HOW THE TRINITY DEVELOPED INTO A CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

Persecution of the Christians and the suppression of the early Church under the Roman emperors which began in the first century, ended with the coming into power of Constantine the Great at the Milvian Bridge in 312 C.E. Consequently, through conversion to Christianity special favors were offered to the people in the form of political, military and social gains. As a result, thousands of non-Christians joined the Church and enabled Constantine to wield great power over the Church affairs.

It was during the reign of Constantine that the idea of Jesus Christ as co-equal to God, the Father began to gain momentum. Yet, Trinity was not an established doctrine at that time. The idea of a triune god stirred great controversy within the Church as still many clergy and laymen did not accept the position of Christ as God. (12) 

This disagreement reached the level of confrontation between Bishop Alexander of Alexandria, Egypt and his presbyter Arius. Bishop Alexander taught that Jesus was equal to God but not Arius. So at a synod held at Alexandria in 321 C.E., Arius was deposed and excommunicated. (13)

Arius, tought in institutional disfavor, still had much support outside Egypt. Many of the important bishops, such as the learned historian Eusebius of Palestinian Caesarea and his powerful namesake, Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia, theologically agree with Arius: Jesus Christ is not God. (14)

The sustained controversy disturbed Constantine and in order to legitimatize his position, he invited all bishops of the Christian Church to Nicaea (which is now in Asia Minor) in May 325 C.E. Thus, the Council of Nicaea began to settle the dispute concerning the relationship between God and His son. Constantine, who was in charge of the proceedings, exercised his political power to bring to bear the bishops to accept his theological position. The creed signed by 218 bishops was clearly anti-Arian. In other words, the Creed of Nicaea endorsed the Son as co-equal to God. Two hundred eighteen of the bishops signed this creed, although it was actually the work of a minority. (15)

The Encyclopedia Britannica summarizes the proceedings of the Council of Niacea as follows:

The Council of Niacea met on May 20, 325. Constantine himself presiding, actively guiding the discussion, and personally proposed (no doubt on Ossius' prompting) the crucial formula expressing the relation of Christ to God in the creed issued by the council, "of one substance with the Father." Over-awed by the emperor, the bishops, with two exceptions only, signed the creed, many of them against their inclination. Constantine regarded the decision of Nicaea as divinely inspired. As long as he lived no one dared openly to challenge the Creed of Nicaea; but the expected concord did not follow. (16)

The Creed of Nicaea

We believe in one God the Father All-sovereign, maker to all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, only-begotten, that is, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made, things in heaven and things on the earth; who for us men and for our salvation came down and was made flesh, and became man, suffered, and rose on the third day, ascended into the heavens, is coming to judge living and dead.

And in the Holy Spirit,
And those that say 'There was when he was not,' and, 'Before he was begotten he was not,' and that, 'He came into being from what-is-not; or those that allege, that the son of God is 'Of another substance or essence'
Or 'created,'
Or, 'changeable'
Or 'alterable,'
These the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes.

"The 'Nicaea' Creed

Bettenson explains the Nicene Creed as follows:

[It was] found in Epiphanius, Ancoratus, 118, C.A.D. 374, and extracted by scholars, almost word for word, from the Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril of Jerusalem; read and approved at Chalcedon, 451, as the creed of '(the 318 fathers who met at Nicaea and that of) the 150 who met at a later time' (i.e., at Constantinopolitan, 381). Hence often called the Constantinopolitan or Nicaeno-ConstantinopolitanCreed, and thought by many to be a revision of the creed of Jerusalem held by Cyril.

We believe in one God the Father All-sovereign, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; 

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the father, through whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, and ascended into the heavens, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and cometh again with glory to judge living and dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end: 

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and the Life-giver, that proceedeth from the Father, who with Father and Son is worshipped together and glorified together, who spake through the prophets:

In one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church:

We acknowledge one baptism unto remission of sins. We look for a resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. (17) Though the Council of bishops accepted the Creed of Nicaea there was no mention of the Trinity.

