₦airaland Forum

No specific names or dates are associated with the church's shift from observing the holy day on Saturday to observing it on Sunday. At first, especially when many Christians were converted Jews, their holy day was Saturday. However, because the Resurrection and the beginning of Creation had both occurred on the first day of the week (Sunday), the church soon observed that day instead. (More Gentiles were becoming Christians as well, which contributed to a desire to shake off Jewish customs.) By the end of the first century, Sunday worship was the norm. We can assume the change caused some friction, for in Colossians 2:16 Paul admonishes, "Therefore do no let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day."

It's important to note that the Sabbath was not simply moved; Christians altered the observance as well as the day. Hallmarks of the early Christian "Lord's day" celebration, according to Justin Martyr (ca. 100-ca. 165), included readings from Scripture (particularly the Gospels), a sermon, communal prayer, and Communion—very different from Jewish Sabbath observance. By Jewish standards, Christians don't keep the Sabbath at all.



One of the most appealing teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is their insistence that Christians must obey the Ten Commandments . . . all ten of them. They rightly expose the errant thinking among many Protestant Christian sects that claims, “We don’t have to keep the Ten Commandments for salvation anymore.”

Of course, as Jesus reminds us:

And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” And [Jesus] said to him . . . “If you would enter life, keep the commandments” (Matt. 19:16-17).

Given our agreement on this point, the Seventh-day Adventist commonly asks: “If you believe we have to keep the Fourth (our Third) Commandment, why aren’t Catholics and other Christians obliged to attend Mass and Services on Saturdays instead of Sunday?”

We can draw our first source from the Catholic worshippers'[sub][/sub] Catechism, which declares:

Since they express man’s fundamental duties towards God and towards his neighbor, the Ten Commandments reveal, in their primordial content, grave obligations. They are fundamentally immutable, and they oblige always and everywhere. No one can dispense from them. The Ten Commandments are engraved by God in the human heart (2072).


Thus, the Third Commandment is “fundamentally immutable” because it’s one of the Ten Commandments, which Jesus said we must follow to attain everlasting life. However, the Catholic Church teaches the particular day we celebrate in keeping the Third Commandment to be ceremonial, or an accidental component of the law that is changeable. Here’s how the Catechism puts it:

Sunday is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the Sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish Sabbath. . . . Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the Sabbath, but the Lord’s Day. . . . The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship. . . . Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people (2175-76).

Are there biblical data that concur with this teaching of the Church? Absolutely!


St. Paul tells us that the ceremonial aspect of the old law—the Sabbath day itself—is no longer binding for the Christian faithful:

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in regard to food or drink or in respect to festival, or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ (Col. 2:16-17).

Clearly, the Sabbath is “a mere shadow”—that is, fleeting by nature. And “shadow” (Greek, skian) is the same word used by the inspired author of the letter to the Hebrews for the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant—also no longer binding on Christians.

For the law, having but a shadow (Greek, skian) of the good things to come, and not the exact image of the objects, is never able by the sacrifices which they offer continually, year after year the same, to perfect those who draw near (10:1).

Moreover, it is important to note how Paul uses the same division of “festivals” (annual holy days), “new moons” (monthly holy days), and “Sabbaths” (the weekly holy days) that the Old Testament uses in 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4, 8:12-13, 31:3; and elsewhere, when referencing Jewish holy days. Clearly, along with the yearly and monthly holy days—which no Christian today claims is binding upon believers in Christ—the Sabbath is included in what Paul calls a mere shadow.

When Paul teaches that Christians do not have to keep the Sabbath, he speaks of the holy days that were specific to the Jews. He is not saying—and does not say—that we do not have to keep any holy days at all. In context, Paul is dealing with Judaizers, who were telling Gentile Christians they had to be circumcised and keep the Old Covenant law that had passed away, which would include the Sabbath and other holy days, in order to be saved. Some overlook this fact when they use Paul’s epistle to the Romans against the necessity of keeping the Third Commandment.

As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. . . . One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord (14:1-6).

During the first few decades of Church history, the question of Jewish-Gentile relations with the Church and the law was a hot topic. As long as the Temple was standing, Christians of Jewish descent were free to attend the Temple and keep certain aspects of the Old Law, as long as they did not teach these things to be essential for salvation.

Greek mathematics refers to the mathematics written in the Greek language from the time of Thales of Miletus (~600 BC) to the closure of the Academy of Athens in 529 AD.[36] Greek mathematicians lived in cities spread over the entire Eastern Mediterranean, from Italy to North Africa, but were united by culture and language. Greek mathematics of the period following Alexander the Great is sometimes called Hellenistic mathematics.[37]

Greek mathematics was much more sophisticated than the mathematics that had been developed by earlier cultures. All surviving records of pre-Greek mathematics show the use of inductive reasoning, that is, repeated observations used to establish rules of thumb. Greek mathematicians, by contrast, used deductive reasoning. The Greeks used logic to derive conclusions from definitions and axioms, and used mathematical rigor to prove them.[38]

Greek mathematics is thought to have begun with Thales of Miletus (c. 624–c.546 BC) and Pythagoras of Samos (c. 582–c. 507 BC). Although the extent of the influence is disputed, they were probably inspired by Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics. According to legend, Pythagoras traveled to Egypt to learn mathematics, geometry, and astronomy from Egyptian priests.

Thales used geometry to solve problems such as calculating the height of pyramids and the distance of ships from the shore. He is credited with the first use of deductive reasoning applied to geometry, by deriving four corollaries to Thales' Theorem. As a result, he has been hailed as the first true mathematician and the first known individual to whom a mathematical discovery has been attributed.[39] Pythagoras established the Pythagorean School, whose doctrine it was that mathematics ruled the universe and whose motto was "All is number".[40] It was the Pythagoreans who coined the term "mathematics", and with whom the study of mathematics for its own sake begins. The Pythagoreans are credited with the first proof of the Pythagorean theorem,[41] though the statement of the theorem has a long history, and with the proof of the existence of irrational numbers.[42][43] Although he was preceded by the Babylonians and the Chinese,[44] the Neopythagorean mathematician Nicomachus (60–120 AD) provided one of the earliest Greco-Roman multiplication tables, whereas the oldest extant Greek multiplication table is found on a wax tablet dated to the 1st century AD (now found in the British Museum).[45] The association of the Neopythagoreans with the Western invention of the multiplication table is evident in its later Medieval name: the mensa Pythagorica.[46]

Plato (428/427 BC – 348/347 BC) is important in the history of mathematics for inspiring and guiding others.[47] His Platonic Academy, in Athens, became the mathematical center of the world in the 4th century BC, and it was from this school that the leading mathematicians of the day, such as Eudoxus of Cnidus, came.[48] Plato also discussed the foundations of mathematics,[49] clarified some of the definitions (e.g. that of a line as "breadthless length", and reorganized the assumptions.[50] The analytic method is ascribed to Plato, while a formula for obtaining Pythagorean triples bears his name.

