The Underground -- Bones of saints probed in National Geographic documentary

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• Bones of saints probed in National Geographic documentary
• Book about religious abuse offers an 11-step program to spiritual freedom
• Christian Pastor says Easter is best spent doing acts of philanthropy

Bones of saints probed in National Geographic documentary Posted: 20 Apr 2011 10:28 PM PDT Two skeletons that were discovered in the burial chamber of a cathedral in Italy may be those of two Catholic martyrs who were buried alive some 2,000 years ago. The skeletons are believed to be those of the martyred Christian saints Daria and Chrysanthus who were, according to legend, celibate and persecuted in the third century for converting people in Rome to Christianity, National Geographic News said. Ezio Fulcheri of Italy’s University of Genoa and head of the investigating team told National Geographic that there is no way they could say with 100 percent confidence that the relics belong to Daria and Chrysanthus. However, the paleopathologist noted, there are many consistencies in the relics which align strongly with the possibility, National Geographic News said. First discovered The relics were discovered in 2008 when the cathedral in Reggio Emilia, a town in Italy, was being renovated. It is the most complete collection of relics to date, with 300 bones that were discovered beneath the main altar of the church in a sealed crypt, according to National Geographic News. The bones in the crypt did not, however, contain the skulls of the martyrs. These were found inside a pair of busts made of silver and gold that were kept in the vault of the cathedral, National Geographic News reported. Mark Salomon, series writer for EXPLORER told Catholic News Agency that the study is a hallmark for the Catholic Church as it is the first time that the church endeavored such an investigation from this period of time. Salomon, who is also a senior producer for EXPLORER told CNA News, “This is the first time that we can really test the authenticity of what is believed to be the body of a saint. For us, it was really a privilege to have a seat at that table and see its risks.” Salomon also pointed out the risks in the church’s seeking scientific verification of relics that it has had for some 1,000 years. “There’s a very good chance when you’re dealing with relics that the relics aren’t real.” In the Middle Ages there was a huge black market for forgeries, CNA News said. Auxiliary Bishop Lorenzo Ghizzoni said, “We might discover that these relics are fake. That would be a huge problem for us. If we find out we have bones like that, then we have to throw them out, destroy them. That would certainly be a scandal for the faithful,” CNA News reported. Legend The legend of Daria and Chrysanthus is that of two young people of wealth. Chrysanthus was the son of a Roman Senator from Alexandria who was raised in Rome, where he eventually came to embrace Christianity and took a vow of celibacy, The Daily Mail said. His father, appalled, arranged for him to marry Darius, a wealthy high priestess devoted to the virgin goddess Vesta. However, Darius also converted to the Christian faith, and she and Chrysanthus lived as a celibate couple who very effectively spread Christianity, The Daily Mail reported. For doing so, the young couple was buried alive around A.D. 283, the legend says, according to The Daily Mail. Findings Fulcheri and his team made the following conclusions from their investigation, according to National Geographic News: The remains belong to a man and a woman who were healthy at the time of death. DNA analysis showed that one skeleton was that of a female in her mid-20s. The bones of the female showed characteristics of a virgin. The bones of the female showed she had not experienced a life of great physical stress. DNA tests showed the second skeleton belonged to a man. The bones indicate the man was 17 or 18 years old, as shown by the fact that some of the bones were not fully formed. The bones indicate that the man and woman belonged to the upper class, as they showed no sign of deterioration nor deformities that would result from physical labor. There are indications of trace elements of lead poisoning, a characteristic of wealth, as lead was existent in the plumbing system which only reached wealthy homes. Carbon dating places the bones between A.D. 80 and 340. Chrysanthus and Vesta were buried alive in a sand mine in A.D. 283, The Daily Mail said. A wall was placed around the sand mine, but it still became a place for pilgrimages. As a result, the remains of the two martyrs were moved several times until they reached the Reggio Emilia cathedral in the 10th century. A documentary by National Geographic, entitled EXPLORER: Mystery of the Murdered Saints, was aired recently showing how the skeletons were removed from a crypt and studied by scientists.

