By Anthony L. Hall:

In a deft and enlightened move, Martelly declared from the outset of his presidency that he wanted to make peace -- not just with Aristide but with every other former Haitian leader as well. To this end he made quite a public show today of meeting with both Aristide and Baby Doc. 

Implicit in this of course is that he will discourage any attempt to prosecute Baby Doc, and that Aristide will now be loath to challenge the legitimacy of his presidency. Beyond this, Martelly’s move is deft and enlightened because it lays the foundation for the kind of political certainty that is sine qua non for the foreign direct investments Haiti will need to rebuild.

I made the observations above in an October 12, 2011, commentary, “New Haitian president seeks reconciliation”. Now comes this: 

Haiti’s judicial authorities have dealt yet another blow to the victims of former leader Jean-Claude Duvalier, Amnesty International said this week after the criminal case against the former ‘president-for-life’ for grave human rights violations was dropped. 

An investigating judge in Port-au-Prince on Monday announced that Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier will not stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity—including torture, disappearances and extrajudicial executions…. (amnesty.org, January 31, 2012) 

But let me hasten to clarify that nothing could be further from my mind than gloating here about my prescience; especially since nobody was initially more anxious to see Duvalier prosecuted than I. It’s just that, given the way President Martelly and the Haitian judiciary are being pilloried in the press, I think it’s important to put this decision to spare the country a war-crimes trial into context. 

I fully appreciate the criticism that Haiti is opting for political expediency at the expense of criminal justice. But Martelly can point to similar criticisms that were leveled at South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which granted outright amnesty to many Whites who had the blood of the brutal Apartheid regime on their hands. 

Clearly Haiti could do a lot worse than to follow South Africa’s principled example. Moreover, Martelly was undoubtedly mindful that prosecuting Duvalier for war crimes would probably incite more factional violence in the streets of Haiti: believe it not Baby Doc still has rabid followers who would die for him. And in that event, nobody doubts that self-righteous organizations like Amnesty International would not be able to lift a finger to stop the bloodshed. 

Alas, putting Duvalier on trial for embezzlement of public funds (as the government intends to do) will provide little or no consolation. Especially since he probably has more than enough from the billions he embezzled to settle whatever damages are assessed. 

All the same, my thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by the brutal reign of the Duvaliers. Even more, though, I wish the longsuffering people of Haiti an extended period of peace, happiness, and prosperity. I am convinced that foregoing a war-crimes trial will help this wish come true.

February 10, 2012

caribbeannewsnow

Caribbean Blog International

By Keith Noel:

MY FATHER-IN-LAW rarely uttered the word 'Rasta' without prefacing it with the word 'dutty'. He loved my younger daughter dearly and as far as he was concerned, she was the perfect child. He must be revolving in his grave now to see her with locks flowing down her back.

This to me images the marked difference in the perception of Rastafari over the past 30 years. I remember in the 1960s the fear with which people spoke of these cultists. They were sometimes described as 'blackheart' men and spoken of as if they were the spawn of the devil. They were berated and scorned from many a pulpit and many parents suffered paroxysms when their children showed even a mild interest in the movement.

From the very outset, Rastafari had a firm commitment to the struggle for black dignity. What particularly fascinated me was their absolute rejection of the idea of white superiority and even their rejection of any values they considered white. They gave the generation of the '70s the base on which to build a world view that was not a mirror of that of the metropolis.

Brutalise them

Society saw the threat of the Rasta to the status quo and gave licence to their agents in the police force, the teaching profession, and the civil service to brutalise them physically or psychologically. And the rest of 'decent' society stood by in tacit acceptance of this abuse. I remember one day at a football match in the stadium, seeing a policeman search a Rasta for ganja, forcing him to kneel and cutting a couple of his locks in the process. There was no outrage. In fact, at the time, local pop songs had jokes about policemen beating Rastas for speaking their particular dialect!

Then there was the chilling story of Peter Tosh stepping out into the yard of the studio in Half-Way Tree where he was recording what was to be a classic LP. He was smoking a spliff and a policeman saw him and, although he had flicked the spliff away, began to beat him, and as Tosh said "when him lif up de batten to deliver the fatal blow" to his head, he parried it with his forearm, which was badly broken. There was no real outcry and, as far as I know, the policeman did not lose his job.