Eudoxus (408–c. 355 BC) developed the method of exhaustion, a precursor of modern integration and a theory of ratios that avoided the problem of incommensurable magnitudes. The former allowed the calculations of areas and volumes of curvilinear figures, while the latter enabled subsequent geometers to make significant advances in geometry. Though he made no specific technical mathematical discoveries, Aristotle (384–c. 322 BC) contributed significantly to the development of mathematics by laying the foundations of logic.

The history of mathematics deals with the origin of discoveries in mathematics and the mathematical methods and notation of the past. Before the modern age and the worldwide spread of knowledge, written examples of new mathematical developments have come to light only in a few locales. From 3000 BC the Mesopotamian states of Sumer, Akkad and Assyria, followed closely by Ancient Egypt and the Levantine state of Ebla began using arithmetic, algebra and geometry for purposes of taxation, commerce, trade and also in the patterns in nature, the field of astronomy and to record time and formulate calendars.

The earliest mathematical texts available are from Mesopotamia and Egypt – Plimpton 322 (Babylonian c. 2000 – 1900 BC),[2] the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus (Egyptian c. 1800 BC)[3] and the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus (Egyptian c. 1890 BC). All of these texts mention the so-called Pythagorean triples, so, by inference, the Pythagorean theorem seems to be the most ancient and widespread mathematical development after basic arithmetic and geometry.

The study of mathematics as a "demonstrative discipline" began in the 6th century BC with the Pythagoreans, who coined the term "mathematics" from the ancient Greek μάθημα (mathema), meaning "subject of instruction".[4] Greek mathematics greatly refined the methods (especially through the introduction of deductive reasoning and mathematical rigor in proofs) and expanded the subject matter of mathematics.[5] Although they made virtually no contributions to theoretical mathematics, the ancient Romans used applied mathematics in surveying, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, bookkeeping, creation of lunar and solar calendars, and even arts and crafts. Chinese mathematics made early contributions, including a place value system and the first use of negative numbers.[6][7] The Hindu–Arabic numeral system and the rules for the use of its operations, in use throughout the world today evolved over the course of the first millennium AD in India and were transmitted to the Western world via Islamic mathematics through the work of Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī.[8][9] Islamic mathematics, in turn, developed and expanded the mathematics known to these civilizations.[10] Contemporaneous with but independent of these traditions were the mathematics developed by the Maya civilization of Mexico and Central America, where the concept of zero was given a standard symbol in Maya numerals.

Many Greek and Arabic texts on mathematics were translated into Latin from the 12th century onward, leading to further development of mathematics in Medieval Europe. From ancient times through the Middle Ages, periods of mathematical discovery were often followed by centuries of stagnation. Beginning in Renaissance Italy in the 15th century, new mathematical developments, interacting with new scientific discoveries, were made at an increasing pace that continues through the present day. This includes the groundbreaking work of both Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the development of infinitesimal calculus during the course of the 17th century. At the end of the 19th century the International Congress of Mathematicians was founded and continues to spearhead advances in the field.

The basics
Benefits
Risks
Diet
Summary
Beans are seeds from the Fabaceae family, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family. They are an affordable source of protein, fiber, iron, and vitamins that offer many health benefits.

In this article, learn about nine health benefits of beans, including getting more protein and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Beans: The basics
The protein in beans may help maintain and repair the body.
Beans are the seeds from flowering plants in the Fabaceae family and are classified as legumes.

Several beans grow in pods or capsules that develop from flowers. Other legumes include peas, peanuts, and lentils. These beans are available dry, canned, or frozen.

They differ nutritionally from green beans or wax beans where a person eats the entire pod.

Beans contain amino acids, which are the protein building blocks that the body uses to heal and to make new tissues, such as bone, muscle, hair, skin, and blood. Protein is an essential nutrient.

There are many types of beans. Dried beans need cooking to make them tender enough to eat. Canned and frozen beans are typically ready to eat after warming on the stove or in the microwave. Some of the most popular bean varieties include:

lima beans
black beans
black-eyed peas
soybeans
kidney beans
garbanzo beans
navy beans
pinto beans
red beans
Find out which beans are most healthful here.

Health benefits of beans
Beans offer several health benefits.

1. Protein
Protein is a vital nutrient that plays a key role in maintaining and repairing the body. Beans are high in amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

There are 20 amino acidsTrusted Source, and nine of these are essential. There are also two types of protein sources: complete and incomplete.

Animal products, soy, and quinoa are all complete proteins, which means they contain all nine essential amino acids.

However, of all the types of beans, only soybeans contain all nine amino acids.

People can combine incomplete proteins with nuts, seeds, dairy products, or grains at a single meal or throughout the day to make complete proteins.

For example, a person can:

eat beans with rice or couscous for lunch
have black beans at lunch with almonds or cheese
Beans make an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans.

They are also lower in calories and saturated fat than some other protein sources, such as meat and full fat or low fat dairy products.

Examples of the protein content of beans are:

A 1-cup, or 40 gramsTrusted Source (g), serving of canned black beans provides 14.5 g of protein, 16.6 g of fiber, and 4.56 milligrams (mg) of iron.

A 1-cup, or 155 gTrusted Source, serving of shelled edamame beans provides 18.5 g protein, 8.06 g fiber, and 3.52 mg iron.

Learn more here about proteins and how to get more protein.

2. Folate
Beans contain several vital nutrients, including folate. Folate is essential for overall health, to make healthy red blood cells, and help prevent neural tube defects in a fetus during pregnancy.

A 1-cup, or 155gTrusted Source, serving of shelled edamame beans provides 482 micrograms (mcg) of folate.

3. Antioxidants
According to researchTrusted Source, beans are rich in polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant.

Antioxidants fight the effectsTrusted Source of free radicals, which are damaging chemicals that the body produces during metabolism and other processes.

Free radicals can cause cell damage that can result in various diseases. Antioxidants help the body remove free radicals. In this way, antioxidant-rich foods, such as beans, can help protect the body from disease.

Find out about other foods that provide antioxidants.

4. Heart health
People who consume beans regularly may be less likely to die of a heart attack or other cardiovascular problem. The authors of a 2017 meta-analysisTrusted Source suggested that one reason for the decrease in cardiovascular risk was that people had replaced higher fat animal meat proteins with beans.

A 2013 review and meta-analysisTrusted Source found a clear correlation between eating beans and a lower risk of coronary heart disease.

