What is the origin of sacred words in religious contexts. How do sacred terms evolve in meaning over time. Why are certain words considered holy in various faiths. What role do sacred words play in religious rituals and practices.

The Etymology of “Sacred” and Its Latin Roots

The word “sacred” finds its origins in the Latin adjective “sacer,” meaning “holy.” This linguistic root has given rise to a rich tapestry of words that permeate religious and spiritual contexts across various cultures. Understanding the etymology of sacred terminology provides valuable insights into the evolution of religious thought and practice.

The direct descendant of “sacer” is, of course, “sacred” itself. But the influence of this Latin root extends far beyond this single term, branching out into a diverse array of words that carry profound religious significance.

Key Derivatives of “Sacer”

• Sacrament
• Sacerdotal
• Sacristy
• Sacristan
• Sacrilege
• Sacrifice

Each of these terms carries a unique meaning within religious contexts, yet all share the common thread of holiness or sacred devotion.

The Sacraments: Holy Rites and Observances

The term “sacrament” describes a religious observance or rite, typically of great significance within a faith tradition. In Christianity, for example, sacraments are considered sacred ceremonies instituted by Jesus Christ himself.

What distinguishes a sacrament from other religious practices? Sacraments are generally understood to be outward signs of inward grace, conveying spiritual blessings to the faithful. The number and nature of sacraments vary between different Christian denominations, but common examples include:

• Baptism
• Communion (Eucharist)
• Confirmation
• Marriage
• Ordination

The concept of sacraments underscores the importance of ritual and symbolism in religious practice, serving as tangible expressions of spiritual truths.

Sacerdotal Matters: The Realm of Priests and Priesthoods

The term “sacerdotal” refers to things that pertain to a priest or the priesthood. This adjective encompasses a wide range of aspects related to clerical life and duties.

What areas of religious life are considered sacerdotal? Some examples include:

• Liturgical functions
• Priestly vestments
• Clerical education and training
• Hierarchical structures within religious organizations

The sacerdotal dimension of religious life highlights the role of dedicated individuals who serve as intermediaries between the divine and the human realms. These individuals often undergo specialized training and adhere to specific codes of conduct befitting their sacred responsibilities.

Sacred Spaces: The Sacristy and Its Keeper

Within the physical layout of many houses of worship, the sacristy plays a crucial role. This room serves as a repository for sacred objects and as a dressing area for priests preparing for religious services.

The sacristan, in turn, is the individual charged with overseeing the sacristy and its contents. This role carries significant responsibility, as it involves the care and maintenance of items considered holy within the faith tradition.

What duties might a sacristan perform? Common responsibilities include:

• Preparing vessels and vestments for religious services
• Maintaining an inventory of sacred objects
• Ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the sacristy
• Assisting clergy in their preparations for rituals

The existence of dedicated spaces and personnel for the care of sacred objects underscores the reverence with which these items are treated in religious contexts.

Sacrilege: Violations of the Sacred

While many terms derived from “sacer” relate to positive aspects of religious life, “sacrilege” stands as a stark counterpoint. Originally referring to the theft of sacred objects, the term has expanded to encompass any seriously irreverent act.

How has the concept of sacrilege evolved over time? In contemporary usage, sacrilege can refer to:

• Desecration of holy sites or objects
• Blasphemous speech or writing
• Mockery of religious beliefs or practices
• Violation of religious laws or taboos

Interestingly, the term is sometimes used facetiously to describe actions that merely flout convention or tradition, rather than truly offending religious sensibilities. This colloquial usage demonstrates how sacred terminology can seep into everyday language, often with a diluted or altered meaning.

The Concept of Sacrifice in Religious and Secular Contexts

Few terms derived from “sacer” have as rich and complex a history as “sacrifice.” Originating from the Latin words “sacra” (holy rites) and “facere” (to perform), the term initially referred to the act of performing sacred rituals.

Over time, the meaning of sacrifice evolved to encompass the act of offering something to a deity, often through destruction or relinquishment. This concept has played a central role in many religious traditions throughout history.

How has the idea of sacrifice manifested in different cultures and faiths? Some examples include:

• Animal sacrifices in ancient Greek and Roman religions
• Human sacrifices in certain Mesoamerican cultures
• Symbolic sacrifices, such as fasting or abstinence, in various faiths
• The concept of self-sacrifice in Christianity, embodied in the figure of Jesus Christ

In modern usage, the term “sacrifice” has expanded beyond its strictly religious connotations. It is now commonly used to describe any act of giving up something valuable for the sake of a higher purpose or greater good.

Sacrifice in Secular Contexts

The concept of sacrifice has found its way into various secular domains, retaining its essence of surrendering something of value. Some non-religious applications of the term include:

• Personal sacrifices made for career advancement or family well-being
• Societal sacrifices during times of war or national crisis
• Environmental conservation efforts that require lifestyle changes
• Athletic training regimens that demand personal sacrifices for team success

In the realm of sports, particularly baseball, the term “sacrifice” has taken on a specialized meaning. A sacrifice fly or hit occurs when a batter deliberately or accidentally hits the ball in a way that results in their own out but allows a teammate to advance. This usage beautifully captures the essence of sacrifice as an act that benefits others at one’s own expense.

Consecration and Desecration: Two Sides of the Sacred Coin

The terms “consecrate” and “desecrate” represent opposite actions related to the sacred. To consecrate is to devote or make holy, while to desecrate is to damage or destroy something sacred.

What are some examples of consecration in religious contexts?

• The blessing of a new church building
• The ordination of clergy
• The dedication of sacred objects for religious use
• The sanctification of holy water

Consecration rituals often involve specific prayers, gestures, or actions performed by religious authorities. These ceremonies serve to set apart certain people, places, or objects for sacred purposes.

Desecration, on the other hand, represents a violation of the sacred. Acts of desecration might include:

• Vandalism of religious buildings or artifacts
• Misuse or abuse of sacred texts
• Profane behavior in holy places
• Deliberate disrespect towards religious symbols

The concepts of consecration and desecration highlight the significance of boundaries between the sacred and the profane in religious thought. These acts serve to reinforce the special status of certain elements within a faith tradition.