The aggression was psychological as well. Under the guise of 'proper grooming' any efforts by teenage blacks to adopt hairstyles that shouted their blackness to the world were outlawed in schools. There was tremendous opposition to the 'afro'. A young friend of mine was prevented from going to her exams at Immaculate High unless she agreed to forego her afro. A namesake of mine lost his job at Knox College for being too afrocentric in his teaching, and one reason given for my being fired from my post at Haile Selassie Junior Secondary, where I was acting head of English, was that I had become too obviously sympathetic to the Rasta movement (there is an irony there somewhere).

Black assumption

There seemed to be a reason for this fear. Rastafari, with all its apparent strangeness, delivered a message of black assumption of full personhood and of rejection of the perception of himself as inferior. This would mean a revolution in thinking that would result in the white world relinquishing much of its power over the black man. And who wants to relinquish power?

The Rastaman's message was delivered through his music. Bob Marley, its leading exponent, was a creative genius, but his creativity found its roots in his Rastafarianism. His message is possibly the most important delivered to the world by any entertainer, maybe any man, in the 20th century.

It is a tribute to the steadfastness, the courage, the vision, the clearheadedness and the creativity of these 'ancient Rastas', as Morgan Heritage calls them, that they are now a prominent part of our society. We owe them a great deal. Their vision of Jamaica's and the black man's "emancipation from mental slavery" has not been fully achieved, but we would have been so much further back were it not for them.

Keith Noel is an educator. Send comments to columns@gleanerjm.com.

February 9, 2012

jamaica-gleaner

Caribbean Blog International

by Caribbean News Now contributor:

CARACAS, Venezuela -- The Commonwealth Caribbean countries of Antigua-Barbuda, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines are among ALBA members that have agreed to block any ships flying the Falkland Islands flag from docking in their ports.

At the 11th summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), made up of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador and St Vincent and the Grenadines, participating heads of state and government on Saturday approved a special agreement to back Argentina's call for the restoration of the British Overseas Territory claimed by Argentina as Las Malvinas to Argentinean sovereignty.

President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, said, "It is time for Latin America to decide sanctions against this mistaken power that pretends to be imperialist and colonialist in the 21st century. I think we have to apply more forceful things. We have to talk about sanctions."

Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, said, "If it should occur to the British empire to attack Argentina militarily, Argentina won't be alone this time. Venezuela is no power, but we've got some weapons and the will to face any imperialist aggression."

Tensions have risen over the Falklands as the 30th anniversary of Argentina's 1982 invasion nears. Celebrations are planned in the UK for the anniversary of the Falklands War starting from May 20.

Britain has recently sent to the area HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 destroyer armed with enough firepower that one navy source told the Daily Mail newspaper, could “take out all of South America’s fighter aircraft, let alone those of Argentina”.

A British nuclear submarine is also reportedly being deployed to the area.

During the ALBA summit, Chavez praised the economic potential of several Caribbean nations such as Dominica, with its coffee production, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, with its tourist industry, and agricultural and fishing production.

He also referred to the bloc’s decision to maintain Haiti as a permanent guest of their meetings and to have Saint Lucia and Suriname as special guest-members.

February 7, 2012

caribbeannewsnow

Caribbean Blog International

Esther Tyson , Jamaica-Gleaner Contributor:

There is a wind blowing across our nation, Jamaica, which threatens to destabilise the Christian world view that we accept as the norm in our country. This wind has swept in from countries such as Germany, England, Sweden and North America.

It brings with it the view that posits that homosexual rights must be seen as paramount at this time. This is so because it comes under the agenda of human rights. All well-thinking individuals agree that all persons must have the rights that are due to all citizens of a nation, including homosexuals, bisexuals, transgender, et al.

What the country needs to be aware of, and stand its guard against, is that in many instances, once homosexuals have been granted their rights to practise their 'alternative lifestyle' openly, along with it come other demands which infringe on the rights of persons with a Judaeo-Christian world view.

This is the pattern that has been observed in nations such as United States, Canada, Germany and England. In England, according to a report at http://www.tinyurl.com/lawforcechurches, religious groups are to be forced to accept homosexual youth workers, secretaries and other staff, even if their faith holds same-sex relationships to be sinful. Christian organisations fear that the tightened legislation, which is due to come into force next year, will undermine the integrity of churches and dilute their moral message.

important development

Christianity Today Australia makes an important point on this development:

"And that is just what the homosexual activists and the militant secularists have long been working towards. They have been very clever about this. They say that religious people are welcome to practise their faith, just as long as it is not done in public."

