"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

The manifestation of Vishnu as the Supreme Lord is especially popular in Nepal. For centuries it has been rendered in countless sculptures such as these. Dominating the composition, Vishnu stands serenely erect between his principal spouse. Iakshnti, and his companion and mount. Garuda.'they are intentionally smaller to emphasize Vishnu's importance. Each figure stands on a lotus blossom whose tendrils surround them. Each deity's head is encircled with a flaming halo while a larger Circle of Radiance encompasses all. In keeping with the omnipresence of the serpent in Nepalese culture, a tiny unc is tucked into Vishnu's sash (opposite image) and a pair of them coil around the stem of Vishnu's louts pedestal (image above).

 

In both sculptures, Vishnu, crowned and regally ornamented, wears the sacred thread over his left shoulder and looped under his sash. In his upper hands he displays the weapons. discus and mace (e/iakra. Ka(la) and in the lower ones lotus (prr.brnr)-symbolized by its seed-and conch shell (sbmtkha). Lakshmi. in queenly dress, holds a fitll-blown pink lotus in one hand and a symbolic lotus in the other which is extended in the charity gesture. The snake-wreathed Garuda, human except for his cape-like wings, presses his palms together in a reverential gesture.

 

There are twenty-four variations of the Supreme Vishnu each identified by the arrangement of the four hand-held attributes. When the attributes are

arranged as in these two sculptures the god is named Shridbara. Another variation is Keshava Narayana whose presumed presence in the courtyard

temple inspires one of the names of the palace quadrangic-lio%% Elie ,Museum-Keshav Narayan Chok. In accordance with the arrangement of

attributes, however, the image actually represents the.1rivikrama variation.

 

尼泊尔 帕坦 帕坦博物馆

Patan Museum, Patan, Nepal

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

In monotheism, God is conceived of as the Supreme Being and principal object of faith.[3] The concept of God as described by most theologians includes the attributes of omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere), divine simplicity, and as having an eternal and necessary existence. Many theologians also describe God as being omnibenevolent (perfectly good), and all loving.

 

God is most often held to be non-corporeal,[3] and to be without any human biological sex,[4][5] yet the concept of God actively creating the universe (as opposed to passively)[6] has caused many religions to describe God using masculine terminology, using such terms as "Him" or "Father". Furthermore, some religions (such as Judaism) attribute only a purely grammatical "gender" to God.[7]

 

In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, God is not believed to exist, while God is deemed unknown or unknowable within the context of agnosticism. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] Many notable philosophers have developed arguments for and against the existence of God.[8]

 

There are many names for God, and different names are attached to different cultural ideas about God's identity and attributes. In the ancient Egyptian era of Atenism, possibly the earliest recorded monotheistic religion, this deity was called Aten,[9] premised on being the one "true" Supreme Being and Creator of the Universe.[10] In the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, "He Who Is", "I Am that I Am", and the tetragrammaton YHWH (Hebrew: יהוה‎‎, which means: "I am who I am"; "He Who Exists") are used as names of God, while Yahweh and Jehovah are sometimes used in Christianity as vocalizations of YHWH. In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God, consubstantial in three persons, is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Judaism, it is common to refer to God by the titular names Elohim or Adonai, the latter of which is believed by some scholars to descend from the Egyptian Aten.[11][12][13][14][15] In Islam, the name Allah, "Al-El", or "Al-Elah" ("the God") is used, while Muslims also have a multitude of titular names for God. In Hinduism, Brahman is often considered a monistic deity.[16] Other religions have names for God, for instance, Baha in the Bahá'í Faith,[17] Waheguru in Sikhism,[18] and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism.[19]

 

The many different conceptions of God, and competing claims as to God's characteristics, aims, and actions, have led to the development of ideas of omnitheism, pandeism,[20][21] or a perennial philosophy, which postulates that there is one underlying theological truth, of which all religions express a partial understanding, and as to which "the devout in the various great world religions are in fact worshipping that one God, but through different, overlapping concepts or mental images of Him."[22]

 

Contents [hide]

1Etymology and usage

2General conceptions

2.1Oneness

2.2Theism, deism and pantheism

2.3Other concepts

3Non-theistic views

3.1Agnosticism and atheism

3.2Anthropomorphism

4Existence

5Specific attributes

5.1Names

5.2Gender

5.3Relationship with creation

6Depiction

6.1Zoroastrianism

6.2Islam

6.3Judaism

6.4Christianity

7Theological approaches

8Distribution of belief

9See also

9.1In specific religions

10References

11Further reading

12External links

Etymology and usage

 

The Mesha Stele bears the earliest known reference (840 BCE) to the Israelite God Yahweh.