The Sacred in Anatomy: The Sacrum and Its Significance

Interestingly, the influence of “sacer” extends beyond purely religious contexts into the realm of anatomy. The sacrum, a bone at the base of the spine, derives its name from the Latin term “os sacrum,” meaning “sacred bone.”

Why would a part of the human skeleton be designated as sacred? Several theories exist:

• The bone’s location was associated with areas used in animal sacrifices
• Ancient beliefs held that the sacrum was the last bone to decay after death
• The Greek term from which “os sacrum” is derived, “hieron osteon,” can also mean “strong bone”

The sacrum’s designation as sacred underscores the interconnectedness of religious thought and scientific understanding in earlier times. It serves as a fascinating example of how spiritual concepts can influence terminology in seemingly unrelated fields.

In anthropology, the adjectival form “sacral” takes on additional meaning, referring to aspects pertaining to religious rites. This dual usage in anatomical and anthropological contexts demonstrates the versatility of sacred terminology.

The Evolution of Sacred Words in Modern Language

As language evolves, so too does the usage and connotation of words derived from “sacer.” Many terms that once held strictly religious significance have found their way into secular contexts, often with altered or expanded meanings.

How have sacred words adapted to modern usage? Some examples include:

• “Sacrifice” being used to describe personal or professional choices
• “Sacrilege” applied humorously to minor social faux pas
• “Consecrate” used metaphorically to describe dedication to non-religious causes
• “Sacred” employed to denote anything of great importance or reverence, religious or otherwise

This linguistic evolution reflects broader societal changes, including the secularization of many cultures and the blending of religious and non-religious concepts in everyday discourse.

Despite these shifts, the core essence of sacredness often remains intact, even as the terms are applied to new contexts. The power of these words to evoke a sense of reverence, importance, or inviolability persists, testament to the enduring influence of religious thought on language and culture.

The Role of Sacred Words in Interfaith Dialogue

In an increasingly globalized world, understanding the nuances of sacred terminology across different faith traditions has become crucial for fostering interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding.

How can awareness of sacred words facilitate communication between different religious groups? Some potential benefits include:

• Increased sensitivity to the importance of certain terms or concepts in other faiths
• Recognition of common linguistic roots and shared spiritual concepts
• Enhanced ability to express respect for diverse religious practices
• Improved comprehension of religious texts and teachings from various traditions

By exploring the etymology and usage of sacred words across cultures, we gain valuable insights into the shared human experience of spirituality and the diverse ways in which it is expressed.

Sacred Words

By Mark Nichol

The words featured in this post have a word in common: the Latin adjective sacer, meaning “holy.”

The word’s direct descendant is sacred. Other terms include sacrament, which describes a religious observance or rite, and sacerdotal, which refers to things that pertain to a priest or the priesthood. A sacristy is a room where sacred objects are kept and where priests dress for services; a sacristan is a person in charge of the room and its contents. (Sexton, by way of the Anglo-French segrestein, is derived from the same Latin precursor as sacristan but refers more broadly to a church caretaker.)

Sacrilege originally referred to stealing something sacred but later came to refer as well to any seriously irreverent act, although it is sometimes used to facetiously allude to something that merely mocks convention or tradition; the adjectival form is sacrilegious (which, despite looking and sounding similar to religious, is unrelated to that word).

Sacrifice, from the Latin words sacra (“holy rites”) and facere (“perform”), originally meant just that but later referred to killing someone or something as an offering to a deity. In use as both a noun and a verb, it also applies in nonreligious contexts to destroying something or giving it up. In baseball, a sacrifice fly or hit occurs when a batter accidentally or deliberately hits the ball and is called or forced out but by doing so enables a teammate already on base to advance.

To consecrate is to devote, or make holy; an act of doing so is consecration. To desecrate is to damage or destroy something sacred; desecration is such an act. To execrate, by contrast, is to curse, and the noun is execration. The adjective execrable originally meant “fit to be cursed,” but the modern sense is of something detestable or wretched. The rare term obsecration means “beseech” or “implore” (and is unrelated to the noun obsequy, meaning “funeral rites,” and the adjective obsequious, which means “overly compliant”).

The anatomical term sacrum and its adjectival form sacral, both referring to the bone at the base of the spine, originate from the Latin term os sacrum (“sacred bone”). Competing theories for the significance of the term are that the part of the body in which it is located was used in sacrifices and that because the Greek term from which os sacrum is derived is hieron osteon, and hieron also means “strong,” the meaning is “strong bone.” (In anthropology, the adjectival form means “pertaining to religious rites.”)

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• Evvie Drake Starts Over

• A Novel

• By:
  Linda Holmes

• Narrated by:
  Julia Whelan, Linda Holmes

• Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

• Unabridged

In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them. Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why.

• 3 out of 5 stars

• Something made me keep listening….
  

• By

  Carolina Girl
  on
  10-12-19

Centering Prayer – The Contemplative Society

CENTERING PRAYER: THE VERY BASICS

Most faith traditions have some form of meditation or contemplation. Virtually all methods of meditation have a goal of expanding, or deepening, the consciousness of the practitioner. The details vary. The Contemplative Society focuses on Centering Prayer, a surrender method of meditation, or contemplative prayer, that reaches back to the early days of Christianity.

In her book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening*, Cynthia Bourgeault writes that even though we can perhaps find ways to stop “outer noise” it is much more difficult to still the “inner noise”(p.5). She says Centering Prayer “….is a very simple method for reconnecting us with that natural aptitude for the inner life…(p.6) which, over time, of its own accord, leads to personal self-emptying and a more unitive outer life.

HOW TO “DO” CENTERING PRAYER:

• Find a quiet space where you are unlikely to be disturbed.

• Sit in a way that allows you to be relaxed in body and alert in mind. Use a chair, meditation cushion or prayer rug, according to your own physical needs and preferences.

• Gently close your eyes.

• “Allow your heart to open toward that invisible but always present Origin of all that exists ” (p. 6)

• Whenever you become aware of a thought, no matter what its nature, let it go.

• Use a “sacred word”.