Book about religious abuse offers an 11-step program to spiritual freedom Posted: 20 Apr 2011 10:27 PM PDT A book was released recently by Christian author that talks about religious abuse and offers an 11-step program of recovery from it. Jack Watts, author of Recovering from Religious Abuse: 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom, says that although clergy sexual abuse has received wide media attention, what is less spoken of, and barely acknowledged by the church, is religious abuse, The Christian Post said. Watts told The Christian Post that religious abuse involves “the mistreatment of a person by someone in a position of spiritual authority, resulting in the diminishing of that person’s sense of well-being and growth – both spiritually and emotionally.” Religious abuse also involves “misuse of Scripture that harms a person’s relationship with God,” Watts told The Christian Post, adding, “Probably the best definition of religious abuse is if you feel like you have been abused, you have, [and] millions say they have been.” More prevalent, less identified Watts told The Christian Post that verbal and emotional abuse in the church is more prevalent, but less often identified, than sexual abuse. In his website, he describes it as oftentimes more rooted in a legalistic approach to the gospel. It takes a heavy toll on its victims. Watts says in his website, “Most abused Christian’s lead half-lives, consumed with anger, bitterness, shame, and disillusionment. They question whether the best years of their lives have already passed, hoping they haven’t but suspecting they have. They are prone to depression and acting-out behavior, including over eating, over spending, alcoholism, drug addiction, pornography and promiscuity.” In describing the dynamics of spiritual abuse Watts says in his website that oftentimes, the religious abuser blames the victim for the emotional and psychological damage that the victim experiences. Watts says in his website, “Worst of all, the mistreated person comes to believe that his or her abusers are correct.” This enhances the guilt feelings in the victim and drives him further away from God. “It’s a vicious, destructive downward spiral.” Least discussed Watts told The Christian Post that oftentimes people are disengaged with the church because they have questions or different ideas. Because of this, the church cuts them off. Watts told The Christian Post, “Once shunned, they go off and are quickly forgotten. So instead of leaving the 99 that are saved and going after the one that is lost, they’ve allowed the people that are lost to become so great that they now constitute 12 percent of the population.” Watts’ book is published by Simon and Schuster and can be found in Barnes & Noble, but not in LifeWay Christian bookstore. Watts told The Christian Post, “My guess is they don’t like that I’m calling them on their stuff. I am, in the evangelical world, the Nathan (the prophet in the Old Testament who confronted King David about his sin).” Personal experience Watts draws on his own experience of religious abuse, writing in his website, “The first inkling of the severity of my psychological damage came when I went shopping for a motorcycle, which I needed for transportation. There were two good choices. Being a little confused about which to purchase, I remember asking myself, Who is going to tell me which one to buy?” That was when he realized how dependent he had become on his church elders for making decisions, amid a community where “acting independently” was viewed as rebelliousness. Spiritual healing Watts says in his 11 step program, among other things, that one has to recognize that God is not the abuser, The Christian Post said. Other things one must do, according to his website, is to share one’s experience with a trusted friend, ask God to change what he wishes and submit one’s pain to God for healing. Forgiveness is required. Watts wrote on his website, “Because God forgives us as we forgive others, I forgive my abusers.” Finally, he said one has to “make a commitment to nurture [one’s] relationship with God, asking him to reveal his will and to give [one] power to obey.”

Christian Pastor says Easter is best spent doing acts of philanthropy Posted: 19 Apr 2011 05:25 PM PDT A Christian pastor wrote in his newly-released book that Christians should celebrate Easter outside the church rather than just within it. Rev. Eric Foley, pastor of Doers of The Word Evangelical Church (with branches in Colorado Springs and Seoul, Korea) says in his book, The Whole Life Offering:   Christianity as Philanthropy that from a biblical point of view, Easter is best celebrated on the road, Christian Newswire said. Foley, who is also co-founder and CEO of Seoul, USA, takes a deep look into Christian history, Scripture and Protestant theology. He says in his book that making one’s life an offering to God is characterized by being soaked in grace, in this way empowering one’s Christian discipleship, according to the book’s website. In so doing one achieves full maturity in the faith. The website says, “[G]rowing to full maturity in Christ isn’t only possible; it is God’s intended purpose for every Christian, right here on earth in the midst of everyday life.” In the first chapter Foley says the book’s goal is “[T]o enable the philanthropy of Christ to be magnified more fully in the life of the reader, and to equip the reader to mirror that philanthropy more fully into the lives of others as a continual act of worship.” Foley adds, “The Whole Life Offering is Christ’s philanthropy. He pours the fullness of his life into any who will receive it. Those who receive it are enabled and authorized to share the length and breadth of it with others,” the website says. Foley says, “Whether it’s the disciples who meet Jesus on the road to Emmaus or the apostles who are called out of the Upper Room and on to Galilee, the Easter message is clear: If you want to meet Jesus, hit the road,” Christian Newswire reported. Foley writes in his book about seven spiritual disciplines that enhance loving God, and 10 outreach disciplines to strengthen loving one’s neighbor. Easter Sunday, he adds, is the perfect time to practice both branches of loving, Christian Newswire said. The seven spiritual disciplines are called Works of Piety, while the 10 outreach disciplines are anchored on these. Foley says in the website, “We find not only what we should be doing in order to love our neighbors, but how to do it to the glory and praise of God.”  The Whole Life Offering can be purchased either at Amazon or at the book’s website, www.thewholelifeoffering.com, according to Christian Newswire. Foley’s church, Doers of the Word meets via satellite in Seoul, Korea and Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the last 20 years Foley has trained some 1,300 church leaders on volunteerism and socially oriented programs, the website said.

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