Other research suggests that nutrients in beans may help lower cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks.

There is evidenceTrusted Source that a high fiber diet may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A half-cup, or 88 gTrusted Source, serving of black beans provides about 14 g of fiber, which is over half an adult’s daily requirement for fiber.

Here, get some tips on foods that can help lower blood pressure.

5. Reduced risk of cancer
Some studies have shown that beans act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. These effects could reduce the risk of cancer.

Research published in 2015 analyzed whether beans might have antioxidant properties that fight intestinal cancer. The results suggested that black beans had the highest antioxidant activity.

A 2016 study also found that chemicals in Northeast China black beans could slow the growth of colorectal cancer by preventing cancer cells from multiplying.

Learn more here about foods that provide antioxidants.

6. Diabetes and glucose metabolism
Beans may help stabilizeTrusted Source blood glucose levels or even prevent diabetes. Beans are high in fiber, which can help lower blood glucose.

The author of a 2018 reviewTrusted Source concluded that consuming a high fiber diet could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. There was also evidence that it may help lower blood sugar in people who already have the condition.

Another studyTrusted Source looked specifically at the effect of adding a cup of legumes to the daily diet of people with type 2 diabetes. This study showed a reduction in blood sugar levels and lower blood pressures in the group who ate beans over the control group who included more whole wheat fiber.

Which foods are good for lowering blood sugar? Find out here.

7. Preventing fatty liver
Fatty liver happens when fats accumulate in the liver. It can develop alongside obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other aspects of metabolic syndrome.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/

Doctors base the treatment of fatty liver disease on weight loss and controlling blood sugars, as well as reducing blood levels of fats, such as triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol. Replacing higher fat animal proteins with beans is a good step towards better liver health.

Here, learn about some more foods that can help protect the liver.

8. Controlling appetite
When a person eats beans, the fiber and healthful starches they contain can help create a feeling of fullness and satisfaction.

As a long-term dietary strategy, this could help prevent overeating and may lead to weight loss, according to a 2013 reviewTrusted Source.

9. Improving gut health
ResearchTrusted Source has shown a variety of beans, especially black beans, enhance gut health by improving intestinal barrier function and increasing the number of beneficial bacteria. This may help prevent gut-associated diseases.

Healthful gut bacteria also support immune system function and may promote weight loss. Beans feed the healthful gut bacteria colonies.

Risks
Some people have an allergy to beans or members of the legume family. Peanuts and soy are common triggers. People who have an allergy to one type of legume should take care when consuming other types.

Many beans and pulses contain lectins, which are proteins that are potentially toxic to humans. Soaking and boiling beans reduce the lectin content. People should boil beans for at least 10 minutesTrusted Source to ensure they are safe.

The most common side effects of eating beans are gas and intestinal discomfort. These are not dangerous but can be unpleasant and even painful for some people. When a person adds beans to their diet, they should increase the amount gradually to give their gut time to adjust.

Beans may not be suitable for a person with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) find that following a low-FODMAP diet— which restricts certain carbohydrates — reduces their symptoms.

Hot-soaking beans and discarding the water used for soaking, or sprouting, boiling, or cooking them may help reduce digestive symptoms. People can take digestive enzymes as supplements to help the body digest beans.

Adding beans to the diet
The time it takes to cook beans will depend on the type of bean.

When preparing dried beans:

Wash them before cooking and remove any that are shriveled or discolored.
Soak beans overnight to soften them and shorten the cooking time. Discard water and rinse.
Bring beans to the boil in plenty of fresh water, boil for at least 10 minutes, then simmer until they are soft.
Canned beans are precooked. People can add them to a variety of dishes without additional preparation. People should check the label before buying canned beans, however, as some cans contain a lot of added salt. Canned beans that contain no extra salt are available and are an excellent choice.

Some simple strategies for adding beans to a regular diet include:

Replacing meat with beans. Try adding beans instead of meat to soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes.

Eating chilled bean salads. Beans are tasty and filling as the main ingredient in a salad or as a garnish to other salads.

Mixing beans and grains. Adding beans to grains can turn an incomplete protein into a complete one. This is useful for people who follow a plant-based diet.

A person may need to try different types of bean to see which ones suit them best.

Summary
Beans provide protein, fiber, iron, and antioxidants that can make them a healthful addition to the diet. People should increase their intake of beans gradually to reduce the risk of intestinal discomfort.

Q:
Do canned baked beans offer the same benefits?

A:
Seasoned baked beans with added brown sugar, molasses, or bacon may not be as good as plain beans for those watching their sugar or salt intake. All other beans will have similar nutritional content if they are dried, frozen, or canned.

SlyDev:
You said igbo trace their origin to a king like figure. So why are Igbo not known of having a king? You see this is history fraud.

no1 the king is Nri
No2. We have kings

Chambers (2002) argues that many of the slaves taken from the Bight of Biafra across the Middle Passage would have been Igbo. These slaves were usually sold to Europeans by the Aro Confederacy, who kidnapped or bought slaves from Igbo villages in the hinterland. Igbo slaves may have not been victims of slave-raiding wars or expeditions but perhaps debtors or Igbo people who committed within their communities alleged crimes. With the goal for freedom, enslaved Igbo people were known to European planters as being rebellious and having a high rate of suicide to escape slavery. There is evidence that traders sought Igbo women. Igbo women were paired with Coromantee (Akan) men to subdue the men because of the belief that the women were bound to their first-born sons’ birthplace.

It is alleged that European slave traders were fairly well informed about various African ethnicities, leading to slavers targeting certain ethnic groups which plantation owners preferred. Particular desired ethnic groups consequently became fairly concentrated in certain parts of the Americas. The Igbo were dispersed to colonies such as Jamaica, Cuba, Saint-Domingue, Barbados, Colonial America, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.

Mathematics in indigenous Igbo society is evident in their calendar, banking system and strategic betting game called Okwe. In their indigenous calendar, a week had four days, a month consisted of seven weeks, and 13 months made a year. In the last month, an extra day was added. This calendar is still used in indigenous Igbo villages and towns to determine market days. They settled law matters via mediators, and their banking system for loans and savings, called Isusu, is also still used. The Igbo new year, starting with the month Ọ́nwạ́ M̀bụ́ (Igbo: First Moon) occurs on the third week of February, although the traditional start of the year for many Igbo communities is around springtime in Ọ́nwạ́ Ágwụ́ (June). Used as a ceremonial script by secret societies, the Igbo have an indigenous ideographic set of symbols called Nsibidi, originating from the neighboring Ejagham people. Igbo people produced bronzes from as early as the 9th century, some of which have been found at the town of Igbo Ukwu, Anambra State.

