The common myth and lie is that the only church from 30 A.D. to 606 A.D. was the Roman Catholic Church. The truth is that there were many independent believers and churches that followed the Gospel from the UK to India and China.
Helvidius (sometimes Helvetius) was the author of a work written prior to 383 against the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. Helvidius maintained that the biblical mention of "sisters" and "brothers" of the Lord constitutes solid evidence that Mary had normal marital relations with Joseph and additional children after the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus. He supported his opinion by the writings of Tertullian and Victorinus. Helvidius also accused Jerome of translating the Vulgate from corrupt Greek manuscripts. All the works of Helvidius are lost; we know some things about his tract against the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary only through Jerome's treatise written in response to it. Helvidius considered the state of being married as an honor and argued against the high glorification of celibacy, which Jerome attacked. Helvidius is one of the early opponents of the monastic movement
Jovinian (Latin: Iovinianus; died c. 405) was an opponent of Christian asceticism in the 4th century and was condemned as a heretic at synods convened in Rome under bishop Siricius and in Milan by Ambrose in 393 because of his views. Our information about him is derived principally from the work of Jerome in two books, Adversus Jovinianum. Jerome referred to him as the "Epicurus of Christianity." Jovinian was not a heretic, but a born again Christian. He felt that virgins, widows and married women, and remarried widows, are of equal merit in the Christian community. Many scholars have argued that for Jovinian, works did not justify a man, thus holding to a Protestant view of justification, which is by faith alone. It has been argued that Jovinian believed in a distinction between the visible and invisible churches, based on his statement that the Church is founded on faith, and that all in the Church are taught by God and that no "unripe" members exist within the Church and no one can enter the church "by fraud." From a letter of the synod at Milan to Bishop Siricius (Ambrose, Epistle xlii) and from Augustine's book Contra Julian ii, it is clear that Jovinian also denied the perpetual virginity of Mary.
Vigilantius lived in ca. 400 A.D. He was a Christian presbyter who wrote a book that opposed the heresies being promoted. His work was so groundbreaking that the establishment leader Jerome (who died in 420) wrote many polemical treatises against Vigilantius which focused on ad hominem attacks instead of a real refutation. Vigilantius was born in ca. 370 A.D. at Calagurris (or Saint Martory today) in Aquitania, France. His father kept and inn on the great Roman road from Gallia Aquitania to Spain. When he was a youth, he worked with Christian Sulpicus Severus (ca. 363-425 A.D.) who had estates in that neighborhood. By 395, Sulpicius baptized him, sent him with letters to Paulinus of Nola, where he met with a friendly reception. When he returned to Severus in Gaul, he was ordained and soon afterwards inherited means through the death of his father, he traveled to Israel. This is where at first Jerome showed him respect at Bethlehem. Vigilantius later accused Jerome of Oreigenism (named after the scholar Origen of Alexandria, who lived form 184 to 253 A.D.).
On his return to the West Vigilantius bore a letter from Jerome to Paulinus, and at various places where he stopped on the way he appears to have expressed himself about Jerome in a manner that - when reported - gave great offence to that father, and provoked him to write a reply (Ep. 61). Vigilantius now settled for some time in Gaul, and is said by one authority (Gennadius) to have afterwards held a charge in the diocese of Barcelona. About 403, some years after his return from the East, Vigilantius wrote his work against some church practices, in which he argued against the veneration of relics, as also against the vigils in the basilicas of the martyrs, then so common, the sending of alms to Jerusalem, the rejection of earthly goods and the attribution of special virtue to the unmarried state, especially in the case of the clergy. He was especially indignant in the veneration of saints and their relics. All knowledge of his work comes from Jerome's treatise Contra Vigilantium. The doctrines of Vigilantius, at least to the extent that they are understood on the basis of Jerome's letter, feature strongly in the 'Twelve Conclusions' of the English Lollards. Vigilantius opposed monastic asceticism and superstitions connected with it. Jerome attacked Vigilantius, even calling him a monster; for "believing that the graves of martyrs and saints should not be venerated, opposing virginity and being against fasting for the saints." Vigilantius also denied the veneration of saints and relics, which he considered superstition and idolatry. Vigilantius said his adversaries "worshipped bones and ash of dead men" and called them idolaters. Vigilantius also attacked intercession for the dead as useless.
