The Dominican and Franciscan Orders (History with good intent)

Dominic, the father of the Dominican order, was the founder of the Inquisition and the first Inquisitor-General that had become part of the Roman tradition. This was confirmed by historians of the Order, and by quoting a bull of Innocent III appointing him Inquisitor-General. However, no tradition of the Church rests on a single and narrow basis. There is no doubt that Dominic devoted the best years of his life combating heresy, and when a heretic was deaf to persuasion, he would cheerfully stand by the pyre and see him burned, like any other Zealous missionary of the time; in this he was no more prominent than hundreds of others. Furthermore, he had nothing to do with the organized work in this direction. From the year 1215, when he laid the foundation of his Order, he was engrossed in it to the exclusion of all other objects, and was obliged to forego his cherished design of ending his days as a missionary to Persia. It was not until more than ten years after his death that such an institution as the papal Inquisition can be said to have existed.

                                                                                                    
                                         St. Dominic founder of the Dominican Order

A similar legendary halo exaggerates the exclusive glory, claimed by the Order, of organizing and perfecting the Inquisition. The bulls of Gregory IX alleged in support of the assertion are simply special orders of individual Dominican provincials to give authority to their brethren who were naturally suited for the purpose to the duty of preaching against heresy, and examining heretics and prosecuting their defenders.

The fact is that there was no formal confiding of the Inquisition to the Dominicans any more than there was any formal founding of the Inquisition itself. As the institution gradually assumed shape and organization in the effort to find some effectual means to force heretics out from hiding, the Dominicans were the readiest instrument at hand, especially as they professed the functions of preaching and converting as their primary business. As conversion became less, the object and persecution became the main business of the Inquisition, the Franciscans were equally useful, and the honours of the organization were divided between them.

                              St. Francis founder of the Franciscans

Still, the earliest inquisitors were unquestionably Dominicans. After the settlement, between Raymond of Toulouse and St. Louis, the removal of heresy in the Albigensian territories was seriously undertaken. The Dominicans were sent for to work under the direction of the bishops. In northern France the business gradually fell almost exclusively into their hand. In Aragon, as early as 1232, they were recommended to the Archbishop of Tarragona as fitting instruments for the Inquisition, and in April 1238, Gregory IX appointed the provincials of the Dominicans as inquisitors for the kingdom, and by 1249 the institution was entrusted to them.

                                                       Gregory IX

Eventually, southern France was divided between them and the Franciscans. The western portion was given to the Dominicans and the remainder was under the charge of the Franciscans. In 1254, Italy was formally divided between the Dominicans and Franciscans by Innocent IV. However, the boundaries of their respective jurisdictions caused early hatred and mutual rivalry between the two which led to perpetual scandal and danger to the Church. So strong was the hostility between the two Orders that Clement IV established the rule that there should be a distance of at least 3,000 feet between their respective possessions - “a regulation which only led to new and more intricate disputes.” 

                                                   Pope Clement IV
These two religious groups of the Mendicant Orders undoubtedly aided in postponing a revolution for which the world was not ready. Though the self-denial of their earlier days was too rear and destructive to be preserved, they soon committed acts that were a common part of the social order around them.  Yet their work had not been altogether lost. They had brought afresh to human minds some of the forgotten truths of the Gospel, and had taught them to view their duties to their fellows from a higher plane.

How well they recognized and appreciated their own service is shown by the story, common to the legend of both Orders. It tells that while the founders Dominic and Francis were waiting the approval of Innocent III, a holy man had a vision in which he saw Christ brandishing three darts with which to destroy the world, and the Virgin inquiring his purpose. Then said Christ, “This world is full of pride, avarice, and lust; I have borne with it too long, and with these darts will I consume it.” The Virgin fell on her knees and interceded for man, but in vain, until she revealed to him that she had two faithful servants who would reduce it to his dominion. Then Christ desired to see the champions; she showed him Dominic and Francis, and he was content. The pious author of the story could hardly have foreseen in 1627 Urban VIII would be obliged to deprive the Friars of their dearly prized immunity, and to subject them to episcopal jurisdiction, in the hope of restraining them from seducing their spiritual daughters in the confessional (The Inquisition of the Middle Ages, p.142)
 Innocent III           Urban VIII