The controversy over the nature of Jesus continued for several decades. In the year 381 C.E. a second ecumenical council met in Constantinople.(18) This council adopted the Nicene Creed stating that Jesus and God were co-equal, co-eternal and the deity of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity came to be formally established as the cornerstone of Christian faith for the next fifteen centuries. 

Note: Like the "Lords Prayer" (Matt. 6:9-13, The Bilble), all Roman Catholics are required to memorize the "Nicene Creed" which they include in their prayers. 

Emperor Theodosius made belief in Christianity a matter of imperial command:

"It is Our Will all the peoples We rule shall practice that religion which the divine Peter the Apostle transmitted to the Romans. We shall believe in the single Deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, under the concept of equal majesty and of the Holy Trinity.

We command that those persons who follow this rule shall embrace the name of Catholic Christians. The rest, however, whom We adjudge demented and insane, shall sustain the infamy of heretical dogmas, their meeting place shall not receive the name of churches and they shall be smitten first by divine vengeance and secondly by the retribution of Our own initiative. We shall assume in accordance with divine judgment."(19)

Subsequently, the doctrine of the veneration of Mary as the "mother of God" and "bearer of God" was also formulated at the Second Council of Constantinople (553 C.E.) and the title of "Eternal Virgin" was added. "In the prayers and hymns of the Orthodox Church the name of the mother of God is invoked as often as in the name of Christ and the Holy Trinity"…." In the Roman Catholic doctrine, Mary, the mother of God, was identified with the figure of the divine Wisdom. The process of deifying the mother of God went a step further here, in that Mary is treated like a divine hypostasis (substance). the figure of heavenly Wisdom."(20)

--------
(12) Victor Paul Wierwille: Jesus Christ is not God, American Christian Press. The Way International, New Knoxville, Ohio 45871, (1975-1981), p. 22-23.

(13) Hase, A History of the Christian Church, p. 111. (See – Ibid, p. 23).

(14) Henry Chadwick, The Early Church (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1968), p. 129. (See – Ibid, p.23).

(15) Henry Bettenson, ed., Documents of the Christian Church, 2nd ed. (London: Oxford University Press, 1963), p. 58. "Arius and his followers were forthwith banished to IIIyria and his work were burned. The reverberations of this treatment of Arius had a profound effect on the Church, as well as on Constantine, for several decades. Just as Arius was to have been pardoned by Constantine and reinstated in the Church, he died." (See – Ibid, p.24)

(16) Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1968, s.v. "Council of Nicaea." (See – Ibid, pp. 24-25).

(17) Victor Paul Wierwille: "Jesus Christ is Not God", American Christian Press, New Knoxville, Ohio, pp. 26-27.

(18) B.K. Kuiper, The Church in History (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p. 128 (See – Ibid, p.25).

(19) (Bamber Gascoigne: "The Christians", Granda Publishing Limited, 1976, Frogmore, St Albans, Herts AI2 2NF and 3 Upper Jemes Street, London Wir 4BP, p. 9).

(20) Encyclopaedia Britannica, Macropaedia, Vol. 4, Christianity, p. 483.



Taken From

Nunneries or Brothel !! - Sex, violence, corruption, insider exposes rock the Kerala church

SIVARAM V.

A nun at the Little Flower convent in Narakkal, Kochi

KERALA: THE CHURCH

To Cast The First Stone

Sex, violence, corruption, insider exposes rock the Kerala church

“Later, I’m taken to the priest’s room for coffee. While I’m having coffee sitting on the cot, the only place in the room to sit, he comes and embraces me hard, almost suffocating me. When I struggle to escape from his clutches, he squeezes my breasts and asks me to show them to him. ‘Have you seen a man?’ Stunned, I shake my head ‘no’. In no time, he undresses himself.”
Sister Jesme in her book Amen: The Autobiography of a Nun