Although title holders were respected because of their accomplishments and capabilities, they were not revered as kings but often performed special functions given to them by such assemblies. This way of governing was different from most other communities of Western Africa and only shared by the Ewe of Ghana. Umunna are a form of patrilineage maintained by the Igbo. Law starts with the Umunna which is a male line of descent from a founding ancestor (who the line is sometimes named after) with groups of compounds containing closely related families headed by the eldest male member. The Umunna can be seen as the most important pillar of Igbo society. It was also a culture in which gender was re-constructed and performed according to social need, “where gender and sex did not coincide. Instead, gender was flexible and fluid, allowing women to become men and men to become women”.

Traditional Igbo political organization was based on a quasi-democratic republican system of government. In tight knit communities, this system guaranteed its citizens equality, as opposed to a feudalist system with a king ruling over subjects. This government system was witnessed by the Portuguese who first arrived and met with the Igbo people in the 15th century. With the exception of a few notable Igbo towns such as Onitsha, which had kings called Obi and places like the Nri Kingdom and Arochukwu, which had priest kings; Igbo communities and area governments were overwhelmingly ruled by a republican consultative assembly of the common people. Communities were usually governed and administered by a council of elders.

The Kingdom of Nri was a religio-polity, a sort of theocratic state, that developed in the central heartland of the Igbo region. The Nri had seven types of taboos which included human (such as the birth of twins), animal (such as killing or eating of pythons), object, temporal, behavioral, speech and place taboos. The rules regarding these taboos were used to educate and govern Nri's subjects. This meant that, while certain Igbo may have lived under different formal administration, all followers of the Igbo religion had to abide by the rules of the faith and obey its representative on earth, the Eze Nri.

Each king traces his origin back to the founding ancestor, Eri. Each king is a ritual reproduction of Eri. The initiation rite of a new king shows that the ritual process of becoming Ezenri (Nri priest-king) follows closely the path traced by the hero in establishing the Nri kingdom.

— E. Elochukwu Uzukwu

The Nri people of Igbo land have a creation myth which is one of the many creation myths that exist in various parts of Igbo land. The Nri and Aguleri people are in the territory of the Umueri clan who trace their lineages back to the patriarchal king-figure Eri. Eri's origins are unclear, though he has been described as a "sky being" sent by Chukwu (God).He has been characterized as having first given societal order to the people of Anambra. The historian Elizabeth Allo Isichei says "Nri and Aguleri and part of the Umueri clan, [are] a cluster of Igbo village groups which traces its origins to a sky being called Eri."

Archaeological evidence suggests that Nri influence in Igboland may go back as far as the 9th century, and royal burials have been unearthed dating to at least the 10th century. Eri, the god-like founder of Nri, is believed to have settled the region around 948 with other related Igbo cultures following after in the 13th century. The first Eze Nri (King of Nri) Ìfikuánim followed directly after him. According to Igbo oral tradition, his reign started in 1043. At least one historian puts Ìfikuánim's reign much later, around 1225 AD.

After seven years of studying three-toed sloths, scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have made it official: the tree-dwelling animals are the slowest mammals on earth, metabolically speaking. “We expected them to have low metabolic rates, but we found them to have tremendously low energy needs,” says ecologist Jonathan Pauli.

To reach this conclusion, Pauli and his colleague M. Zachariah Peery measured the metabolic rates of 10 three-toed sloths and 12 of the two-toed variety in Costa Rica and compared the results with similar studies of 19 other species of leaf-eating mammals. With a metabolic rate of 162 kilojoules per day per kilogram, the three-toed sloths have lower energy needs than koalas, which require 410 kilojoules per day per kilogram. Two-toed sloths, meanwhile, have an energetic expenditure of 234. Giant pandas are the only contenders that come close to the title of slowest mammal—at 185 kilojoules.

According to the study, published in August in American Naturalist, there is a suite of behavioral, physiological and anatomical adaptations that allow sloths to lead minimally exerting lives in the jungle canopies of Central and South America. For example, they have small home ranges and spend most of their time eating, resting or sleeping. They also have the rare ability to adjust their internal thermostat. “They're slightly heterothermic, so they can fluctuate their body temperature by about five degrees Celsius to be in line with the outside temperature. By relaxing their body temperature, they have big savings in terms of energetic output,” Pauli explains.

9) Sungbo’s Eredo, a 160 km rampart equipped with guard houses and moats, is reputed to be the largest single pre-colonial monument (or ancient fortification if you like) in Africa. It is located in present-day Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State and when it was built a millennium ago, it required more earth to be moved during construction than that used for building the Great Pyramid of Giza (one of the Seven Wonders of The Ancient World). The most astonishing thing is that Sungbo’s Eredo was the biggest city in the world (bigger than Rome and Cairo) during the Middle Ages when it was built!

10) The Anambra waxbill, a small bird of many beautiful colours, is found only in Southern Nigeria and nowhere else on earth.

6) The Niger Delta (which is the second largest delta on the planet), has the highest concentration of monotypic fish families in the world, and is also home to sixty percent of Nigeria’s mangrove forests. You should know too that Nigeria’s mangrove forests are the largest in Africa and third largest on earth.

7) According to the World Resources Institute, Nigeria is home to 4,715 different types of plant species, and over 550 species of breeding birds and mammals, making it one of the most ecologically vibrant places of the planet.

Ile-Ife, in present day Osun State, was paved as early as 1000AD, with decorations that originated from Ancient America suggesting there might have been contact between the Yorubas and the Ancient Americans half a millenium before Columbus ‘discovered’ America.

3) The Yoruba tribe has the highest rate of twin births in the world. Igbo-Ora, a little town in Oyo state, has been nicknamed Twin capital of the World because of its unusually high rate of twins that is put as high as 158 twins per 1000 births.

4) Sarki Muhammad Kanta The Great of Kebbi, was the only ruler who resisted control by Songhai, West Africa’s greatest empire at that time. He founded and ruled the Hausa city-state of Kebbi around 1600 A.D and built Surame its capital, a planned city which was almost impossible to penetrate during war. In fact UNESCO describes Surame as “one of the wonders of human history, creativity and ingenuity”, and probably the most massive stone-walled constructions in West Africa. He is listed in Robin Walker’s 50 Greatest Africans.

5) The Jos Plateau Indigobird, a small reddish-brown bird, is found nowhere else on the planet but Plateau state, Nigeria.

2) The Walls of Benin (800-1400AD) in present day Edo State, are the longest ancient earthworks in the world, and probably the largest man-made structure on earth. They enclose 6500 square kilometers of community lands that connected about 500 communities. At over 16000km long, it was thought to be twice the length of the Great Wall of China, until it was announced in 2012 (after five years of meticulous measurement by Chinese surveyors) that the Great Wall is about 21,000km long.