Cultural underpinnings of sex victimology

We live in a society that trains and encourages females to be victims of sexual coercion and males to victimize females. In addition, it has important implications for what must be done to prevent sex victimization in its many forms.
Females are generally socialized to be passive and dependent while males are programmed to be independent and aggressive. This fundamental difference lies at the heart of sex victimization, which is primarily an act of power and control.
Most families are generally given the job of socializing children to fill prescribed gender roles and thus supply the needs of a power society…Ingrained in our present family system is the nucleus of male power and domination, No matter how often we witness the devastatingly harmful effects of this arrangement on women and children, the victims are always asked to uphold the family values and submit to abuse.
The teenage boy is quick to learn that he is expected to be the sexual aggressor. For him, it is acceptable – even “manly” – to use persuasion or trickery to seduce his prey. He is also taught (by our society, if not in his home) that females do not really know what they want, that when they say “no” they mean “maybe” they mean “yes.” He may also have heard a bit of male myths that says – in reference to some unhappy female – “what she needs is a good lay.” Given this background, it’s not surprising that what men see as being an “active, aggressive (and desirable) lover” may quickly be transformed into sexual assault in its various forms.
Most women have been taught as children not only to be passive (nice, polite, lady-like) but also to be seductive and coy. They are usually not trained to deal with physical aggression (unlike boys, whose play activities develop this capacity) but are trained to deal with sexual situations in a way that is shy, modest or reserved.  Thus the female in a situation of sexual coercion is ill prepared to act against sexual aggression. Faced with a physical threat, she often becomes psychologically paralyzed. Faced with unwanted sexual demands, and social expectations, she is likely to question what it is about her manner, dress, or behaviour that produced the attention: she blames herself and feels guilt instead of taking more positive action. This hesitancy is frequently misread, or ignored by the male, who sees it as a sign of weakness and a chance that she will give in. His past experience may prove him right: how many women “give in” in various undesired sexual situations is not known.
There are no perfect solutions that can wipe out sexual coercion, but a significant part of the problem can be addressed in two fundamental ways. First and foremost, as this discussion implies, is to change traditional gender-role socialization that puts females in the position of being vulnerable to sexual abuse. Second, in-depth attention is required to identify the conditions that push men into the “victimizer” role. Only when a clear understanding of the causes and motivations underlying coercive sex is at hand will it be possible to develop effective strategies for dealing with this problem on a large scale basis. 
In an essay titled “Raising Girls for the 21^st Century,” Emilie Buchwald (1993) makes the following suggestions for helping girls learn to know their strengths.

1.      Tell your daughters what helped you to survive growing up.
2.      Give girls your attention and approval.
3.      Teach girls to be independent.
4.      Encourage fathers to be active allies in remaking the culture.
5.      Teach girls at an early age about their bodies and their sexuality; replace sexual ignorance (and gender-linked stereotypes) with sexual knowledge, including specific facts about sexual harassment and other forms of sexual coercion.
6.      Let girls recognize that they can be part of changing our culture, and that cultures can in fact change.
7.      Enlist women mentors and role models.
8.      Find ways for girls to empower themselves through athletics and learning to play together.
9.      Teach girls to be media critical in order to avoid the undercurrent of endorsements of sexual violence in today’s movies and television.
10.  Avoid reinforcing gender stereotypes.
11.  Encourage girls to feel happy with themselves.


Boys can be taught different sexual values and attitudes if we protect them from violent entertainment (or at least help them see how the violence in our media is not an endorsement of what should happen in real life) and teach them, from childhood on, to view themselves as future nurturing, nonviolent responsible fathers.

As long as our culture enforces gender-role stereotypes that train females to be sexual victims and program males to see sexual aggression as “manly,” we will continue to have problems with sexual coercion in its many forms.

A look at the rapist

Learning about dangerous sex offenders depends almost exclusively on studies of those who have been convicted. The information obtained from these studies cannot be applied to all dangerous sex offenders because those who are less intelligent and less affluent are most likely to be arrested and found guilty, whereas offenders, who are affluent, are less likely to be reported and brought to justice.