***

“The convents and nunneries are being converted into brothels. The priests have sex with the nuns at night in these convents. Because of these acts, the chastity of the priests and nuns has come under suspicion. Their love for God has shrunk...some of the clergy protect their chastity by watching pornography and reading pornographic material. They lose themselves in this habit. These books and DVDs are kept in secret places and can’t be found easily.”
Father Shibu Kalamparambil in his memoir Oru Vaidikante Hrudayamitha (The Heart of a Priest)

***

“The cry of a baby came from the bathroom of one of the inner rooms along with the sobs of a woman. We used our might to force open the bathroom door and what we saw would break anyone’s heart. A nun who had given birth to a child was pushing the head of the baby into the closet. The bathroom was filled with blood. The legs of the child, which were sticking out of the closet, were kicking for life.”
Sister Mary Chandy in her autobiography Nanma Niranjavale Swasthi(Peace to the One filled with Grace)

***

On the gentle slopes of Pulpally, Wayanad, where the Naxal movement once sent terror into the hearts of the land-owning gentry, a lone ex-nun, Sister Mary Chandy, is raising the hackles of the Catholic church. Her autobiography, Nanma Niranjavale Swasthi, a no-holds-barred account of her life in the convent, is littered with pregnant nuns and wayward priests. The 67-year-old Sister’s memoirs comes a good 14 years after she walked out of the congregation of the Daughters of Presentation of Mary in Chevayur, Kozhikode, in north Kerala. The Church was quick to proclaim that Sister Mary was never a nun in any of their convents and asked the laity in Wayanad not to associate with her.
So what happened after she saw the nun trying to kill her newborn baby in a convent in Mananthavady in Wayanad, as she has described in autobiography? “After I broke open the door with the help of another nun, I grabbed the child and held it to my chest. I thought I was doing the right thing but the sisters turned against me. I want to know why. In a previous incident, when I hit a priest on his head with a stool when he tried to grab me, the nuns sympathised with the priest. From then on, I was watched carefully.” After 40 years, Sister Mary fled the convent life.

“Earlier, most of the nuns, priests suffered in silence. Now some are openly questioning the church.”Sara Joseph, Feminist Author

Mary Chandy’s book has many more such harrowing tales. Like the nun who had tried to commit suicide many times over telling her of priests coming to the convent well past midnight and taking nuns out to the nearby schools. When this nun was called, she would not open the door. She was terrified the priests would break down the door and come for her. She said she hated this life of fear and wanted to end it. In one chapter, Mary Chandy recounts how porn magazines and CDs are commonplace among the priests. In one instance, she says a young nun came to her crying as another senior nun was forcing her to watch these videos with her. Elsewhere, Mary describes feast days in the seminaries when wine flows freely and there is dancing and much else. Once a father asked her to join in the revelries saying life is meant to be enjoyed. When she refused, he threatened her with dire consequences.Tell-all memoirs are not new in Kerala, nor are church scandals. The Sister Abhaya murder case (1992) has still not seen closure and in the last five years there have been three other cases of alleged nun ‘suicides’. But a nun coming out, writing an autobiography, warts and all, was a first even for Kerala. Sister Jesme’s autobiography three years ago caused quite a stir and embarrassed the church no end. Following close behind was Father Shibu Kalamparambil’s effort in 2010, which described in excruciating detail the depraved lives that many priests and nuns led. And now comes Sister Mary Chandy’s memoir, about nuns who got pregnant by priests and aborted foetuses and other such horror stories.