This is a word or short phrase that helps you to let go of thoughts. It is a reminder of your intention to remain open to the silence. Generally sacred words fall into one of 2 categories: “God” words/phrases such as “Abba”, “Jesu, “Mary”, “Reality”, “Come Lord” or “state” words/phrases such as “love”, “peace”, “be still”. Sacred words are not used as mantras, as in constantly repeating them, but as a reminder of your intention to remain open.

• Continue this practice for 20 minutes. At the end of the time get up and go about your business, leaving the practice behind, in the same way you let go of your thoughts.

• People who are just beginning, and are particularly restless in mind and body, may find it easier to start off with shorter prayer periods, perhaps only 5 minutes per sit to start. Then after a few days extend the time to 10 minutes and so on until you are able to sit for 20 minutes. Give the practice at least 2 weeks before you decide if it is right for you.

• Two 20-30 minute sits per day are considered ideal. It is strongly recommended that no one meditates for more the 60 minutes a day unless you are attending a structured retreat with experienced leaders.

SOME FURTHER THOUGHTS ON CENTERING PRAYER

Your sacred word: Some people try out a few sacred words until they settle on one that feels right. Once you start a sit using a particular word, continue using it during that sit. As much as possible let your word or phrase find you. In other words, don’t try to control this process.

Timing sits: Set a vibrating or very quiet timer of some sort to tell you when your sit is over without startling you. For those with smart phones there are some good apps available (eg. Contemplative Outreach’s Centering Prayer app).

Starting the sit: Make sure you as comfortable as possible; sitting upright is best but if your particular physical needs demand do what you need to do to be comfortable. Close your eyes. Some practitioners like to preface their Centering Prayer session with a very short invocation, chant or prayer that reminds them of their intention to be fully open and present to the Divine. Some like to take 2-3 deep breaths. Keep in mind that Centering Prayer is never about deliberately trying to change or control your body or mind.

Physical sensations during a sit: As much as possible treat physical sensations in the same way as you do thoughts; let them go by simply and gently returning to your sacred word. If a sensation becomes unbearable gently allow yourself to return to outer awareness, make necessary adjustments, and return to your sit.

Thoughts during your sit: It is common to have thoughts of various kinds during a sit. They might involve your plans for the day, or give you some psychological insight into your behaviour, or be about the nature of the Divine; you may find yourself with pleasant thoughts, or angry feelings, or notice yourself trying to create a particular mood in your practice. You may even be aware of being ‘blissed out’. No matter the type or nature of thoughts and feelings the response is the same: gently return to your sacred word, which is the symbol of your “intention to consent to the presence and action of God within” (p. 24), and then let go. Do not analyze, label or judge your thoughts and feelings. Simply, gently, let them go. Over and over and over and…….

To end a sit: Many like to end a sit by bowing in place, thus stretching out their backs. Some may say a very short prayer of thanks. It is then time to return to your daily routine without dwelling on the experience of your sit.

*All quotes on these pages are from Cynthia Bourgeault, Centering Prayer And Inner Awakening. (Cambridge, MASS: Cowley Press, 2004). Thanks to Christopher Page, a study guide is also available.

Reverse Dictionary

As you’ve probably noticed, words for “term” are listed above. Hopefully the generated list of words for “term” above suit your needs. If not, you might want to check out Related Words – another project of mine which uses a different technique (not though that it works best with single words, not phrases).

About Reverse Dictionary

The way Reverse Dictionary works is pretty simple. It simply looks through tonnes of dictionary definitions and grabs the ones that most closely match your search query. For example, if you type something like “longing for a time in the past”, then the engine will return “nostalgia”. The engine has indexed several million definitions so far, and at this stage it’s starting to give consistently good results (though it may return weird results sometimes). It acts a lot like a thesaurus except that it allows you to search with a definition, rather than a single word. So in a sense, this tool is a “search engine for words”, or a sentence to word converter.

I made this tool after working on Related Words which is a very similar tool, except it uses a bunch of algorithms and multiple databases to find similar words to a search query. That project is closer to a thesaurus in the sense that it returns synonyms for a word (or short phrase) query, but it also returns many broadly related words that aren’t included in thesauri. So this project, Reverse Dictionary, is meant to go hand-in-hand with Related Words to act as a word-finding and brainstorming toolset. For those interested, I also developed Describing Words which helps you find adjectives and interesting descriptors for things (e.g. waves, sunsets, trees, etc.).

In case you didn’t notice, you can click on words in the search results and you’ll be presented with the definition of that word (if available). The definitions are sourced from the famous and open-source WordNet database, so a huge thanks to the many contributors for creating such an awesome free resource.

Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: Elastic Search, @HubSpot, WordNet, and @mongodb.

Please note that Reverse Dictionary uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy.

PW Talks with Jonathan Merritt

In Learning to Speak God from Scratch (Convergent, Sept.), Merritt considers how the meanings of religious words have changed over time.

How did the idea for this book develop?

The book was born when I relocated to New York City from the Bible Belt and encountered an unexpected language barrier: I could no longer “speak God.” As a person of faith and a religion writer who makes a living communicating about sacred realities, this was a startling experience. That sent me on a journey to understand why I—and so many like me—found it difficult to have spiritual conversations.

What do you mean by “speaking God?”

We are experiencing a massive decline in speaking God across America, and this is manifesting in two ways. First, there is a decline in spiritual conversations. I found that, despite widespread religiosity in America, less than 10% of Americans say they have a spiritual or religious conversation once per week. Second, there is a decline in sacred words. We can now map the frequency of certain words and phrases in the English-speaking world. This data reveals a ski-slope decline in religious, moral, and spiritual words stretching back at least 50 years.

What makes words sacred?

All words are signposts pointing to something else. When I call a word sacred, I mean that the word overtly points to moral, spiritual, religious, or metaphysical realities. Both theological words, such as grace and sin, and virtue words, such as joy and kindness, are in decline. We are also less likely to speak communal words and more likely to use individualistic words.

Why do you feel that certain sacred words have been lost or hijacked?

One of the biggest reasons people give for not speaking about God more often is that religious and spiritual words have become overly political. Also, some people say they’ve been hurt by sacred language. When our experience of certain words is associated with being shamed or scolded, it’s not surprising that we might choose to avoid them altogether.

Do the meanings of biblical passages change as words change?