The country Nigeria is great nation with great people from diverse cultures. Let us take a look at some amazing facts about the country you probably didn’t know about until now.

1) Nigeria is home to seven percent (7%) of the total languages spoken on earth. Taraba state alone has more languages than 30 African countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has ranked Nigeria’s COVID-19 response as the fourth-best in the world.

WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, spoke at an event on the arrival of the first consignment of 177,600 doses of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine yesterday in Abuja.

At least 1,173,132 doses of the vaccine, part of the 29.8 million doses procured by the Federal Government through the African Export-Import Bank, will arrive this month.

Mulombo said: “We are witnessing the symbolic arrival of 177,600 Johnson & Johnson vaccines, another landmark event in Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 pandemic; widely acclaimed by many as one of the most successful so far in the world.

“Nigeria was ranked fourth among the top ten most successful responses to COVID-19.

WHO had on many occasions, commended the government, including the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), for the successful completion of the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out with the vaccination of the frontline workers and other priority groups who are at high risk of COVID-19.

“Nigeria’s preparation for the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination, involving more resources and logistics, is highly commendable.

“These vaccines are safe and effective and will be the game-changer; but for the foreseeable future, we must continue wearing masks, physically distance and avoid crowds.

“J&J vaccine is highly effective against the Delta variant and against severe disease, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.”

criuze:
Can they lay eggs

of course
Their eggs are doublesize

Length: 24.6 inches
Weight: 65 grams or more
Location: China
Habitat: Tropics and Subtropics
Order: Phasmatodea



Phryganistria chinensis Zhao is the biggest insect in the world. This giant stick insect was officially recognized as being the longest insect in the world in 2016. Discovered in the forests of the Guangxi province by entomologist Zhao Li and named in his honor, this jaw-dropping insect is as long as the average man’s arm. Zhao Li has since bred this remarkable specimen in the Insect Museum of West China.

Did You Know?
The impressive Phryganistria chinensis Zhao has an appetite for sweets. While the amount and frequency are highly restricted because of uncertainty over how it might impact the insect’s health, strawberry jam is this giant bug’s treat of choice. The insect’s sweet tooth is so intense, that it’s been observed rejecting other food in favor of the jam.

The Jersey Giant is the biggest chicken in the world. Many people believe that the Brahma chicken comes in first– however, while some outstanding Brahmas can sometimes grow to be just as large, the Jersey Giant is slightly larger on average.

The original breeders, John and Thomas Black, bred the first Jersey Giants in order to provide customers with a large bird that could compete with the common turkey. Since this big bird was originally bred for size and not for looks, their feathers used to vary in color and patterns.

By the time the Jersey Giant was accepted into the American Poultry Association, it had been consistently bred to sport a handsome, black coat of feathers. White and blue types have also been accepted as standard varieties, though the black variety remains the biggest.

Did You Know?
The Jersey Giant’s friendliness has earned it the nickname “Gentle Giant”, and the birds are very playful and gentle around children. They’re so agreeable in temperament that some people prefer to keep them as pets.

Mary’s title as “Queen of Heaven and Earth” is a great scandal to many non-Catholic Christians. After all, the Bible doesn’t mention anything about there being a queen in God’s kingdom. All this royal attention Catholics give to Mary—whether it’s singing “Hail, holy queen enthroned above” or portraying Mary in statues and paintings with a crown on her head—seems to many non-Catholics to detract from the royalty of Christ, who alone is King of Kings. Besides, how could Mary be a queen, since she is not the wife of the Jesus but only his mother?

One biblical theme sheds light on these questions and serves as a key for unlocking the mystery of Mary’s queenship: the Old Testament tradition of the “queen mother” in the Davidic kingdom.

In the monarchy of King David, as well as in other ancient kingdoms of the Near East, the mother of the ruling king held an important office in the royal court and played a key part in the process of dynastic succession. In fact, the king’s mother ruled as queen, not his wife.


The great pre-eminence of the king’s mother may seem odd from our modern Western perspective, in which we think of a queen as being the wife of a king. However, recall that most ancient Near-Eastern kings practiced polygamy. King Solomon had seven hundred wives (1 Kgs. 11:3)—imagine the chaos in the royal court if all seven hundred were awarded the queenship! But since each king had only one mother, one can see the practical wisdom in bestowing the queenship upon her.

A number of Old Testament passages reflect the important role of the queen mother in the Davidic kingdom. For example, almost every time the narrative of 1 and 2 Kings introduces a new monarch in Judah, it mentions the king’s mother as well, showing the mother’s intimate involvement in her royal son’s reign. Similarly, the queen mother is listed among the members of the royal court whom king Jehoiachin surrendered to the king of Babylon in 2 Kings 24:12.

Her royal office is also described by the prophet Jeremiah, who tells how the queen mother possessed a throne and a crown, symbolic of her position of authority in the kingdom: “Say to the king and the queen mother: ‘Take a lowly seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head. . . . Lift up your eyes and see those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?’” (Jer. 13:18, 20). It is significant that God directed this oracle about the upcoming fall of Judah to both the king and his mother. Addressing both king and queen mother, Jeremiah portrays her as sharing in her son’s rule over the kingdom.

Probably the clearest example of the queen mother’s role is that of Bathsheba, wife of David and mother of Solomon. Scholars have noted the excellence of Bathsheba’s position in the kingdom once she became queen mother during Solomon’s rule. Compare the humble attitude of Bathsheba as spouse of King David (1 Kgs. 1:16–17, 31) with her majestic dignity as mother of the next king, Solomon (1 Kgs. 2:19–20). As spouse of the king, Bathsheba bows with her face to the ground and does obeisance to her husband, David, upon entering his royal chamber. In striking contrast, after her son Solomon assumed the throne and she became queen mother, Bathsheba receives a glorious reception upon meeting with her royal son:

“So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right. Then she said, ‘I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.’ And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you’” (1 Kgs. 2:19–20).

This account reveals the sovereign prerogatives of the queen mother. Note how the king rises and bows as she enters. Bathsheba’s seat at the king’s right hand has the greatest significance. In the Bible, the right hand is the place of ultimate honor. This is seen in particular in the messianic Psalm 110 (“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool”). In fact, many New Testament passages refer to the right-hand imagery of Psalm 110 to show Christ’s divinity and his reign with the Father over the whole universe (e.g., Hebrews 1:13). Thus, the queen mother sitting at the king’s right hand symbolizes her sharing in the king’s royal authority and illustrates how she holds the most important position in the kingdom, second only to the king.