Noted writer and feminist Sara Joseph, whose novel Othappu incidentally explores the life of a nun who leaves the convent, says, “Most of the nuns and priests suffer in silence for suffering is a quality that they are conditioned to accept as a virtue. What you see here is the expression of the individual’s conflict with the establishment. They did not have the courage till now to take on the establishment but now they are openly questioning it.” Joseph Pullikunnel, editor ofHosanna and director of the Indian Institute of Christian Studies, says he hasn’t heard anything like this against the Catholic church, in such an open manner, ever before. “Perhaps the church was ‘whitewashing’ itself,” he says hesitantly.
Ex-MP and commentator Dr Sebastian Paul is a bit more unabashed about the sociological implications of these revelations: “These autobiographies have become bestsellers but the allegations they make have not been publicly debated. So there is not much impact on the organisation. The Catholic Church is a highly centralised organisation and there is very little criticism happening within.”
So will a soon-to-be-released film, aptly titled Father, Son and Holy Ghost, on the hardships and dilemmas faced by nuns, put things in perspective? “The Church is traditionally patriarchal. I have explored the lives of two nuns in a nunnery in my film and have touched on various aspects, including homosexuality and abortion,” says director T. Deepesh.
That doesn’t sound like things are going to get better. Father Paul Thelakat, spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, says the fathers and nuns who have left the order and are writing books now are the ones who could not cope with the spiritual life. As he puts it, “If one cannot stay celibate, it is better to get out, marry and live happily. One is called to a difficult way of life; it needs an ascetic’s will to live a life of celibacy happily. It is always better to marry than to ‘burn’ mentally. I do not appreciate those who make a hue and cry of something they fail to live up to and then blame others for their failures. It is too naive to say, ‘since I could not, nobody can’.”

“You can’t make a hue and cry over something you can’t live up to, then blame others for their failures.”Fr Paul Thelakat, Spokesperson, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Kerala, incidentally, has now around 50,000 priests and nuns. And, incredibly, there are about 1,35,000 of them outside the state, serving in various institutions in India and abroad. Malayalis constitute a sizeable 15 per cent of the world’s Catholic priests and nuns. For the past few decades, their strength has been growing while the reverse is the case in the West. Brother Mani Mekkunnel, national secretary of the Conference of Religious India, points out that one cannot disregard the importance of Catholic institutions and the yeoman’s service they do to society. He feels the media picks on stray incidents and “unsubstantiated accounts” to judge the entire edifice of the Church and millions of its devout followers. “Why don’t you focus on the hundreds and thousands of priests and nuns who are living for a noble cause? Today, English education is synonymous with convent education. Catholic institutions have contributed in an immense way to India’s economic growth. Why not highlight that?”Sara Joseph too stresses the unsubstantiated clause, saying if these writers want to be taken seriously they must reveal names. “Only if they are exposed can they be questioned,” she says. Take, for instance, Sister Mary’s book. It takes no names nor are dates clearly mentioned. Fr Stephen Mathew, director of Neethivedi, an NGO in Wayanad, points out, “We are suspicious because they haven’t revealed everything. A small minority may be behaving like this...but it is not good to generalise.”
The Church’s critics, though, offer a different view. They feel even if it’s only a handful of priests and nuns who have spoken out, it’s still a brave effort as it is unthinkable for the majority to speak against the strict order. There is both fear and subservience. Those who dare to leave this cloistered life are often not accepted by even their family and are ostracised by society. And most don’t even have a place to stay.
“Judas! Fallen Angel! Mad! These are some of the epithets being hurled my way by the church,” says Sister Jesme, 56, a former principal of St Mary’s College, Thrissur, fully at ease in a pair of red tights and a black T-shirt, enjoying her freedom in her tiny flat in Guruvayur. “I am foisted as an example to quell dissidents within the nunneries and seminaries. They preach that I have been disowned by my family and by the Church and the same would befall anyone who dares to be another Sr Jesme.” Fr Shibu says his parents were threatened by the Church. They were even told that they would not be buried in the church cemetery if they accepted him back home.
Curiously, this comes at a time when the Vatican itself is under attack. A tell-all bestseller,Sua Santita, has outed confidential personal letters between the Pope and his associates revealing many embarrassing details. Last month, the head of the Vatican bank was sacked on money-laundering charges. Many connected with the Church say the kind of depravity prevalent among the priests and nuns in Kerala and abroad is because of the arcane rules and practices. This perhaps is the time to usher in some much-needed reforms in the Catholic Church. As Dr Valson Thampu, principal of St Stephen’s College, Delhi, puts out, “Every institution stands in need of continual reform. What is not reformed or renewed is headed for death. Only those who are spiritually insensitive will resist reform.” So will the Church let more light into its pews or wait for another book by one of its own to rake up another scandal?