Words have a range of meanings at any given time and each of those meanings is shaded with connotation. Ancient writers such as those who wrote the Bible knew this. They did not use words assuming that there was a single meaning to every word they spoke and largely held an imaginative, not static, understanding of language. Understanding this is the key to understanding why sacred words are vanishing and how we can revive them.

A version of this article appeared in the 07/23/2018 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: Sacred Words

Misusing Sacred Words – OutreachMagazine.com

Sacred words have often been mishandled or misused by everyone from politicians to pastors, and it’s driving people away.

Taken from
Learning to Speak God From Scratch
By Jonathan Merritt

THE POLITICIZATION OF SACRED WORDS

For every American who is reticent to speak [language about] God there is an American politician with the opposite problem. Sacred language has been politicized, which is why many people say they are abandoning it.

Turn on your television in any election season, and you’ll likely hear a candidate speaking God [language]. The ubiquity of religious language in political speeches is an American tradition, but the way these words are twisted for partisan ends can leave you holding clumps of your own hair.

During election years, political hopefuls make appearances at influential churches, often offering invocations or even preaching sermons. On the campaign trail, politicians co-opt the vocabulary of faith to attract religious voting blocs. Their words may seem harmless or coincidental, but many point out that these appeals are often used as dog whistles that the faithful respond to.

In 1999, when I was a senior in high school, George W. Bush released a book as he made his bid for the presidency called A Charge to Keep: My Journey to the White House. To the nonreligious ear, the title may sound poetic, perhaps innocuous, but its meaning is clear. Drawn from the Charles Wesley hymn “A Charge to Keep I Have,” the first stanza reads,

“A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying
soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.”

Neither the hymn nor its themes are the subject of Bush’s book. But the title proved recognizable to many Christians.

President Bush continued to use religious language and hymnology regularly while he was in office. In his 2003 State of the Union speech, he identified “wonder-working power” in the values of the American people. The secular audience might have appreciated the alliteration but little more. Yet many Christians recognized the famous hymn, which declares there’s “wonder-working power” in the blood of Jesus.

Donald Trump carried on the tradition of becoming more outwardly religious when running for office. Because of his well-documented personal history, his attempts have been more noticeable and more awkward than those of his predecessors. The real-estate-mogul-turned-politician confessed he’s never actually asked God for forgiveness. Even his church denied he was an active member. Yet Trump played the Christian card with impunity.

From Ronald Reagan and both Bushes to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, presidents of both major parties have used sacred language with the seeming intent to manipulate and mobilize the electorate. This is an American political tradition. But when high-profile politicians speak God [language] in the most perfunctory manner possible, it’s no wonder supporters and opponents alike avoid speaking God altogether.

THE EXPLOITATION OF SACRED WORDS

Religious leaders who mishandle or misuse sacred words can deeply damage people’s lives.

Consider Danielle Campoamor. After being physically abused by her husband, her pastor told her that she just needed to “pray more.” She started to realize that trusted church leaders had used sacred language to control her family. Words that hurt Danielle over the years included being labeled as a “doubter” (an epithet in her community) and a “nonbeliever” (even worse). When she asked questions about her faith, she was accused of “missing the point.”

Danielle’s story is not just about the abuse of power. It is about relationships broken and trust severed and losing a faith that was once a source of life. Her story is one that too many share.

I have friends who say that the most “loving” thing they can do is tell their “lost” friends that they are going to hell. The use of their words defines a meaning I cannot accept. Love is drained of compassion and forged into a machete, and lost no longer describes the inability of all humans to find our way forward on our own. Their words separate a lesser them from a better us.

Growing up, I obsessed over how my eternal future hung in the balance. My church taught that saying a particular prayer would defeat my inner demons and earn me a golden ticket to heaven. But these types of churches also make congregants question whether they really, really mean these prayers. (Apparently, prayers don’t stick if you don’t mean them enough.)

The result was repeated conversions, which looked good on the church’s annual salvation reports. But it meant that many congregants like me often woke from nightmares about burning in hell and prayed to ask Jesus into their hearts yet again—just in case it didn’t stick the last time.

Tracing this fear back to its origin is tricky, but the best I can tell, it started after my church put on a theater production with the warm-and-welcoming title Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames. As the name suggests, the touring theater production tells stories of people dying and finding themselves at a crossroads between heaven and hell.

If the actor who got hit by a car happened to pray one of those prayers (and really meant it), then he was welcomed into heaven. The audience sighed in collective relief. But if the actor had never been converted, demons would emerge wearing masks like the murderer from the Scream films. The actor would begin screaming and begging and pleading for his life as the demons dragged him off to hell. At this, fear and doubt swept across even the most pious audience members.

Whether the afterlife works as portrayed in Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames is debatable, but of serious concern is the way many churches have used words to induce terror and prompt an emotional response.

People who have spent time in church communities like this often end up reevaluating these assumptions later in life. Since the definitions of these terms are deeply embedded in those religious communities themselves, some choose walk away from religion altogether.

According to a recent study, young people often leave the church because of the judgmental, simplistic, exclusive teachings of churches that are unfriendly to matters like doubt. And, as the data shows, when they leave the community of faith, they often abandon the vocabulary of faith too.

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Excerpted from Learning to Speak God From Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing—and How We Can Revive Them. Copyright © 2018 by Jonathan Merritt. Published by Convergent Books, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Sacred Words — Global Issues

• Opinion by Jan Lundius (stockholm / rome)
• Tuesday, April 27, 2021
• Inter Press Service
• May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. This feature is part of a series highlighting the current state of media freedom globally

STOCKHOLM / ROME, Apr 27 (IPS) –

Forgive me,
is all that you can’t say.
Years gone by and still
words don’t come easily,
like forgive me, forgive me.
– Tracy Chapman

The World Press Freedom Day on the 3rd of May is an occasion for celebrating humanity. Language enables us to transmit our thoughts in sound – a means of communication developed through our unique brain, combined with our capacity to control lips, tongue and other components of the vocal apparatus. Over time, humans have also acquired skills to commit our language to writing.

Since language is the basis for human existence, it is particularly painful when we are denied expressions of thoughts and feelings. Not being listened to, abused and told to: “Shut up!”, make us suffer from being denied equal access to human fellowship. We are herd animals, a sense of belonging and freedom to express ourselves is essential for us all. This is probably the reason to why words in so many cultures are considered to be sacred – worthy of respect and even veneration. Several societies condemn verbal abuse and most religions consider lying to be a grave sin.