Christians in England are coming under increasing persecution because of their faith. Yet, on the other hand, the rights of other groups, such as gays, are being promoted. In 2011 in England, a Christian couple was banned from foster-parenting because of their views on homosexuality. They "were told by a court yesterday that gay rights 'should take precedence' over their religious beliefs". Owen and Eunice Johns heard that their values could conflict with the local authority's duty to 'safeguard and promote the welfare' of those in foster care.

This shift against Christianity is taking place not only in England but in the USA. An example of this is seen in California.

(CNSNews.com) - On January 1, the California Department of Education started implementing a new law that requires all children in the state's public schools to study the "role and contributions" of "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans" to the "development of California and the United States of America".

All public schools in California, from kindergarten to grade 12, will be required to actively teach students to admire the gay lifestyle, and refusal to do so will have teachers charged with discrimination. This means that Christian teachers will not be allowed to keep silent on the matter but are being put into a situation to go against their faith if they are to keep their jobs.

In each of these instances, what began as the 'gay' agenda being accepted as part of human rights has resulted in the rights of Christians being eroded.

Even more far-reaching are the implications of the following report.

NEW YORK, July 27, 2011

(LifeSiteNews.com) - A high-level push at the United Nations for more contraception and abortion among the world's youths has met with resistance from over 120,000 people, including 57,000 young people, who have signed a Youth Statement that says that so-called "sexual rights" cannot trump the real rights of life and family.

Campaigners at the United Nations are seeking more permissive laws and policies towards homosexuality, drug use, explicit sexual education, contraception, and prostitution on all levels of world government, framed as advocacy for youth's sexual and reproductive health and 'rights'.

Persons who hold to the traditional Judaeo-Christian values which form the foundation of our society's laws and practices need to become conscious that already such values are being eroded in nations that previously were seen as having the same philosophical foundations as we do in Jamaica.

Furthermore, this insidious destruction is continuing, as can be seen in the report concerning the advocacy of sexual rights for children at the United Nations.

The Church must be careful that while we ensure that all mankind is treated with humanity and dignity, we do not fail to see that there are many groups that are using the human-rights cover to foist upon many unsuspecting persons laws that will have Jamaicans finding ourselves being forced to accept lifestyles alien to us.

threaten Economic sanctions

Already we see the British prime minister, David Cameron, threatening economic sanctions against those Commonwealth nations that do not decriminalise homosexuality and/or buggery. United States President Barack Obama is also issuing a call in support of gay rights. These calls are being promoted as a part of the human-rights agenda. Countries are now being forced to bow to the beliefs of these superpowers. Although colonialism has ended, this situation makes us aware that cultural imperialism is still alive and rampant.

Our prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, has promised J-FLAG - the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays - that she will review the buggery law.

As a nation, we need to be aware of this process. This issue might be decided through a vote by the people. As a nation, we are not used to voting on two issues at once, so we must be careful to see that a second matter is not being decided on in any election without the electorate's full knowledge.

In addition, it is very important that every Jamaican whose world view is based on the Judaeo-Christian teaching become aware of this debate and make his or her contribution to it. Furthermore, all such persons need to be enumerated.

Esther Tyson is an educator. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.

February 5, 2012

jamaica-gleaner

Caribbean Blog International

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Are You Tuned In? (Satis Shroff)

Cars are mostly mass-produced wares. But how can you make them special, individual? Through tuning. At the fair 4 in Freiburg there was the biggest new car fair in South Baden, and the 2^nd Tuning and Sound Convention, with great cars and entertainment for the visitors, because cars have always had a cult-status in the society. I knew two workers from Romania and Sri Lanka who worked in a microchip factory. No education, no scope in Germany, aside from the factory job, but they were contented and drove big, fat Mercedes Benz cars. It was a sign that they’d arrived in Germany. The car was the symbol of attainment in their lives.

Back to the tuning. Caroline Schubert from Gundelfingen, who is the Tuning Convention Girl, was looking for a successor. Katherina Kuhlmann, a TV moderator, racing driver and model and Jo Scholz were also there. Besides the Miss Tuning and Sound Girl competiton there was also body-painting , grid-girls, games amid the smell of petrol and rubber permeating in the air, in addition to sound measurement, chip-tuning and car-styling.

At this year’s Tuning and Sound Convention some 50 promoters were present with their products: 22 latest brands from nine countries: Audi, BMW, Citroen, Dacia, Fiat, Ford, Hundai, Iveco,,KIA, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Seat, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo and, of course the exclusive Wiesmann automobiles.