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?281624

Yvonne Ridley converted to Islam after being captured by the Taliban

British journalist Yvonne Ridley, who converted to Islam after being captured by the Taliban, tells Asma Hanif that oppression of women has to do with traditions rather than with Islam and explains why she became a Muslim.

It was Yvonne’s camera that betrayed her to the Taliban in September 2001, landing her in an Afghan cell for ten days and starting a long process in her life.

In front of a Taliban soldier, it slipped from her shoulder when, disguised as an Afghan woman with a head-to-toe burka, she entered the country without her passport on the brink of the US-led invasion. The Sunday Express reporter wanted to talk to ordinary Afghans and write a human interest feature.

But the Taliban suspected Yvonne of being a spy for the Americans at a time when Afghans flew by thousands to secure their lives outside their country’s borders. Yvonne, then 42, replied to them: “If I was to be an American spy, then God help the Americans.” Mullah Omar eventually ordered her release on “humanitarian grounds”. But the camera was never to be returned to her.

“I’m sorry, the Taliban confiscated my camera when I was arrested, so I have no picture from that period,” reads her email to me when I asked her if she has a photo of her cell to illustrate this feature.

Yvonne describes the prison as “very basic, with no running water”, although the staff treated her with respect, which she, the feisty British journalist, brutally rejected. “I spat at my captors, I threw things at them,” she now confesses. “I don’t know who was happier when I crossed the border to freedom, they or me – they just wanted to get rid of me.”

With the fall of the Taliban, the cellmates were exchanged. When Yvonne returned to Afghanistan after her release and visited the cell in the women’s section of a Kabul prison, she was surprised.

“It was packed with young girls aged 12-16 whose only crime was that they had run away from home because they didn’t want to be second and third wives for men twice their ages,” says Yvonne, who is a campaigning feminist. “The whole thing of selling a girl, which was forbidden and stamped out by the Taliban, is now widely practiced.”

Comparing the women’s situation under both, the former and the current Afghan regimes, she observes: “There are no career women coming out in Afghanistan except a few individuals who saw their lives improving,” adding, “some women told me they missed the security they had under the Taliban.”

The first Afghan Minister of women’s affairs to work after the fall of the Taliban, Dr Sima Samar, did not even have her own office, Yvonne realized when she met her in March 2002. “In the end she was hounded out of office,” she says.

“Being a woman in Afghanistan is a tough life,” Yvonne concludes. “But it has been for centuries – it has to do with customs and traditions.” Even if women are often subjugated in Muslim societies, Islam stands far from these traditions, claims the Muslim feminist.

It was Yvonne’s capture by the Taliban that sparked the process switching her from a wine and cigarette admirer into a devout Muslim who prays five times a day.

Rejecting people’s initial rumors which suggested that she suffers from the Stockholm syndrome, Yvonne says she made the step by pure conviction.

“To suffer from that disease, you have to bond with your captors over a long period of time,” she explains. “I was there for only 10 days. I did not bond with the Taliban. The only people I bonded with in this very short time were six amazing Christian fundamentalist women whom I shared a cell with. So, if I were suffering from any syndrome, it would have been with my cellmates, and I should be in Texas now, running a tambourine and going halleluiah.”

Yvonne’s passage to Islam started with the promise she made to the Taliban that, once freed, she would read the Quran (the book Muslims believe to be God’s word). “The fulfillment of this promise turned very soon to a spiritual journey for me,” she says, “because, after having finished reading this book, I started an academic exercise and read the supporting literature.”

When initially reading the Quran, Yvonne recalls, she intended to find out “how it teaches men to beat their wives”. But she emerged entranced. “The Quran makes it crystal clear that women are equal to men in spirituality, worth and education,” she realized.