Generally, it is written words which are considered to be particularly sacred. However, these sacred words have often a spoken tradition behind them. Several sacred scriptures have been recited long before they were written down. In 1960, the Malian author Amadou Hampâté Bâ stated in a speech at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris:

“It is our duty to safeguard our inherited oral tradition, to try to transmit whatever we can of it before time and oblivion cause it to disappear from human memory. I concede that several of the world’s human inhabitants are illiterate, but I do not concede to you that they are ignorant. I remind you that in my country, every time an old man dies, a library has burned down.”

This respect for the spoken word, particularly in the form of recitation, is reflected in many of the world’s sacred texts. For many Muslims the sound of Qur’anic chant is an immediate means of contact with the Word of God. The sound itself is considered to have a divine source. Participation in Qur’anic recitation as reciter, or as listener, becomes an act of worship. This respect for the spoken and written word may be one reason to why so many religions condemn lying. The Lebanese scholar Al-?urr Al-c?mili (1624-1693 CE) accurately stated “All the evils have been locked in a room and its key is lying.” In the Christian Bible, Jesus is quoted as saying: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the Evil One,” while Buddhist scriptures proclaim that the path to bliss and righteousness contain:

“Correct speech: Refrain from lying. Do not engage in gossip, misleading, hurtful, or loose speech.

Right intention: Your intentions should be based on kindness and compassion. Proper action: Refrain from harming living things. Do not take any statement for granted.”

Honest and exquisitely expressed words might slightly open the gates to an otherwise incomprehensible core of existence. Like art and music, words may enable us to glimpse the greatness of the Universe and perhaps even grasp some of its inner meaning.

In the Bible, God creates the world with words:

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

Most of us have a quite laid back attitude when it comes to expressing ourselves. After having used our words we tend to forget what made us utter them, that is if we do not consider them to be so significant that we decide to write them down. When such writings become “sacred” it means that they have gained an existence far beyond what one single person happened to say to another at a given moment. Such words often become Law, a solid foundation for a society’s existence and thus they obtain a decisive significance for an individual’s perceptions, thoughts and actions.

Apparently did writing develop independently in at least four ancient civilizations. Sometime in 3400 BCE in Mesopotamia, in Egypt 3200 BCE, in China 1200 BCE, and in the present Southern Mexico and Guatemala 500 BCE.

Written words were extremely important to ancient Egyptians. The Greeks called Egyptian characters hieroglyphs, sacred signs. Scribes were considered to convey the language of the gods and Thoth, the god of wisdom and maintainer of the Universe, was believed to possess a book that included the entire set of rules governing Cosmos. Written and carefully recited words empowered objects and sacred actions. Words were believed to enable the deceased to awaken to a new existence beyond death. Every sacrificed object – water, necessities of life, incense, and ornaments – was through sacred words charged with power. It was not only objects that through words were filled to the brim by force, the words themselves were also loaded with power, meaning that so called “word plays” endowed words and sentences with a wide range of meanings and allusions. A single word could thereby allude to objects, the deceased, gods and demons, forces and a large variety of powerful concepts and ways of thinking.

Mastering all this knowledge made the art of writing extremely difficult. Becoming a scribe required a long, tough education, which not only meant mastering the complex depiction/writing of words, the difficult grammar and underlying allusions, it also included learning rituals by heart, mythology, accounting, mathematics and geometry. All that was required not only to master religious obligations, but also administrative tasks. However, the reward was worth it. An Egyptian scribe escaped hard work under a scorching sun, did not pay taxes and reached high positions. Sometime 3,200 years ago, someone wrote on a papyrus a text he called The Happy Scribe:

“Is there anyone here like Hardedef? Is here another one similar to Imhotep? There is not in our time a Noferti, or a Cheti, foremost of them all. I ask you to remember a man like Pathemdjehuti, a Chacheperrasonb. Is there perhaps another one like Ptahhotep or Kaires? The gates and halls that were built for them have fallen into disrepair. Their mortuary priests do no longer exist. Their resting places are forgotten. But their names are still mentioned due to the books they wrote, because they were so beautiful. Those who wrote them, their memory lives on forever. Become a scribe! Put this into your mind, so that your name might become like theirs. A book is better than a burial chamber covered with writing, than a burial chapel never so well built. Become a scribe and live forever.”

For many later authors writing became a life-absorbing vocation, while several of them spent a lifetime searching for the right word. One of them, Gustave Flaubert, wrote:

”Whatever we want to convey, there is only one word to express it, one verb to animate it, one adjective to qualify it. We must therefore go on seeking that word, verb or adjective, until we have discovered it and never be satisfied with approximations, never fall back on tricks, even inspired ones. Or tomfoolery of language to dodge the difficulty.”

The right words have been found by vociferous writers and speakers, enabling them to inspire and empower people. You might think of Martin Luther King’s rousing speech:

”I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

Bold journalists have with beautiful and adequate expressions dared to pinpoint injustices. Like Émile Zola when he in 1898 accused the French establishment of punishing the innocent Alfred Dreyfus:

”What they have dared, so shall I dare. Dare to tell the truth, as I have pledged to tell it, in full, since the normal channels of justice have failed to do so. My duty is to speak out, not to become an accomplice in this travesty. My nights would otherwise be haunted by the spectre of an innocent man, far away, suffering the most horrible of tortures for a crime he did not commit.”

However, many of these outspoken heroes of well-written and just words have had to pay for their honesty with their lives. Like the poet Osip Mandelstam, who under the bloody tyranny of Josef Stalin with a great poem dared to break the fearful silence of many of his fellow citizens:

We are living, but can’t feel the land where we stay,
more than ten steps away you can’t hear what we say.
But if people would talk on occasion,
they should mention the Kremlin Caucasian.