There was even a Miss Freiburg competition and the winner could take part in the Miss Baden-Württemberg competition, which in turn could be used as a jumping-pad for the Miss Germany selection. No wonder the current Miss Germany Ann-kathrin Kosch sat in the jury. As a treat for soccer fans you could pose with the UEFA Champions League Cup.

As in the year 2011, the passion for cars seems to increase unabated, despite the financial problems of European countries. Although tuning seems to be a domain for men, where there’s a lot of horse-power involved, beautiful girls aren’t very far. Most of the visitors were obviously male but the number of ladies interested in automobiles is rising gradually. Styling is ‘in’ in the case of cars and female models.

BLACK FOREST CLASSIC (Satis Shroff)

Who hasn’t dreamt as a child of cars? As boys you read comics and were fascinated by the sleek, streamlined form of the batmobile, a Porsche, a Bugatti or Ferrari. I went to the Black Forest Classic Days at the local fair (Messehalle) at the invitation of Dr. Franziska Pankow, who runs the Freiburg Commerce Tourism and Fair. And there they were: the Oldtimers from different epochs.

Why are we fascinated by old cars (as well as new ones)? How much does it cost to gather old cars? Where can you find beautiful cars? And what does the exhibition-cum-fair called ‘Automobil (e) have to show lovers of Oldtimers?

Dietrich Grossblotekamp, an author on cars and the PR man of the German Automobile Veteran’s Club in South Baden says: ‘The term ‘old car’ is not precise for an Oldtimer. Such a car is a historical vehicle, at least 30 years old in original condition or restored. Old cars become Oldtimers when they fulfil certain conditions.’

Four historical cars that caught my eye were: a pre- World War II one, and from the fifties, sixties and seventies.

One of them was the stately rarity called Sunbeam Speed 20 Monte Carlo from the year 1934. The English firm manufactured bicycles first, then motorbikes and since 1899 also cars. The Chrysler Sunbeam was the last model in the year 1977. The Sunbeam in question was a pre-war, black English Sport limousine of the upper class. 30 such wagons were produced, of which only five exist today. It has a three litre six-cylinder motor with 72 horse-power and attains a maximum speed of 135 km per hour.

The next attractive car was the Fiat 500 Topolino, which was produced in Turin (Italy) in 1936 in three versions. The Italians dubbed it ‘Topolino’ which means a wee mouse. The exhibition model belongs to the series C, which was built from 1948 till 1955. All in all, 370,000 left the factory. It had a 4-cylinder motor with 16,5 HP.

Jaguar began producing cars in 1931 and till then it had manufactured motorbike side wagons. There was  a Jaguar MK II, a sporting limousine built in 1967, with a 6-cylinder motor and a 165 HP. The maximum speed was more than 200 km/h. Good for the autobahn on the left spur (track).

There was even a Volkswagen 1303 LS Cabrio. The first carosserie factory in Osbabrueck started rolling in 1949. This one was built in 1978. I love cabrios. The car had a 4-cylinder  motor with 60 HP and used to cost 8840 euros in 1972. In Deutsche Marks that would be quite a lot. Exactly 320281 VW cabrios were produced from 1949 till 1980 by Karosseriefabrik Karmann. It might be mentioned that there’s an Oldtimer Stammtisch, where Oldtimer fans sit around a table and talk about their cars, in Holzhausen (South baden). Holzhausen had also BMW-motorbikes like the one-cylinder R25 and the two cylinder R51, mopeds built by Messerschmidt, BMW-Isettas, BMW 600, an unrestored NSU Prinz 2, and even a Goggomobile. A Mercedes 170 DS from the year 1953 was also on exhibit.

The Hippies who drove all the way via Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and sold their VW T1 buses in Katmandu to chillax with hash in Nepal’s capital and Pokhara, before flying home was also on exhibit. We Germany called the bus ‘the bulli’. The closed version of the bus was called ‘Die Ratte’ (rat), perhaps because you could scurry with it everywhere.

Whether the cars in the old days were better is a matter of taste. In the old days the automobiles were individual in design and upholstery, unlike the uniform carosseries constructed in the wind canals today.

Can only rich people afford such Oldtimers? Not at all, because there are enough historical vehicles that even people with small wallets can afford. And cars that are no longer in demand can be inexpensive and come from people who can’t part from their favourite cars, which they hide in old barns and garages. Or you can buy them cheap in other countries. I know a medical colleague who bought a vintage Mercedes in India, and had it shipped to Germany. There’s an Oldtimer rally with participants from a lot of European countries from 10^th of May till the 13^th of May in Kirchzarten, near Freiburg-Kappel, where I live. Welcome to the Schwarzwald Classic Days. 