Gradually, she began adopting Islamic practices and cutting out un-Islamic customs like alcohol and cigarettes. “I had a battle with cigarettes which I finally won – at last,” she jokes.

Yvonne also began covering her head, finding it “liberating not to be judged by the size of her legs”.

But then it was her own society that she felt oppressed by. “I’ve always been outspoken,” she says, referring, for instance, to her critical views against the way detainees in the war on terror are held captive without charge, and often tortured. “I have been a trade unionist all my live; I’ve been passionate against the war; I’ve spoken on anti-war platforms, on Muslim and non-Muslim events. But as soon as I put on a hijab (the Arabic word for the Muslim veil), I was called an extremist for my views.”

Yvonne finds that interesting. “You can’t win,” she fiercely says. “You’re criticized one minute for being silent, subjugated, oppressed and not saying anything. And when you do say something, they say: ‘Oh, she’s an extremist.’”

Although, before her conversion, she recalls looking at veiled women as ‘silent, oppressed creatures’, she now wears her veil as a means to show her Muslim identity, and to be respected as a Muslim who does not want to be offered a glass of wine.

Now that she has ‘seen the veil from both sides’, as she describes herself, Yvonne knows what she defends – Islam purely and simply.

The grades used – largely by Western media – to measure the levels of Islam such as ‘moderate Muslim’ and ‘Islamist’, are nonsense in her eyes. “What is a moderate and what is an extremist? I really don’t know,” she says. “I am a simple Muslim. I follow no scholars or sects. I merely follow the Prophet Mohammad and the Sunnah (the Arabic word for Prophet Muhammad’s tradition). Does that make me an extremist?

“I once said being a Muslim is a bit like being pregnant. You are or you are not. Whoever heard of anyone being moderately or extremely pregnant?”

Yvonne strongly opposes distortions and manipulations about Islam. 

REJECTED OFFER OF MOVIE : WHY READ BELOW....

She once declined an offer by a Hollywood producer who, after having read her book, In the hands of the Taliban, expressed an interest in making a film, but had misinterpreted the Taliban as “dirty, filthy, stinking Arabs”.

“First of all, the Taliban are not dirty filthy stinking Arabs as you call them,” Yvonne replied her. “They’re largely from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Furthermore, they were all very handsome young men.”

When her agent then insisted on Yvonne to agree for producing the story, she said, “I never had money in my life, so I don’t know what I’m missing, but there is no way I am going to allow somebody with such a narrow vision to do that story, because it would be totally distorted.”

It seems that, if not confiscated, Yvonne’s camera would have pictured the Afghans from a different perspective than many others’. But her pen did.

source : 

http://islamgreatreligion.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/in-the-company-of-taliban-a-must-read-true-story/

FISH: A VALUABLE SOURCE OF NUTRITION (Astrophysics in the Glorious Quran)

Astrophysics in the Glorious Quran

FISH: A VALUABLE SOURCE OF NUTRITION:

Anything you catch in the sea is lawful for you, and all food from it, for your enjoyment and that of travellers… (Qur'an, 5:96)

The fact the average age of people developing and dying from heart disease is constantly decreasing has considerably increased the importance attached to coronary health. Although a great many advances have been registered in the treatment of heart disease, experts in the field basically recommend that careful precautions be taken before such diseases ever arise. Experts also recommend one important foodstuff for the healthy functioning of the heart and the prevention of disease: fish.

The reason why fish is such an important source of nutrition is that it both provides substances necessary for the human body and also reduces the risk of various diseases. For example, it has been revealed that when fish-which acts as a shield in terms of health with the omega-3 acid it contains-is consumed on a regular basis, it reduces the risk of heart disease and strengthens the immune system.