Dictators hate to be disclosed in all their nakedness; their stupidity, fears, disdain for others and raving violence. However, it is not only in dictatorships that unsung heroes of free speech are silenced, and even killed. In 2020, nearly seven out of every ten journalists killed lost their lives in countries “at peace” and an unaccounted number were threatened and abused, often due to investigations into cases of local corruption, organised crime, misuse of public funds and environmental misdemeanour. In 2020, Reporters Without Borders revealed that to their knowledge 50 journalists had been killed, 387 had been detained, 54 held hostage and four were missing. So, not only on the 3rd May let us pay homage to the guardians and heroes of the sacred word and express our disdain for all those who do not respect words; who cheat, lie, abuse, maim and kill to keep us all in ignorance and fear.

Jan Lundius holds a PhD. on History of Religion from Lund University and has served as a development expert, researcher and advisor at SIDA, UNESCO, FAO and other international organisations.

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© Inter Press Service (2021) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

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<p><a href="https://www.globalissues.org/news/2021/04/27/27676">Sacred Words</a>, <cite>Inter Press Service</cite>, Tuesday, April 27, 2021 (posted by Global Issues)</p>

… to produce this:

Sacred Words, Inter Press Service, Tuesday, April 27, 2021 (posted by Global Issues)

90,000 Creative competition “Borodino”. Work – “We remember the sacred words” Moscow is behind us “from the time of Borodin”. Author – “Nam Alexandra”

WRITING

We remember the sacred words “Moscow is behind us” from the time of Borodin

We remember the sacred words “Moscow is behind us” from the time of Borodin

“If the holy army cries out:
Throw you Rus, live in paradise! ”
I will say: “There is no need for paradise.
Give my Motherland! ”
S. Yesenin
“If the voices of the people are silenced, the stones will cry.”This dictum is of biblical origin. People usually remember these words when they see the creations of man, his hands and mind, turned into miserable ruins – architectural ensembles, factories and plants, dwellings, cultural structures. Most often this happens as a result of large and small wars. The Russian people, defending the interests of their Fatherland, had to fight endlessly.
Russia with its vast territory, distinctive culture and traditional Orthodox faith has always evoked and is causing rejection in the West.
Russia is a military power, but our way of life is not a gangster, not a filibuster, but an army. Last year we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Moscow, the main battles of which took place on the land near Moscow. And almost coinciding with it, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino in 1812. These two devastating battles swept across our land, leaving the ashes of burnt-out villages, completely destroyed communications, the earth wounded by craters, fields that are orphaned looking into the sky and millions of ruined lives.
The Borodino field, located 125 km west of Moscow, is unique in that it has become the main line of defense for Moscow twice. Therefore, monuments of Russian glory of 1812 are adjacent to the field with huge pillboxes of the Mozhaisk line of defense and a T-34 tank.
Here is the heart of our Great Motherland. Here, to Moscow, conquerors always rushed and therefore fierce battles thundered on it more than once. Because, probably, the rivers and streams that flow through the Borodino field are called: the Voina river, the Koloch river, the Ognik stream, the Stonets stream.
1812 The 640 thousandth French army under the command of the Emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte went to war against Russia. His name has defined an entire era in world history. Having become by that time the ruler of Europe, he was recognized as a military genius, a talented statesman and politician. But the conquered Europe was not enough for him, he longed for world domination. The spirit of Alexander the Great inspired him to go to war with Russia. On the night of June 12 (24), 1812, Napoleon’s army crossed the Neman River and invaded the Russian Empire.For the first time in the history of Russia, such a large and dangerous army fell upon it. To protect Russia, the Russian army approached its border off the banks of the Neman. At the head of the largest 1st army, the Russian Emperor Alexander I put Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay – de – Tolly, a Scot by birth, who fell in love with the Russian army and devoted his whole life to it. The II – th army was led by Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration. Choosing the “Scythian plan” as his strategy, Barclay repeated the strategy of the Scythians in the war against the Persian king Darius.By luring the French into the interior of the country, constantly retreating, he wore out their forces. He knew how to save his army and made it difficult, amazed Napoleon, with his system of slowness due to deep calculation. But he, who avoided a decisive battle with Napoleon, was unjustly condemned then in the army and among the people. As the guardian of Russia, he found himself in a difficult situation, but at this time showed extraordinary firmness in his decisions. But time, this “decent man”, had its say. In 1835 A.S. Pushkin wrote his poem “The Leader”, dedicated to the hero of 1812, General M.B. Barclay – de – Tolly, and a year and a half later, Pushkin said about him: “Barclay’s stoic face is one of the most remarkable in our history.”
One of the proofs of the powerful rise in the self-consciousness of the people in 1812 was the promotion of Kutuzov to the post of commander-in-chief. This historic event was not only of paramount practical importance, but also a deep political meaning. Alexander I had long envied the general’s popularity and did not want this appointment, but had to bow to the general desire.Kutuzov, invested after this with unlimited power, relied entirely on the confidence of the people. A huge responsibility fell on the shoulders of Kutuzov, who was entrusted with the fate of Russia. And he was not afraid of this responsibility. He decided to give Napoleon a general battle.
The Borodino field was chosen as the site of the battle. In austere calm the Russian people were preparing for battle. The soldiers remembered the words of Kutuzov: – Stand, like sentries, behind Moscow! – and prepared to defend the Borodino field without sparing their lives.And again the fate of the battle, the fate of Russia, was decided by Russian soldiers. And many of them covered themselves with unfading glory. The commander Kutuzov understood that the war between two such titans as Russia and France could not be resolved in one battle, that when it is not about the glory of the battles won, but about the destruction of the entire army of the enemy, new heavy blows are needed. Kutuzov believed that victory was ahead, and depended on the unity of the army with the main force that carried victory – with the mighty reserves of the people. The war between Russia and Napoleon’s army became known as the Patriotic War of 1812.
… Years have passed. There were no participants in those Great events, but they passed on the baton of the military cause, begun in the days of their harsh youth, to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This business is to defend the Motherland. To survive!

• Download the attached file in * .doc format, 37 kb

90,000 * Sacred words capable of … – System of fulfilling desires

* Sacred words capable of fulfilling any desire *
.
Prayer can be exactly the element that you lacked to fulfill your most cherished desire. To read it, you need to establish continuous contact with him so that all your words are heard. A personal appeal is exactly what will help your desire to come true as quickly as possible.