Are You Tuned In? (Satis Shroff)

Cars are mostly mass-produced wares. But how can you make them special, individual? Through tuning. At the fair 4 in Freiburg there was the biggest new car fair in South Baden, and the 2^nd Tuning and Sound Convention, with great cars and entertainment for the visitors, because cars have always had a cult-status in the society. I knew two workers from Romania and Sri Lanka who worked in a microchip factory. No education, no scope in Germany, aside from the factory job, but they were contented and drove big, fat Mercedes Benz cars. It was a sign that they’d arrived in Germany. The car was the symbol of attainment in their lives.

Back to the tuning. Caroline Schubert from Gundelfingen, who is the Tuning Convention Girl, was looking for a successor. Katherina Kuhlmann, a TV moderator, racing driver and model and Jo Scholz were also there. Besides the Miss Tuning and Sound Girl competiton there was also body-painting , grid-girls, games amid the smell of petrol and rubber permeating in the air, in addition to sound measurement, chip-tuning and car-styling.

At this year’s Tuning and Sound Convention some 50 promoters were present with their products: 22 latest brands from nine countries: Audi, BMW, Citroen, Dacia, Fiat, Ford, Hundai, Iveco,,KIA, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Seat, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo and, of course the exclusive Wiesmann automobiles.

There was even a Miss Freiburg competition and the winner could take part in the Miss Baden-Württemberg competition, which in turn could be used as a jumping-pad for the Miss Germany selection. No wonder the current Miss Germany Ann-kathrin Kosch sat in the jury. As a treat for soccer fans you could pose with the UEFA Champions League Cup.

As in the year 2011, the passion for cars seems to increase unabated, despite the financial problems of European countries. Although tuning seems to be a domain for men, where there’s a lot of horse-power involved, beautiful girls aren’t very far. Most of the visitors were obviously male but the number of ladies interested in automobiles is rising gradually. Styling is ‘in’ in the case of cars and female models.

Who hasn’t dreamt as a child of cars? As boys you read comics and were fascinated by the sleek, streamlined form of the batmobile, a Porsche, a Bugatti or Ferrari. I went to the Black Forest Classic Days at the local fair (Messehalle) at the invitation of Dr. Franziska Pankow, who runs the Freiburg Commerce Tourism and Fair. And there they were: the Oldtimers from different epochs.

Why are we fascinated by old cars (as well as new ones)? How much does it cost to gather old cars? Where can you find beautiful cars? And what does the exhibition-cum-fair called ‘Automobil (e) have to show lovers of Oldtimers?

Dietrich Grossblotekamp, an author on cars and the PR man of the German Automobile Veteran’s Club in South Baden says: ‘The term ‘old car’ is not precise for an Oldtimer. Such a car is a historical vehicle, at least 30 years old in original condition or restored. Old cars become Oldtimers when they fulfil certain conditions.’

Four historical cars that caught my eye were: a pre- World War II one, and from the fifties, sixties and seventies.

One of them was the stately rarity called Sunbeam Speed 20 Monte Carlo from the year 1934. The English firm manufactured bicycles first, then motorbikes and since 1899 also cars. The Chrysler Sunbeam was the last model in the year 1977. The Sunbeam in question was a pre-war, black English Sport limousine of the upper class. 30 such wagons were produced, of which only five exist today. It has a three litre six-cylinder motor with 72 horse-power and attains a maximum speed of 135 km per hour.

The next attractive car was the Fiat 500 Topolino, which was produced in Turin (Italy) in 1936 in three versions. The Italians dubbed it ‘Topolino’ which means a wee mouse. The exhibition model belongs to the series C, which was built from 1948 till 1955. All in all, 370,000 left the factory. It had a 4-cylinder motor with 16,5 HP.

Jaguar began producing cars in 1931 and till then it had manufactured motorbike side wagons. There was  a Jaguar MK II, a sporting limousine built in 1967, with a 6-cylinder motor and a 165 HP. The maximum speed was more than 200 km/h. Good for the autobahn on the left spur (track).