The fact that fish, the health benefits of which have only newly been scientifically registered, is an important nutritional source is revealed in the Qur'an. Almighty Allah makes the following references to seafood in the Qur'an: "It is He Who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it..." (Qur'an, 16:14), "Anything you catch in the sea is lawful for you, and all food from it, for your enjoyment and that of travellers…" (Qur'an, 5:96) Furthermore, particular attention is drawn to fish in Surat al-Kahf, in which it is revealed that the Prophet Musa (as) set out on a long journey with his servant and that they took fish along with them to eat:

But when they reached their meeting-place, they forgot their fish which quickly burrowed its way into the sea. When they had gone a distance further on, he said to his servant, "Bring us our morning meal. Truly this journey of ours has made us tired." He said, "Do you see what has happened? When we went to find shelter at the rock, I forgot the fish…" (Qur'an, 18:61-63)

It is noteworthy that in Surat al-Kahf fish should be specially chosen as a foodstuff after a long, tiring journey. Therefore, one of the pieces of wisdom in this tale may well be an indication of the nutritional benefits of fish. (Allah knows best.)

In fact, when we examine the nutritional properties of fish, we encounter some very striking facts. Fish, given to us as a blessing by our Lord, are a perfect food, particularly in terms of protein, vitamin D and trace elements (certain elements found in minimal quantities in the body but which are still of great importance to it). Due to the minerals they contain-such as phosphorus, sulphur and vanadium-fish encourages growth and enables tissues to recover. Fish meat also assists in the formation of healthy teeth and gums, benefits the complexion, makes the hair healthier and contributes to the fight against bacterial infection. It also plays an important role in the prevention of heart attacks as it beautifully regulates the level of cholesterol in the blood. It helps the body to break down and use starch and fats, making it stronger and more energetic. On the other hand, it also influences the functioning of mental activities. In the event that the vitamin D and other minerals contained in fish are not consumed in sufficient quantities, disorders such as rickets (bone weakness), gum disease, goitre and hyperthyroid may all arise.

In addition, modern science has also discovered that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish also occupy an important place in human health. These fats have even been described as essential fatty acids.

The Benefits of Omega-3 in Fish Oil

There are two kinds of unsaturated fatty acid in fish oil which are particularly important for our health: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). EPA and DHA are known as polyunsaturated fats and contain the important omega-3 fatty acids. Since the fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 are not manufactured in the human body, they need to be taken in from the outside.

There is a large body of evidence relating to the benefits to human health of fish oil, the actual benefit stemming from its omega-3 fatty acid content. Despite being present in vegetable oils, these omega-3 fatty acids are less effective in relation to human health. However, marine plankton is very effective at turning omega-3 into EPA and DHA. When fish eat plankton, their constitution becomes much richer in EPA and DHA. That, in turn, makes fish one of the richest sources of these vitally important fatty acids.

Vital Benefits of the Fatty Acids Found in Fish

One of the main features of the fatty acids in fish is the contribution they make to the body's energy production. These fatty acids carry out electron transfers by attaching themselves to oxygen in the body and permit energy to be produced for various chemical processes within it. There is therefore considerable evidence that a diet rich in fish oil helps combat fatigue and increases mental and physical capacity. Omega-3 increases the individual's powers of concentration as much as it does his or her energy levels. There is a scientific foundation to the old saying "fish is good for the brain": The main compound in brain fat is DHA, which contains omega-3 fatty acids.

The Importance of Fish for a Healthy Heart and Arteries

The omega-3 fatty acid in fish is acknowledged to protect against cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure and the cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood.125 Triglyceride is a form of fat and resembles LDL (bad cholesterol) which is high in fat and low in protein content. A raised triglyceride level, especially together with high cholesterol, increases the risk of heart disease. In addition, fish oils reduce life-threatening post-heart attack abnormal heart rhythms.