In our life, nothing is given just like that. Good luck follows defeat, and gifts follow losses. This applies not only to the course of fate and relationships with people, but also to communication with heavenly angels.To get the help you need, you must give something in return. It is enough to establish a connection with the guardian angel by providing all possible help to everyone who needs it. People need help. And to do it without a single selfish intention.

You also need to monitor the purity of your soul and thoughts: get rid of anger, envy and condemnation of someone. It is enough to be an open person and only then will you be able to establish a continuous connection with the heavenly protector. Respect him so that you can ask for help only when your heart and mind are pure.
…
Prayer that grants wishes
.
It is recommended to place a burning candle in front of your gaze so that your gaze is focused on something beautiful. It is necessary to read the prayer in complete solitude.
.
“I am addressing you, my intercessor, guardian angel. You alone know how I want my desire to be fulfilled. I wish that (say briefly what you want). Help me to fulfill my plans, guide me on the true path, save me from troubles and envious people, free me the way for my actions! I promise from myself that I will accept and use all your gifts.For the good of me and the whole world. May it be so!”
.
Prayer can help you begin to actively act in the direction of fulfilling your wish. Believe me, the guardian angel will definitely accompany you in your endeavors and do everything possible to ensure that you reach your goal as quickly as possible. After uttering the magic words, you need to extinguish the fire and spend some time alone with yourself. Good luck!
…
➡ Like and subscribe to the page.A lot of interesting publications await you.

➡ In your messages, ask the transformational coach, an expert on fulfilling desires and achieving goals, Salavat Yusupov

Sacred signs – Roerich. The full text of the poem – Sacred signs

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father and mother – sacred words

Father and Mother – Sacred Words

Wed I couldn’t tell anyone

Sacred words “father” and “mother” .

M.Yu. Lermontov. Mtsyri.

Russian thought and speech.Yours and someone else’s. Experience of Russian phraseology. Collection of figurative words and parables. T.T. 1-2. Walking and well-aimed words. A collection of Russian and foreign quotes, proverbs, sayings, proverbial expressions and individual words. SPb., Type. Ak. sciences ..
M. I. Mikhelson.
1896-1912.

• his father rode a mare, but not on horseback
• father-commander (commander)

See what “father and mother are sacred words” in other dictionaries:

• Father and mother are sacred words – Father and mother are sacred words.Wed I could not tell anyone the Sacred words “father” and “mother”. M. Yu. Lermontov. Mtsyri … Michelson’s Big Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

• GOD – [Greek. θεός; lat. deus; glory. a relative of ancient ind. lord, dispenser, endows, divides, ancient Persian. lord, the name of the deity; one of the derivatives of common slavs. rich]. The concept of God is inextricably linked with the concept of Revelation. Subject … … Orthodox Encyclopedia

• JOHN OF KRONSTADTSKY – Right.John of Kronstadt. Etching by V. A. Bobrov. 1900 (State Historical Museum) Right. John of Kronstadt. Etching by V. A. Bobrov. 1900 (State Historical Museum) (Sergiev Ioann Ilyich; 10/19/1829, Sura village of Pinezhsky district of Arkhangelsk province. 12/20/1908, Kronstadt), St. right. (commemorated on June 1 … Orthodox Encyclopedia

• Athena – This term has other meanings, see Athena (disambiguation). Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) … Wikipedia

• Polyada – Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) Statue of Athena (type “Pallas Giustiniani”) in the gardens of Peterhof Mythology: Ancient Greek In other cultures: Minerva (lat.), Menfra (Etruscan) Locality: Attica … Wikipedia

• Buddhism is the name of a religion that previously dominated most of India, and is now practiced by the inhabitants of Ceylon, Burma and Siam (southern Buddhists) and Nepal, Tibet, China and Japan (northern Buddhists). The total number of Buddhists is determined differently; it … … Encyclopedic Dictionary of F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

• Muhammad – (محمد) Interpretation of the name: Praised, glorified Name in other languages: Arabic.محمد eng. Muhammad it. Mohammed fr. Mahomet Birth name: Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdu … Wikipedia

• Tamerlane – Tamerlane … Wikipedia

• Popol-Vuh – For a German musical group that created music for a number of films by Werner Herzog, see Popol Vuh. The first page of the Popol Wuh manuscript in the Chicago Library. Popol Vuh … Wikipedia

• Elena Petrovna Blavatskaya – Elena Petrovna Blavatskaya (July 31 (August 12) 1831 (18310812), Ekaterinoslav, Russian Empire April 26 (May 8) 1891, London, née Hahn von Rottenstern [1]) theosophist [2], writer and traveler.Helena Petrovna Blavatsky … Wikipedia

90,000 Our sacred words

Bismillah – “In the name of Allah”, “In the name of Allah” (with the intention for the sake of Allah)

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim – “In the name of Allah, Most Merciful for all – and believers, and unbelievers – in this world and the Most Merciful only for believers at the End of the World “

Alhamdulillah -” Praise be to Allah “

Insha Allah -” If there is a will of Allah for this. “So they talk about the future

Subhanallah – “Allah is above all shortcomings”

Masha Allah – “This is the will of Allah” (it is said about what happened)

Astagfirullah – “O Allah, forgive me” A’uzu billah – “I ask for help (protection) from Allah”

A’uzu billahi minash-shaitanir-rajim – “I ask Allah for help (protection) from Satan-Satan, far from His Mercy”

La ilaha ilallah – “There is no deity but the One Creator – Allah”

Muhammadur-Rasulullah – “Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the Messenger of Allah”

Ashhadu allahu alahuhdunah Ilyaham – “I know, I believe with all my heart and confirm with words that there is no deity except the One Creator – Allah (no one is worthy of worship, except Allah), and I know, I believe with all my heart and confirm with words that Muhammad, peace be upon him, – servant of Allah and His last Messenger “

Sallallahu’ala Muhammad -” O Allah, grant more greatness and honor to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. ” , peace be upon him, and preserve his community. “These words (Salavat) are necessarily used at the first mention of the name of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him; Salavat’s words are recorded in full.

Alayhi Assalam – “Peace be upon him”

– “Peace be upon you”

Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatukh – “Peace be upon you, the Mercy of Allah and His blessings”
(fiki – f.) – “May Allah grant you prosperity”

Radyallahu anhu (anha – f.r.) – “May Allah be pleased with him (her).” It is said only in relation to especially pious Muslims – awliya.