Convicted violent sex offenders are not all alike. Their motivations for raping, and their methods   of finding a victim varies.

One of the key advances in studying violent sex offenders has been the realization that sex offenders are not oversexed men and that rape is usually an expression of power or anger, and not an act of sexual desire. In most cases the aggressive components are so predominant that the sexuality of the act is missing.

Forcible rape can be classified as either power rape or anger rape. None of the rape cases showed sex as the dominant motive. In power rape, the offender tries to intimidate his victim by using a weapon, physical force, and threats of bodily harm. He is usually awkward  in interpersonal relationships and feels inadequate as a person. Rape becomes a way for him to reassure himself about his strength, identity, and sexual adequacy.

In anger rape, the rapist brutalizes his victim and expressage rage and hatred by physical assault and verbal abuse. The motive behind this type of rape is often revenge and punishment against women in general and not the victim specifically. The anger rapist usually gets little or no sexually satisfaction from the rape and may have difficulty getting an erection.

Other forms of sexual assault include partner rape, spousal rape, date rape, incest, child pornography and sex rings, and sexual harassment at work.

Summary, boys can be taught different sexual values and attitudes if we protect them from violent entertainment (or at least help them see how the violence in our media is not an endorsement of what should happen in real life) and teach them, from childhood, to view themselves as future nurturing, nonviolent, responsible fathers.

In the final analysis, the process of changing our society’s attitudes toward sexual violence is not simple and will not happen quickly. But we are now in the process of recognizing the dimensions of the problem more acutely than we have in the past, which is the necessary first step along the way.

Rape will not stop until both men and women are allowed our full humanity. It is difficult , if not impossible, to harm another whom one perceives as equally human. The violence that comes from bias, hatred, and inequality can change when we figure out how to relate to one another as equals…

A look at cocaine

Cocaine is a naturally occurring substance produced by the coca plant. It is consumed in several preparations (e.g. coca leaves, coca paste, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine alkaloids such as freebase and crack) that differ in potency due to varying levels of purity and speed of onset. It also has vasoconstrictive properties, closing down tiny blood vessels in the area of injection. As a result, users must constantly find new locations on the body to inject the drug.  

Cocaine cannot be absorbed through unbroken skin but it can easily be absorbed through tissues such as the mucus membranes of the nasal passages and through the eye. It is particularly well absorbed through the vascular bed of the lungs when it is smoked and inhaled.

Solvents used in the preparation of coca paste often contaminate the paste and may cause toxic effects in the central nervous system and other organ systems when the paste is smoked. Cocaine hydrochloride powder is usually “snorted” through the nostrils (“snorting”) or dissolved in water and injected intravenously. It is sometimes mixed with heroin, yielding a drug combination known as a “speedball.”

When abused, cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant. It depresses the inhibitory neuronal pathways, causing euphoria, restlessness, and excitement. It acts centrally on the nervous system and causes an increased heart and respiratory rate (followed by a decrease), as well as a rapid rise in blood pressure.

Cocaine abusers may experience anxiety, insomnia, anorexia, weight loss, hyperactivity, paranoia, and euphoria. When abusers stop using cocaine, they may suffer an extreme emotional rebound, and may become depressed and suicidal.

With low doses of cocaine there may be an increase of motor activity, and high doses results in lack of coordination. Very high doses may result in tremor, lack of coordination, and death. The immediate cause of death from cocaine is respiratory and cardiac arrest.

A common used form of cocaine is “crack” or “rock,” a cocaine alkaloid that is extracted from its powdered hydrochloride salt by mixing it with sodium bicarbonate and allowing it to dry into small “rocks.” These small pieces can be smoked, either by combining them with tobacco or marijuana in a cigarette or in a water pipe.

All street forms of cocaine contain additives which are toxic to the user. The additives include sugars and stimulants which can cause psychosis, seizures, and irritability. Also, poisons are often added that can lead to acute kidney failure. Additives contribute to death associated with crack use.

Presently, crack/cocaine contains a toxic hog de-wormer (Levamisole) which also causes infections. Symptoms include fever and chills, swollen glands, painful sores in your mouth or anus, skin infection with dark skin patches, sore throat, pneumonia,  and other infections.