The large irony was when the growth of Christianity spread in the Roman Empire, the Roman Empire declined rapidly because of many reasons. By 212 A.D., there was the reign of Emperor Caracalla. He allowed Roman citizenship granted to all freeborn inhabitants of the empire. The Severan dynasty saw massive chaos. The Emperors during that time saw murder, executive, and the Crisis of the Third Century (when there were invasions, civil strife, economic disorder, and plague). This time saw the transition form the Classical to Late Antiquity of World History. Aurelin (who ruled from 270-275 A.D.) stabilized the empire militarily and the Emperor Diocletian reoganized and restored much of the empire by 285 A.D. Emperor Diocletian used a massive persecution campaign against Christians. He was a vicious anti-Christian bigot. Diocletian divided the empire into four region, each ruled by a separate tetarach. He was confident that he solved the disorder harming Rome, so he abdicated along with his co-emperor. Yet, the Tetrarchy collapsed shortly after that even. Order was restored by Emperor Constantine the Great. He was the first Roman Emperor to have converted to Christianity. He made Constantinople as the new capital of the Eastern Empire. During the decades of the Constantinian and Valentinian dynasties, the empire was divided along an east–west axis, with dual power centres in Constantinople and Rome. Julian, who under the influence of his adviser Mardonius attempted to restore Classical Roman and Hellenistic religion, only briefly interrupted the succession of Christian emperors. Theodosius I, the last emperor to rule over both East and West, died in 395 after making Christianity the state religion. The Western Roman Empire began to disintegrate in the early 5th century. The Romans fought off all invaders, most famously Attila, but the empire had assimilated so many Germanic peoples of dubious loyalty to Rome that the empire started to dismember itself. Most chronologies place the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476, when Romulus Augustulus was forced to abdicate to the Germanic warlord Odoacer. Odoacer ended the Western Empire by declaring Zeno sole emperor and placing himself as Zeno's nominal subordinate. In reality, Italy was ruled by Odoacer alone. The Eastern Roman Empire, called the Byzantine Empire by later historians, continued until the reign of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Roman emperor. He died in battle in 1453 against Mehmed II and his Ottoman forces during the siege of Constantinople. Mehmed II adopted the title of caesar in an attempt to claim a connection to the former Empire. His claim was soon recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but not by European monarchs.
For the eons of human history, health has always been promoted by human beings. With the new events going on, studying health is always important. Everyone of us living now either has a health issue or knows someone with a health issue. The importance of preparation and wisdom about diverse health subjects is underrated. The myth is that there is just one single formula for all people to follow in the exact direction to cause all people to improve their health. The truth is that every human being is different. There is no 100 percent identical DNA in any human being, so what food and health plan may work for one person may not for another. For example, if a person has peanut allergies, it is not right to promote peanuts for that person to consume. If a person is lactose intolerant, that person shouldn't drink milk unless that milk is lactose free milk. For years, I have mentioned that BMI is a hoax in determining human health. Now, recently research and studies prove that to be so like the report from the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. That is why real health indicators relate to body fat percentage, blood pressure, waist to hip ratio, waist size measurement in general (which is a reliable measure of weight related health risks), hormone levels, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, testosterone levels, and other indicators. We should always support the really great health experts helping humanity. They are doing a lot to improve lives, give great advice, and furthering a positive, health culture. Also, we live in a new generation in 2025. There are still those who believe in extreme materialism, lookism, and other prejudices that have no place in the Universe. Anyone, who is truly about health culture, believe in treating all people with dignity and with respect regardless of color, size, sex, nationality, and background. We follow the Golden Rule.
One of the great health experts of our generation is Bo Talley-Williams. She is the mother of five children and the grandmother of 2 children. She has been working in fitness training for years. She is a businesswoman, film producer, author, actress, and a philanthropist. She is married to the professional basketball coach Fred Williams. Bo wants people to be their best selves and has many videos that document her life and work in fitness culture. She loves to show tips on healthy eating and working out found in social media platforms from Facebook, Instagram, X, etc. She is the national advertisement leader and face for Strength of Natures product Gentle Treatment Relaxer for gray hair and for Pantene UK's Power of Grey Campaign. She is a mentor to young girls to fulfill their own destinies. In 2016, she has received the RICE AWARD (Rising in Community Excellence) for Top Entertainment Company in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2014, she created the first All women Celebrity Basketball Game in Atlanta, Georgia themed Balling for Lupus. Lupus is a serious disease that has harmed the immune systems of millions of people. Her fitness company is BO FITT, LLC whose goal is to inspire and motivate women and men from ages 30 on up to try and have health and fitness awareness to benefit their lives. She is a living legend of fitness and health culture of our generation indeed.