Allahu Ta’ala – “Allah Almighty”

Allahu Subhana wa Ta’ala – “Allah is above all the faults attributed to Him by unbelievers, Allah is the Most High”

Lyabbaikallahumma 90 You commanded. ” This dua is most often repeated during the Hajj.

La haul wa la quwvata illa billah – “There is no safety and strength except from Allah” (meaning: “There is no safety from falling into sin without the protection of Allah and there is no strength to be submissive without the help of Allah”)

Amen – “Let it be so”, “O Allah, accept our prayer.”It is advisable to say after each prayer addressed to Allah.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia chaired a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Before the beginning of the meeting, His Holiness the Patriarch addressed the members of the Synod with an opening speech.

Greetings to all members of the Holy Synod.

I hope that we are all sympathetic to the fact that even a meeting of the Holy Synod is accompanied by the wearing of bandages. Indeed, our people and we all go through difficult trials associated with the spread of a viral infection – and not only our country, not only the countries in which the pastoral care of the Russian Orthodox Church extends, but the whole world.

What is taking place now is indeed a pandemic, in the sense that this infection is present everywhere, everywhere.Therefore, I believe that the measures related to visiting churches were taken by the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church in a timely manner, and this prevented the emerging tendency to accuse, as often happens, the Church of being the source of the spread of infection. The attendance of divine services is regulated, believers are appropriately distributed over the area of ​​the temples, the wearing of masks and a special method of communion are prescribed. Of course, there are always people who are dissatisfied, someone criticizes measures to prevent the spread of infection, but the absolute majority treats the measures taken with understanding.

We in no way question the healing power of the Holy Mysteries of Christ! And the proof is the fact that after communion our deacons consume the Holy Gifts from the common Chalice, and not one of them got sick and will never get sick. And where there are no deacons, there are priests, including your unworthy Patriarch and Primate, when he celebrates the Divine Liturgy in his cross church. There, too, there is a flock that partakes of communion, and after the Divine Liturgy, since I serve without a deacon, I consume the Holy Gifts without any doubt, with full confidence that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we partake of the great sanctity, which is not subject to any infection, no evil, because this is the Holy One that is taught to the saints.

I guess we still have some constraints to go. New models of pastoral work with people are being developed. With gratitude I would like to note the sacrificial service of our pastors in hospitals, including in infectious diseases wards, the pastoral care of patients with covid. There are also losses among the clergy – I have already spoken about this publicly, and we sang “eternal memory” at one of the meetings of the Supreme Church Council. I keep in grateful memory the feat of our clergy, who turned out to be faithful to their vocation – they were not afraid of infection, were not afraid of the fear of a mortal, and completely fulfilled their pastoral duty.Eternal memory to them.

I hope this difficult temptation will pass, and the Church, people, our countries will return to a life that will not be darkened by the spread of a dangerous infection. But the experience we went through, I believe, has enriched us all. He helped us understand the greatest happiness that each of us has by participating in worship in a temple filled with people. When today in many places visits to temples are limited and they look half-empty, the heart squeezes from this picture, but you understand that this experience is apparently needed.Because you get used to everything, especially the good, and when you face difficulties, you thank the Lord with greater power for the mercy that He gives us, when we are all together, all our communities can attend temples without being subject to any restrictions, pray and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Brothers, we will continue our prayers and our labors, strictly fulfilling all the necessary sanitary regulations and supporting our people in the fulfillment of these orders, so that, with hope in the will of God, we strive for the time when this test will end and we will be able to perform divine services again. as is customary in our Church, and testify of the mercy of God, which will undoubtedly be manifested by the end of the pandemic and the onset of a peaceful and calm time.This is what our prayers are about today.

Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

Father and mother – sacred words

Father and mother – sacred words

“Mothers and fathers of Chuvashia are doing everything to preserve our strong family traditions,” said Mikhail Ignatiev, opening the scientific and practical conference “Woman’s health: from conception to old age”. “And we must raise our children as enlightened, kind and humane people, patriots of Russia, teach them to respect those around them, give them the right guidelines in life.”
For this purpose, 2017 has been declared the Year of Mother and Father in the republic.

Very young girls, middle-aged women, ladies of the older generation – on the eve of Mother’s Day, the hall of the Chuvash State Academic Drama Theater named after K. Ivanov was full. Men also came to hear about women’s health.
During the interregional scientific-practical conference “Woman’s health: from conception to old age”, organized within the framework of the “Open University” project of the Leila Adamyan Charitable Foundation, several lectures were presented on various issues of women’s health.
Leading specialists of the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Postgraduate Education, Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry named after A. Yevdokimov spoke about the treatment of the most common diseases, causes of infertility, modern diagnostic methods and called for a responsible attitude to their own health.
– On Mother’s Day, we have opened a very important project, when great academicians, in particular Leyla Vladimirovna Adamyan, come out to people and speak in simple words about a very difficult thing, about a woman’s health, – said the Minister of Health of Chuvashia Alla Samoilova.“This will allow our women to become stronger, more beautiful, and all problems will become simple and solvable.
Chief freelance specialist in obstetrics and gynecology of Russia, academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Leyla Adamyan noted that not every region has a leader who would be so worried about preserving family values, raising the young generation, and thanked the Head of Chuvashia Mikhail Ignatiev: “Thank you for that, that you treat mothers like sons, young people like fathers and women like a real man.It costs a lot!”
Mother of many children, head of the club of foster families “Warm House” Lidia Christodulova said:
– The decision of the Head of Chuvashia Mikhail Ignatiev to declare 2017 the Year of Mother and Father made a very big impression on us. The family is a small state with its own rules, statutes, and respect for each other. And if the government thinks about the importance of the prestige of the family, then, of course, we only welcome this, because the future of Chuvashia and Russia depends on us, mothers and fathers, on how we raise our children.Here we are respected and loved, everything is given and they take care of us, of course, we are all for it.

Svetlana FEDOTOVA

Source: “Grani”

Original source: http://www.grani21.ru/pub/otec-i-mat-svjashhennye-slova

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