There was even a Volkswagen 1303 LS Cabrio. The first carosserie factory in Osbabrueck started rolling in 1949. This one was built in 1978. I love cabrios. The car had a 4-cylinder  motor with 60 HP and used to cost 8840 euros in 1972. In Deutsche Marks that would be quite a lot. Exactly 320281 VW cabrios were produced from 1949 till 1980 by Karosseriefabrik Karmann. It might be mentioned that there’s an Oldtimer Stammtisch, where Oldtimer fans sit around a table and talk about their cars, in Holzhausen (South baden). Holzhausen had also BMW-motorbikes like the one-cylinder R25 and the two cylinder R51, mopeds built by Messerschmidt, BMW-Isettas, BMW 600, an unrestored NSU Prinz 2, and even a Goggomobile. A Mercedes 170 DS from the year 1953 was also on exhibit.

The Hippies who drove all the way via Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and sold their VW T1 buses in Katmandu to chillax with hash in Nepal’s capital and Pokhara, before flying home was also on exhibit. We Germany called the bus ‘the bulli’. The closed version of the bus was called ‘Die Ratte’ (rat), perhaps because you could scurry with it everywhere.

Whether the cars in the old days were better is a matter of taste. In the old days the automobiles were individual in design and upholstery, unlike the uniform carosseries constructed in the wind canals today.

Can only rich people afford such Oldtimers? Not at all, because there are enough historical vehicles that even people with small wallets can afford. And cars that are no longer in demand can be inexpensive and come from people who can’t part from their favourite cars, which they hide in old barns and garages. Or you can buy them cheap in other countries. I know a medical colleague who bought a vintage Mercedes in India, and had it shipped to Germany. There’s an Oldtimer rally with participants from a lot of European countries from 10^th of May till the 13^th of May in Kirchzarten, near Freiburg-Kappel, where I live. Welcome to the Schwarzwald Classic Days. 

 другие, которые противостоят истине и являются вестниками заблуждения, утвердят свое заблуждение и закон против моих чистых мыслей, поскольку они смотрят лишь с одной точки зрения и думают, что добро и зло происходят из одного и таким образом искажают мое слово. 

Смотрят из под папрсы - снизу вверх

также и мы пребываем в этом мире как рыбы. А противник бодрствует, замышляя против нас, ища нас, как рыбак, желая поймать нас и радуясь, что может нас проглотить. Ибо он проносит перед нашими глазами множество пищи, принадлежащей этому миру, и хочет, чтобы мы возжелали одну из них, и попробовали только немного, чтобы он схватил нас при помощи своего скрытого зелья и вырвал нас из свободы и забрал нас в рабство. Ибо если он схватит нас какой-то одной приманкой, ведь неизбежно, чтобы он пожелал и остальное. Таким образом, наконец, это становится пищей смерти. Но это - приманки, на которые дьявол ловит нас. Сначала он роняет печаль в твое сердце до тех пор, пока ты не начнешь мучиться какой-нибудь мелочью этой жизни и пока он не схватит нас своим зельем, а после этого внушит страстное стремление к одежде, чтобы ты гордился

        собой в ней, и любовь к деньгам, гордость, высокомерие, зависть, которая завидует другой зависти, красоту тела, мошенничество, а более всего этого - незнание и беспечность. Эти все приманки противник таким образом искусно подготавливает и раскладывает перед телом, желая, чтобы сердце души обратилось к одной из них, и наконец топит ее. Как крючком, он насильно тянет ее в незнание, обманывая ее до тех пор, пока она не забеременеет злом и не породит плоды материи и не будет жить в скверне, устремляясь за многими желаниями и корыстями, причем плотская сладость влечет ее в незнание. А душа, которая попробовала это, поняла, что сладкие страсти - скоротечны. Она получила знание о зле. Она удалилась от них и стала жить по-новому. После этого она презирает эту жизнь, поскольку она преходяща, и взыскует пищи которая возьмет ее в жизнь,

        и оставляет она ложную пищу, и получает знание своего света. Она шествует, снимая с себя этот мир, а ее истинная одежда облачает ее изнутри, причем ее брачное одеяние надето на нее в красоте сердца, а не в гордости плоти. И она познает свою глубину и устремляется к своему двору, причем ее пастырь стоит у двери.

 "Адам,, почему вы вздыхаете в вашем сердце? Разве вы не знаете, что я - бог, который сотворил вас, и я вдохнул в вас дух жизни, в душу живую¹²?". Тогда тьма пала на наши глаза. Тогда бог, который сотворил нас, сотворил сына от себя и Евы, твоей матери¹³...

Я познал желание сладостное твоей матери. Тогда погибла .в нас сила нашего знания навеки, и постигла нас слабость. Поэтому уменьшились дни нашей жизни, ибо я понял, что попал во власть Смерти.