What is transgender?

Transgender is a term used to describe many groups of people, such as transsexuals, cross-dressers, and transgendered individuals. These groups of people do not match the sex category they were placed into at birth. Transexuals are people who seek to change their sex. Cross-dressers are those who occasionally or frequently dress in the cloths of the opposite sex. In addition, there are those who are identified as transgendered, meaning that their sex and gender do not "fit" in accordance with social norms. 

Transgender refers to how an individual wishes to express himself/herself , regardless of "sex." As a result, gender attribution is disrupted because a person cannot be placed easily into the appropriate sex category. Transgendering frequently results in gender being correctly assigned, but incorrectly categorized. 

Although the gender binary of masculinity and femininity is seen as mutually exclusive, transgendering can highlight the  ways in which these two  genders can be combined in order to produce a gender that is neither one nor the other, but one that falls outside of the gender binary. Some cultures have provided social spaces fors r more than two genders

Transgendering can also disturb our ideas about the relationship of gender and sexuality. To the degree that sexual identity refers to the way which people are categorized as gay or heterosexual according to the sex of their partner, transgendering suggests a person might be attracted to the gender of the individual, not the sex. For example, a herterosexual woman might be attract to the masculinity of a biological female, but one who presented as a socially masculine transgendered individual. The heterosexual woman might not realize the actual sex of the transgendered individual given the assumption that a person who is masculine is male. 

The heterosexual-gay distinction assumes that everyone falls into one category of sexual identity. Transgendering, however, could result in "passing,"  in which a person is seen as having the sex other than that with which they were born. This would result in an recognizable mismatch (between sex and gender), and therefore could be seen as disrupting the link between gender and sexuality. For example, the "butch lesbian" is female but masculine in "her" gender presentation. And, what about "her" sexual identity? Is the butch lesbian desire for feminine women a heterosexual or gay desire?

Conclusion

In our society, sex, gender and sexuality are understood in binary terms. The only sex categories available are male and female, the only gender categories are masculine and feminine, and the sexual categories are chiefly heterosexual and gay. Moreover, it's been assumed that there is a logical order between sex, gender, and sexuality. For example, a normal female will become a woman whose femininity will express itself in a heterosexual identity. Most Canadians and Americans understand these binaries and this logical order as natural. The recent visibility of transgendered individuals challenges the presumed naturalness of these binaries. Transgendering allows for varied relationships between sex, gender, and sexuality. It challenges the binaries and a presumed natural order between sex, gender and sexuality. 

This is why transgendered individuals face hostility and many challenges in their daily lives.

In the face of this hostility and challenges, transgendered individuals have rallied around a gender identity movement. 

The queer movement, women's movement, men's movement , and transgendered movement need to work together in order to ensure freedom and protection for all.

 For understanding why and what we are see;http://drlarryfalls.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-biology-of-gender.html

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes used to be called "juvenile" diabetes because most people were diagnosed with this condition as children. It was also known as "insulin -dependent diabetes.mellitus."  It has since been learned that type 1 diabetes is mostly diagnosed before the age  of 30 years.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's pancreas does not produce insulin, which leads to glucose (sugar) building up in the blood, instead of being used by the body for energy.

The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not known. It may have to do with the body's immune system sending signals to attack the insulin-producing.  cells in the pancreas, or it may be .related to genetics or environmental factors, or combination of both.

Type 1 diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar. A family history of type 1 diabetes can put you at a slightly higher risk but there are no risk factors that can be changed.Base on current trends of type 1 diabetes, it is thought that the majority of new cases of diabetes in coming years will be type 2 diabetes , rather that type 1. The number of people being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is rising by about 3 - 5% per year. The age group with the greatest increase is five-to-nine-year-olds. 

Some of the subtle and more common symptoms include:
* Extreme thirst
* Frequent urination
* Feeling very tired
* Constant hunger
* Blurry visiont to 
* Weight loss

Type 1 diabetes can also appear quickly and without warning. If you notice any of these symptoms, it is important that  you seek medical advice as soon as possible. If you have noticed any of the listed symptoms ,you may want to consider seeing your doctor to be tested.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a health condition where your blood sugar level is above what is considered "normal." The body's pancreas makes insulin to break down food nutrients to be used by the body's cells and tissues. However, in people with type 2 diabetes, insulin is not being used properly by your body. This leads to increased sugar (glucose) which builds up in your blood. 

