One Of The Earliest Known Female Doctors

Posted: 1/27/2018

Trigger

Just saw a video documentary about Alexandria and Carthage (in German language). This video e.g focused on a Greek woman, who travelled from Greece to Alexandria, Egypt, to study medicine at the famous Library of Alexandria. To my astonishment, I learnt about this famous woman.

Agnodice

Apparently little is known about this remarkable and courageous woman who lived in the 4th century BC. Sometimes she is only mentioned in footnotes (S1). Whether she was a real historical person is in question (not for me). She disguised as a man to study and to practice medicine.

She was not just a midwife or a healer, but she is reported to have studied medicine under famous doctors at the Library of Alexandria like Herophilus.

“As her popularity with female patients grew, rival physicians accused her of seducing the women of Athens. She was tried, and revealed her sex to the jury by lifting her tunic. Accused of illegally practising medicine as a woman, she was defended by the women of Athens who praised her for her effective treatments. She was acquitted, and the law against female physicians in Athens was revoked.” (S2; emphasis added)

Takeaways

1. Women who dared were respected and accomplished. Unfortunately, too few did
2. Debunking Feminism as an ideology based on myth

Sources (S):

1. Ancient Alexandria and the dawn of medical science
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnodice

One Of The Earliest Known Female Generals

Posted: 1/27/2018

Trigger

I just learnt from a video documentary about ancient Chinese dynasties that there was a female general during one of the most powerful of those dynasties, the Shang dynasty.

Overall, I think, too little is known or acknowledged about female prowess in war.

Fu Hao

She (died in 1200 BC) was one of many wives/consorts (one of 64) of King Wu Ding who rose through the ranks to become even the highest general. She is reported to have led numerous military campaigns and that she won decisive battles. “Fu Hao fought at the head of her troops, nursed the wounded off the battlefield, and inspired morale” (Source 3). “She went on to become the Shang's most powerful military leader commanding a force of 13,000 soldiers with several other generals in service to her. ” (Source 4). In her youth, she had received military training. She was also a high priestess and an oracle caster.

It is reported that besides her there were other female commanders at the time.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Hao
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_ancient_and_imperial_China#Shang_dynasty
3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fu-hao-fl-1040-bce
4. http://thefemalesoldier.com/blog/fu-hao

Gender Power Struggle In The 21st Century

Posted: 1/4/2018

Utter Gender Confusion

For the past several decades, the confusion about the ever and faster changing gender roles and relations among the genders has significantly increased, but one should not miss to notice an enduring power struggle between the genders. Bisexual, homosexual, transgender etc. are more like red herrings to obscure the underlying power struggle between the gender.

Women Are Neither Angels Nor Saints

Women are as power hungry as men. Feminism or similar forces are not merely to establish equal rights between men and women. While men tend to use more brawn and violence to achieve their goals in history, women resorted to more refined techniques to achieve theirs.

Unfortunately, too many men in Western countries are too chivalrous and too naive to fall for the cunning of the other gender.

Vanishing Genders

Will there still be a recognition of different genders by the end of the 21st century? Doubtful

If indeed the distinction of gender will be extinct before this century ends, then who will have more influence on how gender will disappear, women or men?

Major Federal Breaches Of Religious Freedom In The U.S.

Posted: 1/1/2018

This is a work in progress!

Motivation

If you think religious freedom in America was only threatened, attacked, and abridged in our days you are seriously mistaken.

In The Words Of Thomas Jefferson

Excerpted from Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1777; emphasis added):

1. “... That the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavouring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all time; ...”
2. “... That therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence, by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages, to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right, ...”
3. “... Be it enacted by General Assembly that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities.”

What would Thomas Jefferson have to say today about religious freedom in America?

