Sometimes gaslighters are projecting but often they are simply denying reality/rewriting history. They will insist that you are crazy when you bring up something hurtful or damaging that they have done. They will feign concern for you by asking you frequently if you are OK or if you are aware of how crazy something you said sounds: "I've never known you to say such vicious things about others, especially about me! What's going on here? Are you feeling jealous or concerned that you aren't getting enough of my attention? I'm really worried about you."

Ugh. How very frustrating. This is the kind of thing I'm afraid of. I'm also afraid of homeschooling high school but I need to remind myself that we have a community college for some classes as well as universities that offer online coursework for high schoolers. I hope your daughter has recovered from the experience!

What's the Hive's take on this study and its results? We don't use an online charter but I've considered it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/10/31/study-on-online-charter-schools-it-is-literally-as-if-the-kid-did-not-go-to-school-for-an-entire-year/

I go into flares where my neck and shoulders seize up and it can last several days. Ice is my best friend. Swedish massage really helps. Biofreeze is a useful product for right at the end of the massage. Ice massage really helps too. I've never found a muscle relaxant that actually works but others have had luck. I rely on nsaids like aleve,taken as directed. You have to be very vigilant about posture. Keep your face and especially your jaw as relaxed as possible. Do not clench your teeth, ever. Keep your shoulders low and follow instructions for gentle stretches of the affected region. When you watch TV sit with a pillow behind your low back and two on your lap where you can rest your arms. Do not give in to the temptation to slouch, hunch, twist, or tilt your body. Maintain proper alignment at all times. It is tedious but worth it. I hope you feel better soon!

This is not accurate. Unfortunately, forced abortions under one child policy have been enforced in recent years throughout the mainland, but primarily in the poorer provinces.

People my age (40) all have siblings. Most children today do have aunts and uncles. I don't think Chinese people will take long to remember how to raise multiples. Many poor people leave their children with grandparents while they go away to work and the grandparents are accustomed to raising multiples.

Twins are very lucky, especially dragon-phoenix boy girl twins!

We do have the Canon of Scripture in addition to our Canon laws some of which sorely need updating/eliminating.

The Chinese government is extending an existing policy that applied to ethnic minorities only before to all Chinese regardless of ethnicity now. Some minority groups were allowed more than one child if they suffered extreme brutality and ethnic cleansing during the communist revolution and later the Cultural Revolution.

From what I understand from family and friends in China people are happy but many families are disappointed that they had to endure the bitter years of the one child policy and feel left out due to age. My sister in law always wanted 2 children but now she's 45 and a little sad that change in law didn't come sooner. People will not be openly talking about this complaint in the news in China like we do in the US.

It's all so fascinating! I wish I could speak to Ugaritic mythology better but I have very little experience or knowledge of it. I do appreciate the remarks of Eric Jobe, a contemporary Orthodox Christian commentator who speaks to the elements of mythical imagination in the Bible when he states: Taken from his blog post on the topic. https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/departinghoreb/baal-and-leviathan/

I love that podcast! There's also a new podcast called The Bible's Grand Narrative: A Weaver's Tale by Marcia Harris Brim that's intended for all Christians. http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/biblesnarrative

Yes. Orthodox processions go either around and down the middle (when there are chairs or pews in the nave) or it makes a circular path through the laity who move to create a space because we are all standing together side by side without chairs or pews. My church has no chairs or pews except for some chairs along the wall for people to rest.

Orthodox Christians also make a procession through the church with the Gospels bound in gold during the point in the Divine Liturgy where we prepare to hear the Word of God. It sounds very similar and is not surprising. Coming back to add that the laity touch and kiss the hem of the priests vestments as he makes the procession of the Great Entrance when the gifts of bread and wine are brought out before the consecration.

To be fair, you did say you would speak to specific doctrines of the councils and now you are back pedaling. You made the invitation so the "nice try" remark is a bit incongruous.

My dd and yours have a lot in common. I myself do not make a good example of getting started in a timely fashion so we're kinda hopeless, lol.

I added IEW SWIB to our schedule in a moment of panic thinking dd12 isn't getting enough writing instruction. It was a good addition and we will follow it up with Lively Art of Writing when we are done and we will also continue with ELTL as we are taking it slow in hopes that level 6 will be available soon.

My internet connection is very slow to load and reload so I am just now seeing your post. Tradition means "that which has been handed down." The early reformers started the tradition of dismissing and deviating away from "Holy Tradition." According to Orthodox Wiki, Holy Tradition "is the deposit of faith given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles and passed on in the Church from one generation to the next without addition, alteration or subtraction." The tradition of relying on the Holy Spirit outside of Holy Tradition for Scriptural interpretation is chief among the traditions started by the reformers. Any of the Five Solas doctrines would be considered traditions that were created by the reformers and are carried on by Protestants who follow those principles. The tradition of iconoclasm as practiced by Protestants was instated by Reformers. The tradition of non-liturgical worship as practiced by Protestants in a newer innovation that has become commonplace across many protestant groups. These are now traditions that many if not most protestants follow and they all deviate from Holy Tradition as defined above. Does that make sense? fixed typos

Okay. Thank you. I am sorry to keep harping on that distinction while everyone was responding to my earlier questions. Thanks again.

I think I get why PJ wrote this. I was puzzled by it earlier on. I will ask the question I asked TechWife. Do all Protestants believe that The Bible is the Word of God? No wonder we are all talking at cross purposes! Major difference. Major. No wonder PJ ran away! :laugh: fixed typos

Edited for typos.

Thanks for giving this a whirl, Laurie4b! I actually really appreciated the parallel you drew between this kind of lack of awareness and racial awareness. My next question would be, where in the Bible does it say that John Calvin, Marin Luther, John Wycliffe, or any other reformer would *correctly* interpret the Bible? How would they know the proper way to interpret the Bible if it doesn't say anywhere in the Bible how to know? There isn't a single verse that says one should only rely on personal interpretation of the Scriptures anywhere in the Scriptures. In fact the opposite is stated. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." (2Thes.2:15) "Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you." (1 Corinthians 11:2) "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21:25)