This passage regarding Bathsheba also shows how the queen mother served as an advocate for the people, carrying petitions to the king. In 1 Kings 2:17, Adonijah asks Bathsheba to take a petition for him to King Solomon. He says to her: “Pray ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife” (1 Kgs. 2:17). It is clear that Adonijah recognizes the queen mother’s position of influence over the king, so he confidently turns to Bathsheba as an intercessor for his request.

A few Old Testament prophecies incorporate the queen mother tradition when telling of the future Messiah. One example is Isaiah 7:14, which originated during a time of dynastic crisis in Judah when Syria and Israel were threatening Jerusalem and plotting to overthrow King Ahaz. God offers Ahaz a sign that the kingdom will continue: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel” (Isa. 7:13–14).

On one level, this passage points to the next king (Hezekiah) as a pledge that the Davidic dynasty will continue despite the threats of invading armies. At the same time, the royal son who is to be named “Emmanuel” points to the future messianic king (cf., Isa. 9:6–7, 11:1–2). This is why the New Testament says Jesus fulfills this prophecy from Isaiah (Matt. 1:23).

For our purposes we should note how this prophecy links the mother to her royal son. Since the oracle is addressed specifically to the Davidic household and concerns the continuation of the dynasty, the young woman bearing forth the royal son would be understood as a queen mother. This has implications for our understanding of Mary. Since the mother of the king always ruled as queen mother, we should expect to find the mother of the messianic king playing the role of the true queen mother in the everlasting Kingdom of God.

With this Old Testament background, we can now more clearly see how the New Testament portrays Mary in light of the queen mother tradition.

The Gospel of Matthew has often been called the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” Matthew emphasizes that Jesus is “the Son of David,” who is the true King of the Jews establishing the “Kingdom of Heaven.” With all this kingly imagery, it should not be surprising to find queen mother themes as well.

Right away, Matthew shows explicitly how the infant Jesus is the “Emmanuel” child as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 (Matt. 1:23). As we saw above, this prophecy links the royal messianic child with his queen mother. Further, Matthew singles out the intimate relationship between the mother and her royal son by using the phrase “the child and his mother” five times in the first two chapters, recalling the close association between queen mother and royal son as described in the Books of Kings. Just as the queen mother was constantly mentioned alongside the Judean kings in 1 and 2 Kings, so Mary is frequently mentioned alongside her royal son, Jesus, in Matthew’s infancy narrative (Matt. 1:18; 2:11, 13, 14, 20, 21).

We find Mary portrayed against the background of Davidic kingdom motifs in Luke’s Gospel as well, especially in his accounts of the Annunciation and Visitation. First, the angel Gabriel is said to appear to a virgin betrothed to a man “of the house of David” (1:27). Then the angel tells Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31–33).

Hear the strong Davidic overtones describing Mary and her royal son: a woman from the house of David giving birth to a son who will be the new king whose reign will never end. With echoes from the queen mother tradition of the Davidic kingdom and the mother-son prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, we can conclude that Mary is being given the vocation of queen mother.

Mary’s royal office is made even more explicit in Luke’s account of the Visitation. Elizabeth greets Mary with the title “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43). This title is charged with great queenly significance. In the royal court language of the ancient NearEast, the title “Mother of my Lord” was used to address the queen mother of the reigning king (who himself was addressed as “my Lord”; cf., 2 Sam. 24:21). Thus with this title Elizabeth is recognizing the great dignity of Mary’s role as the royal mother of the king, Jesus.

Finally, Mary’s queenship can be seen in the great vision described in Revelation 12: “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery” (Rev. 12:1–2). Who is this newborn child? He is described as the messianic king exercising his dominion. In verse 5, the author of Revelation chose the messianic Psalm 2 to describe how this child will “rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (Rev. 12:5, Ps. 2:9). This royal son is taken up to heaven to sit on a throne (Rev. 12:5), and he ushers in the kingdom of God by defeating the devil: “Now the kingdom of our God has come, for the accuser has been throne down” (12:10). Certainly, this newborn child is the royal Messiah, King Jesus.

In this light it is clear who this woman is who gave birth to the messiah: It is Mary. Some people have interpreted this woman in Revelation 12 as merely a symbol either for the Old Testament people of Israel or for the New Testament Church and therefore have concluded that the woman cannot be an individual (i.e., Mary). However, this “either-or” proposition is foreign to the biblical worldview, in which individuals often symbolically represent collective groups. For instance, Adam represented all humanity (Rom. 5:19), and Jacob stood for all of Israel (Ps. 44:4). Given this biblical notion called “corporate personality,” the woman in Revelation 12 should be understood as both an individual (Mary) and a symbol for the people of God.

But for our purposes, once we see that this woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus, it is important to note how she is portrayed as queen in this passage. Her royal office is hinted at by the imagery of the sun, moon, and twelve stars, which recalls the Old Testament story of Joseph’s dream in which the sun, moon, and stars bow down before him, symbolizing his future authority (Gen. 37:9–11). Her queenship is made even clearer by the crown of twelve stars on her head. Just like the queen mother in Jeremiah 13:18, here Mary is wearing a crown, symbolizing her royal office in the kingdom of heaven. In sum, Revelation 12 portrays Mary as the new queen mother in the Kingdom of God, sharing in her son’s rule over the universe.

xproducer:
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@ “Debater”
These things you state are substantively doctrines of men – contrary to the word of GOD on the subject! (Matthew 15:8-9)

First, you stated “Simply put, Mary is the only creature to have ever lived with perfect obedience to God and His divine will. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:”

Know this – all people whom GOD has saved/cleansed/pardoned/made His own through Himself in the Person of the Lord JESUS, The CHRIST - from the beginning of time until the end of the age / world – are all children of GOD and "perfect" before Him! Some examples in the Holy Bible include, Noah and Job.
The Lord GOD said about Job “there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8, Job 2:3).
GOD called Noah “righteous”: “Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” - Genesis 7:1 (Also Genesis 6:9)
Other examples of GOD’s children whom He saw and declared “righteous” in CHRIST JESUS include Lot (2 Peter 2:8 ), Abel and Zacharias son of Barachias (Hebrews 11:4)(Matthew 23:35)(1 Jn 3:12); John the Baptist (Mark 6:20), Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias (Luke 1:5-6); Simeon (Luke 2:25)

Second, you stated “This is possible because, through the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary was the only person ever to be preserved from the stain of original sin”

The Angel Gabriel certainly declared to Mary “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” - Luke 1:28
Let’s please note that Mary is also a child of GOD in The Lord JESUS, The CHRIST.
Mary visited Elizabeth: “And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” - Luke 1:46-47
So you see, Mary, like we all, need a Savior in CHRIST alone! “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” - Romans 3:23 (also Isaiah 64:6, Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:12)
Certainly all generations call her “blessed” – “For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” - Luke 1:48