Some common symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
* Extreme thirst
* Frequent urination
* Unexplained weight loss
* Feeling tired
* Wounds that take a long time to heal
* Extreme hunger
* Frequent infections
* Sudden changes in vision
* Tingling or numbness in your hands and feet

Known risk factors include:
* Family history of diabetes
* Being over age 40
* Being overweight  (especially if the excessive weight is around your mid-section).
* Smoking
* A previous diagnosis of "gestational diabetes" (diabetes while pregnant)
* Being diagnosed with the "metabolic syndrome," "impaired glucose tolerance," or "impaired fasting glucose."  These three conditions are considered to be indicators of pre-diabetes.

Although there is evidence  that diabetes can be prevented before it develops ( by making changes in your diet and increasing your level of physical activity), there is currently no cure for type 2 diabetes.
  

What you should know about Syphilis

Syphilis has not gone away, and in some places it is on the rise. During the 16^th and 17^th centuries, there was a rebirth of humanism and the arts which engulfed Europe. It was accompanied by a loosening of sexual restrictions which had previously been observed.  The Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others, generally advocated less negative attitudes toward sexual matters than the Catholic Church did. For example, although Luther was hardly liberal in his sexual attitudes, he thought that sex was not inherently sinful and that chastity and celibacy were not signs of virtue. At the same time, Europe was caught in a massive epidemic of syphilis – which might have worked to limit sexual freedom.

Syphilis is a spiral-shaped microorganism, Treponema pallidum, discovered in 1905. 

This photomicrograph of Treponema pallidum bacteria was taken from a tissue section. From Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa.

Syphilis is usually transmitted by sexual contacts, but it can also be acquired from blood transfusion or transmitted from a pregnant mother to the fetus.

The earliest sign of syphilis in its primary stage is a sore called a chancre (pronounced “shanker”). The chancre generally appears two to four weeks after infection. The most common locations for the chancre in 75 percent of cases, are the genitals and anus, but it can also develop on the lips, in the mouth, on a finger, on a breast, or on any part of the body where the bacteria can enter the skin.  The chancre begins as a dull-red spot which develops into a pimple. The pimple ulcerates, forming a round or oval sore usually surrounded by a red rim. The chancre usually heals within four to six weeks, leading to the erroneous belief that the “problem” went away.

                                                Primary stage chancre

Secondary syphilis is rare because it is mostly prevented by early medical intervention.  The second stage without treatment, begins anywhere from one week to six months after the chancre heals. The symptoms include a pale red or pinkish rash often found on the palms and soles, fever, sore throat, headaches, joint pains, poor appetite, weight loss, and hair loss. Moist sores called condyloma lata may appear around the genitals or anus and are highly infectious. The symptoms of this secondary stage of syphilis usually last three to six months but can come and go periodically. After all the symptoms disappear, the disease passes into a latent stage. At this stage the disease is no longer contagious, but the infecting microorganisms burrow their way into various tissues, such as the brain, spinal cord, blood vessels, and bones. Fifty to 70 percent of people with untreated syphilis stay in this stage for the rest of their lives. The remainder, pass on to the late syphilis stage.  It involves serious heart problems, eye problems, and brain or spinal cord damage. These complications can cause paralysis, insanity, blindness, and death.

Syphilis is usually diagnosed by a blood test. Although tests are not completely fool-proof in detecting the primary stage of syphilis, secondary syphilis can be diagnosed with 100 percent accuracy. Diagnosis also depends on a carefully performed physical examination looking for signs of primary or secondary syphilis. Chancre sores can be observed on male sex organs, and chancres of the cervix or vagina may be detected only by a pelvic examination. Examination of the fluid taken from a chancre under a special microscope will usually show the characteristic spiral-shaped organism.

Syphilis can easily be treated with one injection in its primary and secondary stages. Later stages of syphilis require treatment over a longer period of time, but the treatment is usually successful.

Persons who have been sexually exposed to someone with proven early syphilis should promptly seek medical help.