In one study by the American Medical Association, it was observed that heart attack levels in women eating five portions of fish a week fell by one-third. This is thought to stem from the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil causing less blood clotting. The normal speed of blood in our veins is 60 kmph (37.3 mph) and it is of vital importance for the blood to be of the right viscosity and for the density, quantity and speed to be at normal levels. The worst danger for our blood-apart from normal conditions of bleeding-is for it to clot and lose the ability to flow properly. Fish oils are also effective in reducing blood clotting by preventing the thrombocytes in the blood (blood platelets that concentrate the blood in the event of bleeding) from adhering to one another. Otherwise, blood thickening can lead to narrowing of the arteries. In turn, this can lead to many organs in the body-especially the heart, brain, eyes and kidneys-receiving an inadequate blood supply, function deceleration and eventually, loss of function. For example, when an artery is totally blocked on account of clotting this can lead to heart attack, paralysis or other disorders, depending on the location of the artery.

Omega-3 fatty acids also play an important role in the production of the molecule haemoglobin, that carries oxygen in the red blood cells, and in controlling the nutrients passing through the cell membrane. They also prevent the damaging effects of fats harmful to the body.

Importance for the Development of New Born Babies

Being an important component of the brain and eye, omega-3 fatty acids have been the subject of research, especially over the last 10 years, in connection with the needs of new born babies. There is a considerable body of evidence relating to the importance of omega-3 to the development of the foetus in the mother's womb and of the new-born baby. Omega-3 is of the greatest importance for the proper development of the brain and nerves throughout pregnancy and in early babyhood. Scientists emphasise the importance of mother's milk since it is a natural and perfect store of omega-3.

Benefits for Joint Health

The major risk in rheumatoid arthritis (a painful joint condition linked to rheumatism) is that of wearing of the joints, leading to irreparable damage. It has been proven that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids prevents arthritis and reduces discomfort in swollen and sensitive joints.

Benefits Regarding the Healthy Functioning of the Brain and Nervous System

A large number of studies have revealed the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the healthy functioning of the brain and nerves. In addition, it has been shown that fish oil reinforcement can reduce symptoms of depression and schizophrenia and prevent Alzheimer's disease (a brain disease which causes loss of memory and hinders day-to-day activities). For example, reductions in such problems as anxiety, stress and sleeping difficulties have been observed in individuals suffering from depression who took 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acid over a period of 12 weeks.

Benefits against Inflammatory Disorders and Strengthening of the Immune System

At the same time, omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory (infection preventing) function. Omega-3 can therefore be employed in the following diseases:

* Rheumatoid arthritis (joint infection linked to rheumatism), Osteoarthritis (a form of arthritis gradually degenerating the functions of joints)
* Ulcerative colitis (ulcers linked to the inflammation of the colon), and
Lupus (a disease which causes patches on the skin).
* It also protects myelin (the material surrounding nerve cells). It is therefore used in the treatment of
* Glaucoma (an eye disorder marked by abnormally high pressure within the eyeball that may even lead to blindness)
* Multiple sclerosis (a serious progressive disease resulting from tissue hardening in the brain and spinal cord),
* Osteoporosis (a disease leading to structural weakening in the bone structure)
Diabetes patients.
* In addition, it is also reported to be useful in the treatment of
Migraine patients,
* Anorexia (a possibly fatal eating disorder)
* Burns
* Problems concerning skin health.

There is also wide-ranging evidence that societies such as the Greenland Eskimos and Japanese, who eat a lot of fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acid, have a much lower incidence of heart and artery disease, asthma and psoriasis. Fish is therefore recommended as a form of treatment and is particularly recommended by nutritionists on account of its proven benefits for coronary health.

Additional benefits to those outlined above are emerging every day. Moreover, it has only been possible to reveal the health benefits of fish by a great many scientists working in well-equipped research laboratories. The fact that such a valuable source of nutrition is indicated in the Qur'an, and especially that it is described as a fatigue eliminator in Surat al-Kahf, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. All the benefits provided by fish are a great blessing given us by our Lord. As with all foods, it is Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, Who has created the superior structure in fish for our benefit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more articles kindly visit us:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Astrophysics-in-the-Glorious-Quran/157585914342426