Third, you stated “this is how we know Mary was born without sin”

Clearly, Mary is a child of GOD (as are all those whom GOD has saved in CHRIST JESUS), but how do you conclude that Mary was “born without sin”. Certainly, she is without sin because the Lord JESUS saved her (we don’t know when and it isn’t our business – as we work out our own salvation with “fear and trembling” - Philippians 2:12)!
The only Holy One Who was and is without sin is in fact the Lord JESUS, The CHRIST - Hebrews 4:15

Fourth, you stated “Finally, at the end of her earthly life, Mary is taken up body and soul into heaven in the Assumption and “crowned Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son”

What? Where is this in the Holy Bible that Mary “ascended” and was “crowned queen”? If it is not there – then it is not true! These things - ascension of body and soul into Heaven are attributable to the Lord JESUS and at least one other of GOD's prophets (Elijah: 2 Kings 2:3–9), maybe two (Enoch: Gen 5:21–24) - GOD knows all things.

Jesus Ascends to Heaven
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:8-12

Is “queen of heaven” a title that human beings should confer on anyone?
“The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.” - Jeremiah 7:18 (see also Jeremiah 44:17, Jeremiah 44:18, Jeremiah 44:19, Jeremiah 44:25).
Judgment came upon the people who were engaging in these sort of practices! "queen of heaven was a fertility goddess to whom the Israelites, especially the women, offered sacrifice and worship in the days before the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah (Jer. 7:18; 44:17, 19, 25). In the time of Jeremiah, many people in Jerusalem and other cities of Judah worshiped the queen of heaven."

Finally, you stated “Dulia refers to simple veneration. For example, Catholics venerate saints because they are “more closely united to Christ” by their model life on earth” & “Someone might ask “Why pray to Mary instead of Jesus?” First, to reiterate, we’re not praying to Mary but through her.”

With regard to “veneration” – one can certainly ask another Christian to pray for him or her (as you stated), but what saint is one asking to pray for one? We ask other people to pray for us, but we pray to GOD through CHRIST JESUS, The Lord, only! Anything else is not Biblical, and thus not true!

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” - 1 Timothy 2:5

The Lord JESUS, The CHRIST – the only Savior – places emphasis on obedience to His word – the word of GOD; over any of these things – which appear to come from the minds of men!

Keeping the Word
“And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” “But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” - Luke 11:27-28

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” - John 14:15

Then read Rev 12:1

Splinz:
And the evidence of this bogus claimed is the "Catechism of the Catholic Church"? One was hoping to see the Bible or scriptures. But alas, it's a mere manual of the Catholic Church.

Even if one was to look at the ridiculous claimed, scriptures is filled with faithful servants of God who steadfastly obeyed God. Genesis 26:5 says: Abraham obeyed God in every way and manner. Fact.

Jesus, speaking of Nathanael said, "Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" (John 1:47).

So what's really the fuss about Mary? Did she obey God more than Abraham or Nathanael in whom Jesus found no fault?



Yet another baseless claimed from the stable of Catholic Catechism. This is what happens when one don't read his/her bible but some funny booklet called Catechism.

The scripture says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). It does not say some but all. All means ALL. Everyone have sinned, Mary inclusive.

In fact, Mary herself rejected your claimed or that of the Catholic Church when she said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior" (Luke 1:47). A Savior is for sinners in need of salvation. If Mary was sinless, what is God her Savior saving her from?



And same grace that was upon Mary then has appeared to ALL men, bringing salvation just the same way it was offered to Mary (Titus 2:11). There's nothing like special grace. Grace is grace; unmerited favor of whom no one is worthy of.

Now, if the phrase, "Blessed art thou among women" was anything, then Mary is of secondary importance. Speaking of Jael, another woman, the scripture says, "Most blessed among women is Jael" (Judges 5:24). Mary is blessed among women but Jael is the most blessed of all among women.

So again, what is it with the Catholic and Mary?



I know of a certain "Queen of Heaven" (Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17-19), who is Ishtar or Easter, or Ashtoreth, the pagan goddess of the heathens. Solomon worshipped and followed this goddess (1 Kings 11:5-13) and we know the consequences that befell him.

What is a true worshipper of God doing with an evil goddess?



What does the bold even mean? Who is a saint if not a Christian, dead or alive? (Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Colossians 1:2.

Does the Catholic Church also turn to each of the laity and offer veneration to them? Has any member venerated you before? Oh I see, y'all are not saints. It's only dead saints that the Catholic Church have.



God forbid that I should render honor, worship or veneration to anyone or anything as a religious service, other than Him. He forbids me to have any dealing with the "Queen of Heaven" and her abominable acts.

So now honouring someone is a sin
What of during funerals, don't you honour your loved ones that are deceased
But you dare say that the Mother of your Lord is abominable
Are you trying to say that an Abominable woman begat the Son of God
Think
Pastors are just brainwashers
And I firmly believe what my church teaches because Peter in the Bible was given authority by Jesus over my church, the first church,not some RCCG.or Jehovah Witness or Protestants

Gullah:
He asked you what was the source of your belief that Mary was taken into heaven with her full body and crowned queen of all things, you didn't answer on what is the source instead you are using an emotional argument about the wisdom of the church. I think you people should be more inquisitive about a doctrine you have based your entire life and your relationship with God on. At least you should be able to know how or where did this story of Mary being crowned Queen in heaven came from. Ask your priests or your catechists, they taught you these things so let them answer your question too about where they got it from because it's definitely not from the Bible. In fact, the only Queen of heaven mentioned in the Bible was a satanic goddess and God was angry with his children for worshipping her.

Check Rev12:1
At least Catholics follow Bible, not just what their pastors teach, we're not like Protestants that Carry Bible for nothing
Na us sef write Bible

Abascoh:
Arrant nonsense, from where do you people get your silly fairy tale about Mary being assumed into heaven and crowned queen of all things? The question many Catholics should ask themselves is why do you have to back up your "veneration of Mary" doctrine with lies instead of scriptural evidence?

The church in her infinite wisdom knows that a woman full of grace wouldn't just die and rot in the depths of the earth. Some of the saints have fresh remains today, then why would God allow his earthly mother to die gracefully and rot unworthily? The Bible teaches us that wisdom reveals truth, and once again, the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church has shown the truth by wisdom.
Think about it,
1.3billion people wouldn't just believe when they're not sure
Sit down and think

Why Do Catholics Honor Mary?

Many of our friends often ask, “Why do Catholics pray to Mary?” From their perspective, it looks as though Catholics are placing Mary on a par with God with all the statues, processions and devotions we have in her honor.

