy thinking evil thoughts then maybe you need to start looking for some spiritual direction rather than spending time here.

I think you do have some valuable contributions here; it's just a matter of expressing yourself better.

[joasia]

Our bodies are created good. Not only our bodies but also our souls are sanctified, illuminated, and deified through the reception of the Holy Mysteries, especially Holy Communion.

That we can receive the Holy Eucharist, become deified, and like St. Seraphim of Sarov, become as a living flame, are the reasons why the devils hate us so and are actively working to cause our damnation. The angels cannot receive Holy Communion as they do not have bodies like we do. Through our reception of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we become higher than the Angels, yet this presents a danger, as unworthy reception through pride can also lead to our damnation. It is truly a two edged sword, and that is why our priests command us to pray certain pre-communion prayers so that we may humbly and attentively receive the Holy Eucharist.

Since our very bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit, this is why the church condemns cremation, and also why organ donation is not recommended. We must watch out for gnosticism which teaches that our bodies are mere shells to be discarded and burned after we die. My mom, who is now a Protestant, believes in this heresy.

I don't know if you are responding to my post or arcmode. If it's something I said, please specify. I certainly don't have a gnostic mentality. Perhaps I didn't express myself clearly.

[Maria]

Our bodies are created good. Not only our bodies but also our souls are sanctified, illuminated, and deified through the reception of the Holy Mysteries, especially Holy Communion.

That we can receive the Holy Eucharist, become deified, and like St. Seraphim of Sarov, become as a living flame, are the reasons why the devils hate us so and are actively working to cause our damnation. The angels cannot receive Holy Communion as they do not have bodies like we do. Through our reception of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we become higher than the Angels, yet this presents a danger, as unworthy reception through pride can also lead to our damnation. It is truly a two edged sword, and that is why our priests command us to pray certain pre-communion prayers so that we may humbly and attentively receive the Holy Eucharist.

Since our very bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit, this is why the church condemns cremation, and also why organ donation is not recommended. We must watch out for gnosticism which teaches that our bodies are mere shells to be discarded and burned after we die. My mom, who is now a Protestant, believes in this heresy.

I don't know if you are responding to my post or arcmode. If it's something I said, please specify. I certainly don't have a gnostic mentality. Perhaps I didn't express myself clearly.

I am certainly not accusing you of being a gnostic, but when you made the statement: "The image of God isn't about the body," I became concerned as my mom has stated nearly the same thing in justifying cremation and now apparently believes that there is nothing wrong with euthanasia.

My mom has become a Protestant with gnostic tendencies, and sadly, she does not even realize this. She has put in her will that she desires to be cremated, and she has asked me not to challenge this. She also seems to be denying the resurrection of the body, when she stated that we will be like angels without the need for carnal bodies. She even had my father cremated. He was a devout Catholic who helped to finance the Oregon referendum to outlaw euthanisia (which failed). Now, my mom is starting to believe the euthanasia ads as Oregon has legalized assisted euthanasia where hospitals can euthanize patients. Lord have mercy. My mom needs prayers. She has battled cancer twice, is losing the will to live, and is eating foods that could trigger another bout with cancer.

[joasia]

Our bodies are created good. Not only our bodies but also our souls are sanctified, illuminated, and deified through the reception of the Holy Mysteries, especially Holy Communion.

That we can receive the Holy Eucharist, become deified, and like St. Seraphim of Sarov, become as a living flame, are the reasons why the devils hate us so and are actively working to cause our damnation. The angels cannot receive Holy Communion as they do not have bodies like we do. Through our reception of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we become higher than the Angels, yet this presents a danger, as unworthy reception through pride can also lead to our damnation. It is truly a two edged sword, and that is why our priests command us to pray certain pre-communion prayers so that we may humbly and attentively receive the Holy Eucharist.

Since our very bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit, this is why the church condemns cremation, and also why organ donation is not recommended. We must watch out for gnosticism which teaches that our bodies are mere shells to be discarded and burned after we die. My mom, who is now a Protestant, believes in this heresy.

I don't know if you are responding to my post or arcmode. If it's something I said, please specify. I certainly don't have a gnostic mentality. Perhaps I didn't express myself clearly.

I am certainly not accusing you of being a gnostic, but when you made the statement: "The image of God isn't about the body," I became concerned as my mom has stated nearly the same thing in justifying cremation and now apparently believes that there is nothing wrong with euthanasia.

My mom has become a Protestant with gnostic tendencies, and sadly, she does not even realize this. She has put in her will that she desires to be cremated, and she has asked me not to challenge this. She also seems to be denying the resurrection of the body, when she stated that we will be like angels without the need for carnal bodies. She even had my father cremated. He was a devout Catholic who helped to finance the Oregon referendum to outlaw euthanisia (which failed). Now, my mom is starting to believe the euthanasia ads as Oregon has legalized assisted euthanasia where hospitals can euthanize patients. Lord have mercy. My mom needs prayers. She has battled cancer twice, is losing the will to live, and is eating foods that could trigger another bout with cancer.

Maria, what your mom says as a Protestant and what I say as an Orthodox Christian do not mean the same thing. Just consider who is saying it. The "image of God" is our free will, reasoning and immortality of our souls. Of course we need our bodies. One is not the wholeness of the person without the other.

Please re-read my comments. I was, in a clumsy way, trying to express that everything that God created has a mystery of His wisdom and if we tune in enough, we can recognize His message in all His creation. I just can't figure out the message of the chromosomes.

I hope this clarifies things.

My heart goes to you for what you have to endure.

[Maria]

Maria, what your mom says as a Protestant and what I say as an Orthodox Christian do not mean the same thing. Just consider who is saying it. The "image of God" is our free will, reasoning and immortality of our souls. Of course we need our bodies. One is not the wholeness of the person without the other.

Please re-read my comments. I was, in a clumsy way, trying to express that everything that God created has a mystery of His wisdom and if we tune in enough, we can recognize His message in all His creation. I just can't figure out the message of the chromosomes.

I hope this clarifies things.

My heart goes to you for what you have to endure.

Joanna, the "y" chromosome is significantly smaller than the "X". Thus if there is a fatal gene on the "X" and the "y" chromosome does not have a gene to counteract it, then the child will die. That may be why less males are being born.

With all the chemicals in our environment, children are more at risk. When it comes to the autism spectrum, boys seem to be more vulnerable as more boys present with these set of symptoms. However, one important point the author seems to ignore is that before the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum was published by the APA, boys would be boys and would not be diagnosed with autism or hyperactivity. Several of my friends who teach elementary school told me that schools want children to learn more at earlier ages, and that drugging these children is the only way to keep them still so that they can learn to pass those achievement tests. Boys need to run outside and play, not sit in classrooms at the tender ages of 4 and 5.

Doctors have now coined a disease called the "sitting disease." We are taking healthy boys and turning them into zombies by making them sit for 8 hours in a classroom.