A Brief History Of Federal Violations Of The First Amendment

A brief history of federal breaches of religious freedom:

1. Why did it take Utah almost 50 years to become the 45th state of the union in 1896? Why was Utah forced by Washington to give up polygamy in return for statehood? Utah tried since 1850 to become a state, but was repeatedly denied. President Buchanan removed Brigham Young as governor of Utah Territory in 1857-58. He sent a 2,500-man army and a new governor to Utah.
   In 1862, the U.S. Congress passed the Morrill Anti-bigamy Act. This Act prohibited polygamy in the territories and disincorporated the LDS church. President Lincoln signed this unconstitutional act into law. For many other reasons, Lincoln was a terrible president (see my blog posts about Lincoln).
   In 1874, the U.S. Congress passed the Poland Act, which gave authorities more power to successfully prosecute polygamists.
   In 1879, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of federal laws against polygamy (Reynolds v. United States). So the law making plural marriage a crime was found to be valid. Another, very dubious, but lesser known, unconstitutional decision by the U.S. Supreme Court!
   In 1882, Congress passed the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act, outlawing “unlawful cohabitation.” thus removing the need to prove that actual marriages had occurred. The act declared polygamy a felony. It also banned polygamists from voting, holding public office, or serving on juries. Wow, this would be called religious persecution in our days! In 1885, federal officials chased and arrested lots of polygamists—while others went into hiding. The Mormons presented President Cleveland with a formal protest—to no avail. The Edmunds Act restrictions were enforced regardless of whether an individual was actually practicing polygamy, or merely stated a belief in the Mormon doctrine of plural marriage without actually participating. It also provided for a five-man Utah Commission appointed by the president to supervise all aspects of the electoral process in Utah Territory.The Supreme Court ruled, in Murphy v. Ramsey (1885), that the statute was not ex post facto because convicts were charged for their continued cohabitation, not for the prior illegal marriage.
   In 1887, Congress passed the Edmunds-Tucker bill. This would confiscate LDS church property and take away the right of Utah women to vote. So the women in Utah had voting rights since 1870 and Congress took that away too. I was truly stunned to learn about this.The Supreme Court in the case Late Corp. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. United States that upheld the Edmunds–Tucker Act in 1890
   [No matter what one thinks about polygamy, did the U.S. Congress and several U.S. Presidents violate religious liberty as protected by the U.S. Constitution when they pursued the Mormons? I am afraid, they did! Only forced or involuntary polygamy should have been the basis of any federal law. What this harsh pursuit of the Mormons represents is a severe violation of We the People and federalism! This should never have happened in the history of the U.S.! There are parallels to the American Civil War fought over the secession of southern states.]
2. Jehovah's Witnesses story. Why were the Jehovah’s Witnesses harassed so much that they sued so often like probably no other religious organisation in the history of the U.S. (to be continued)

Sources:

1. http://ilovehistory.utah.gov/topics/statehood/index.html

Lots Of Propaganda Top Comments On Facebook

Posted: 1/1/2018

Just a few observations on the top comments I get to see on news media articles selected and posted by Facebook on my Facebook page (I have Liked at least a dozen very different news media outlets on Facebook):

1. Facebook usually shows only the top 2 comments instead of 10 comments. That’s bad in itself and very annoying! When I expand to see more comments, Facebook dumps a large number of comments and it  is not clear anymore if these are the Top 10 Comments anymore
2. More bothering, usually the top comments shown appear to be manipulated and presenting a very biased and ideological viewpoint. To me many of these Facebook Top Comments are nothing more than deliberately placed, evident propaganda comments
3. Not to be outdone, Facebook manages to include among the Top Comments the opposing propaganda comment so as if in an attempt to, shall we call it, balance propaganda viewpoints
4. Very disturbing, the voice of reason and modesty is often missing among the Top 10 Comments. Are we Facebook users to believe that there is no voice of reason anymore or it is always in the minority compared to the propaganda comments?
5. In particular, the Top 10 Comments of Reuters news agency articles posted by Facebook are infested with propaganda Top Comments
6. I conclude, I find these Top 10 Comments feature by Facebook very suspect and unsatisfactory