This perspective is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of Catholics’ relationship with Mary. In fact, sometimes even Catholics themselves don’t fully understand Mary’s central role in the church and why she is so honored.


WHY IS MARY HONORED?
Simply put, Mary is the only creature to have ever lived with perfect obedience to God and His divine will. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

“By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to His Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity” (CCC #967).

This is possible because, through the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary was the only person ever to be preserved from the stain of original sin. God, in choosing her to be His mother, bestowed the grace of her Immaculate Conception, or birth without original sin.

Why is Mary important? She always said "Yes" to God, as we must do.
This dogma has been recognized since the early Church and is revealed in scripture. When the angel visits Mary to announce that she will bear Jesus, he addresses her as “full of grace…Blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). Mary responds, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).

The angel wouldn’t have called Mary “full of grace” if he hadn’t meant it. Since there’s no way someone full of grace could have sin, this is how we know Mary was born without sin.

Her special grace allows her to say yes to God’s will without question. From that moment, she forms a truly unique and inseparable bond with Christ as His mother.

Mary continues saying “Yes” to God’s will throughout her earthly life. She stands by the cross, perfectly trusting the divine plan, even as her only Son suffers and dies for our salvation. After His Resurrection and Ascension, tradition holds that she “aid[s] the beginnings of the Church by her prayers” (CCC #965).

Why is Mary important? She accepted God's plan no matter what.
Finally, at the end of her earthly life, Mary is taken up body and soul into heaven in the Assumption and “crowned Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son” (CCC #966). She is exalted in this way, again, for being the only creature to have served as a perfect instrument for God’s plan and for her unique, unbreakable bond with Christ.

By her perfect charity, or love of God above all things, Mary serves as a model for everyone. We aspire to her perfect relationship with Christ and are called to say “Yes” to His plan for us like she did, even if it doesn’t make sense at first.

Think about it—much must not have made sense for Mary. After all, an angel visited her saying she would conceive the Son of God while remaining a virgin—how would you react? Still, she put aside her own thoughts and ideas, surrendering instead to God’s will. If we can put that same trust in God and love Him above all things, then one day we too will live, body and soul, in heaven.

HOW IS MARY HONORED?
When it comes to honoring Mary, “honoring” is the key word. Too often, non-Catholics confuse honoring, or veneration, for worship or direct prayer. But Catholics do not worship Mary because she isn’t, and never can be, God.

There are three levels of respect given by Catholics: Latria, Dulia and Hyperdulia.

Latria is adoration of the Holy Trinity. This is the highest form of reverence, reserved only for God, and He is the only one we worship.
Dulia refers to simple veneration. For example, Catholics venerate saints because they are “more closely united to Christ” by their model life on earth (CCC #956). We do not pray or worship saints. We simply ask them to “put in a good word for us” to God.
Think of Hyperdulia as an enhanced form of Dulia, or veneration. It’s reserved only for Mary because she shares a more perfect bond with Christ than even the saints, since they were still born with original sin. It doesn’t mean we worship Mary. We absolutely don’t and shouldn’t. We do, however, honor her above all other forms of creation.
The Catechism is very clear on this point:

“From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs…This very special devotion…differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration” (CCC #971).

Therefore, Catholics do not pray to Mary. They pray through her to reach Christ. In actuality, by honoring the Mother of God through various prayers, such as the Rosary, we are honoring Christ because He acts through her more perfectly than He acts through any other medium.

HOW DO WE BENEFIT FROM HONORING MARY?
Mary was assumed into heaven due to her perfect relationship with Christ.
Assumption of the Virgin. Painted by Guido Reni.
Since Mary intercedes for us to her Son and He is our path to the Father, we want her on our side, praying for us.

Someone might ask “Why pray to Mary instead of Jesus?” First, to reiterate, we’re not praying to Mary but through her. Second, we ask our family and friends to pray to God on our behalf all the time; think how much more effective asking the Mother of God to pray for us would be.

Definitely pray to Jesus. Worship and adore Him with your whole heart. At the same time, ask Mary to mediate. It certainly can’t hurt. On the contrary, it can magnify your prayer. Remember, she has the most perfect relationship with Christ, and she wants all of us to achieve a similar relationship one day. We must strive to imitate her humility and total obedience to God, as exemplified by her silent consent to His will in the Bible. She can help us get there, if we let her.

As theological as our devotion to Mary might get, sometimes it’s best to bring it down to a simple, human level. As children, we respect what our mother says. Don’t you think Jesus will do the same?

So honor Mary. Ask her for help. You can start with a simple Hail Mary and move on to the Holy Rosary. Do it today. Do it right now.

[center][/center]Neem leaves popularly known as “Dongoyaro” leaves in Nigeria also known as ‘Wonder leaves’, is a herb known to have numerous health benefits and has been used for beauty regimes for thousands of years now.



Amongst other things, Neem leaf is used for leprosy, eye disorders, bloody nose, intestinal worms, stomach upset, loss of appetite, skin ulcers, diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease), fever, diabetes, gum disease (gingivitis), and liver problems.



In addition to these, Neem leaves and its juice provides us with very amazing beauty benefits that so many people are unaware of.



Neem moisturizes the skin while helping to keep it soft and supple. They are effective for lightening scars and pigmentation caused by acne and scabies. Boil neem leaves with small segments of orange peel in a little water, add little yoghurt, honey and milk to form a smooth paste. Apply this to your face and wash of when it dries. This will clear acne and breakouts, whiteheads and even reduce the appearance of pores.



Boil a cup of neem leaves in water till the leaves are soft and discoloured and the water turns green. Strain and store in a bottle. Add some water in your regular bathing water to get rid of acne, infection and body odour. It increases radiance and produces anti-ageing effects.



Neem leaves for skin can also be used as a toner. Just dip a cotton ball in boiled neem water and wipe your face with it overnight. This will clear acne, scars, pigmentation and blackheads.



Scalp and hair issues: Add a cup of fresh neem leaves to boiling water, and use this water to rinse your hair after shampooing your hair. The anti-bacterial property of neem helps to treat dry scalp, dandruff and hair fall issues.



If you are tired of your oily skin and skin problems that follow, it is advisable to use neem for your face. Make a paste of fresh neem leaves, add 2 pinches of turmeric to it and mix well until it reaches a medium consistency. Apply it directly on the face and wash it with cold water after 15 minutes.



Neem is extremely beneficial for those suffering from pigmentation. Pigmentation disorders occur in patches on the face and sometimes other parts of the body. Mix some gram flour and neem powder using lemon and water. Lather it on the skin and rinse it after it dries out.



Neem is also known to treat nail ailments. Neem oil when applied on the affected area multiple times a day, it helps cure skin infections.