Sheryl Grant is a very prominent leader of our time too. She won Ms. Olympia at the age of 55 years old which is an incredible accomplishment. She has motivated and changed lives for the better for years. She created the award winning FIT for Life platform that has helped individuals in their business, career, and life. FIT is also her acronym meaning Faith, intuition, and tenacity. Those are true life lessons. She is part of the technology movement who promotes companies to work with the Generations of Generation X and Baby Boomers. She has worked in Silicon Valley for 30 years. Sheryl Grant served as the President of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., Oakland/Bay Area Chapter where she wrote the curriculum for the Positive Steps Girls Program (girls form 12-17) which helps to mentor girls in leadership, STEM, college, etc. She has invested in programs to combat HIV/AIDS, literacy, and other important issues. She is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce. She raised more than 1 million dollars in supporting black businesses over the pandemic in addition to the Board of Directors for Giving Back Fund. She has a Masters Degree in Leadership Development from St. Mary's College. She loves to perform core exercises. Now, she is 63 years old who was born on December 20, 1961.
Sister Donna Richardson Joyner. For decades, she has been involved in fitness and other arenas. She was born in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1962. Silver Spring is just to the north of Washington, D.C. She graduated from Hollins College with a degree in Health Education and Dance. Also, she is a spiritual woman who has given motivational speeches all over the world. She's a beautiful black woman who is expressing her gifts in a loving, inspirational way. Her spirit is filled with energy, positivity, and joy. I wish the best for her.
One of the most important issues of the health world is Ozempic. Ozempic is a medicine similar to Rybelsus and Wegovy that were originally used for anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication for long-term weight management. These medicines can be injected or taken orally. The issue is that people who don't have diabetes or don't have severe obesity are increasingly taking Ozempic and like-minded medicine in a higher level. Ozempic is made up of a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP), modified with a side chain. By December 2017, the injectable version of the brand name Ozempic was approved by use by people with diabetes in America and in January 2018 in Canada. Some health plans in America don't cover weight loss drugs like Ozempic. In America by 2024, about half of private employer-sponsored plans cover these drugs. Federal Medicare Part D does not and only a few federally funded, state administered Medicaid plans do. Semaglutide is expected to be patent free in America no earlier than December 2031. Semaglutide was the top selling medication in America in 2023, with expenditures of $38.6 billion. Novo Nordish promotes the Ozempic product. Ozempic has many benefits and risk factors. Semaglutide drugs can help treat binge eating disorders, help with cardiovascular health, reduce asthma attacks, and a 2024 study published in Alzheimer's and Dementia suggests that semaglutide may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
This is the year of massive anniversaries. This year is the 20th year anniversary of the Katrina disaster in New Orleans and many areas of the Deep South. The tragic event took place when I was in my early 20s. I remember that terrible situation just like yesterday. Hurricane Katrina represented many things from the increase of climate change to the class oppression and racism found in American society. After 20 years, we still have a long way to go. Problems of infrastructure and response are the fault of local, state, and federal governments. We know how the Bush administration flown over the city of New Orleans while people were suffering. The suffering among black people and poor people were so intense that Kanye West (before he was a MAGA extremist) said his comments about George W. Bush. The leeves failed because of years of infrastructure neglect in the name of fiscal conservativism. Many people forget that at least 1,580 people died from Hurricane Katrina, 70 percent of these human beings were senior citizens. Many racists and even some neoliberal politicians said that most black people in the Superdome acted in a criminal fashion. There was the Danziger Bridge incident when plainclothes cops attacked a crowd without warning, killing two people and wounding four people. The police kicked a disabled man to death. Racist white vigilante groups stopped and forced black people to not cross the bridge to go to the Algiers Point neighborhood. For years, people warned about the water disaster that would come to New Orleans. Neoliberal and far right economic and political policies contributed to the disaster of Katrina. The Hurricane caused health issues in New Orleans and many places of the Deep South too. Katrina was one of the most costliest Hurricane disasters in American history. Deregulation, gentrification, and issues of housing rights deal with the legacy of Katrina also. The legacy of Katrina is that while more people talk about natural disaster preparedness than years ago, we still have to oppose the system of oligarchy more obsessed with property than the human rights of the people.
By Timothy