Main article: God (word)

The earliest written form of the Germanic word God (always, in this usage, capitalized[23]) comes from the 6th-century Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic * ǥuđan. The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form * ǵhu-tó-m was likely based on the root * ǵhau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke".[24] The Germanic words for God were originally neuter—applying to both genders—but during the process of the Christianization of the Germanic peoples from their indigenous Germanic paganism, the words became a masculine syntactic form.[25]

  

The word 'Allah' in Arabic calligraphy

In the English language, the capitalized form of God continues to represent a distinction between monotheistic "God" and "gods" in polytheism.[26][27] The English word God and its counterparts in other languages are normally used for any and all conceptions and, in spite of significant differences between religions, the term remains an English translation common to all. The same holds for Hebrew El, but in Judaism, God is also given a proper name, the tetragrammaton YHWH, in origin possibly the name of an Edomite or Midianite deity, Yahweh. In many translations of the Bible, when the word LORD is in all capitals, it signifies that the word represents the tetragrammaton.[28]

 

Allāh (Arabic: الله‎‎) is the Arabic term with no plural used by Muslims and Arabic speaking Christians and Jews meaning "The God" (with a capital G), while "ʾilāh" (Arabic: إله‎‎) is the term used for a deity or a god in general.[29][30][31] God may also be given a proper name in monotheistic currents of Hinduism which emphasize the personal nature of God, with early references to his name as Krishna-Vasudeva in Bhagavata or later Vishnu and Hari.[32]

 

Ahura Mazda is the name for God used in Zoroastrianism. "Mazda", or rather the Avestan stem-form Mazdā-, nominative Mazdå, reflects Proto-Iranian *Mazdāh (female). It is generally taken to be the proper name of the spirit, and like its Sanskrit cognate medhā, means "intelligence" or "wisdom". Both the Avestan and Sanskrit words reflect Proto-Indo-Iranian *mazdhā-, from Proto-Indo-European mn̩sdʰeh1, literally meaning "placing (dʰeh1) one's mind (*mn̩-s)", hence "wise".[33]

 

Waheguru (Punjabi: vāhigurū) is a term most often used in Sikhism to refer to God. It means "Wonderful Teacher" in the Punjabi language. Vāhi (a Middle Persian borrowing) means "wonderful" and guru (Sanskrit: guru) is a term denoting "teacher". Waheguru is also described by some as an experience of ecstasy which is beyond all descriptions. The most common usage of the word "Waheguru" is in the greeting Sikhs use with each other:

 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Wonderful Lord's Khalsa, Victory is to the Wonderful Lord.

Baha, the "greatest" name for God in the Baha'i faith, is Arabic for "All-Glorious".

 

General conceptions

Main article: Conceptions of God

There is no clear consensus on the nature or even the existence of God.[34] The Abrahamic conceptions of God include the monotheistic definition of God in Judaism, the trinitarian view of Christians, and the Islamic concept of God. The dharmic religions differ in their view of the divine: views of God in Hinduism vary by region, sect, and caste, ranging from monotheistic to polytheistic. Divinity was recognized by the historical Buddha, particularly Śakra and Brahma. However, other sentient beings, including gods, can at best only play a supportive role in one's personal path to salvation. Conceptions of God in the latter developments of the Mahayana tradition give a more prominent place to notions of the divine.[citation needed]

 

Oneness

Main articles: Monotheism and Henotheism

 

The Trinity is the belief that God is composed of The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically in the physical realm by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.

Monotheists hold that there is only one god, and may claim that the one true god is worshiped in different religions under different names. The view that all theists actually worship the same god, whether they know it or not, is especially emphasized in Hinduism[35] and Sikhism.[36] In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity describes God as one God in three persons. The Trinity comprises The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.[37] Islam's most fundamental concept is tawhid (meaning "oneness" or "uniqueness"). God is described in the Quran as: "Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."[38][39] Muslims repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of his creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, and are not expected to visualize God.[40]

 

Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities.[41]

 

Theism, deism and pantheism

Main articles: Theism, Deism, and Pantheism

Theism generally holds that God exists realistically, objectively, and independently of human thought; that God created and sustains everything; that God is omnipotent and eternal; and that God is personal and interacting with the universe through, for example, religious experience and the prayers of humans.[42] Theism holds that God is both transcendent and immanent; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and in some way present in the affairs of the world.[43] Not all theists subscribe to all of these propositions, but each usually subscribes to some of them (see, by way of comparison, family resemblance).[42] Catholic theology holds that God is infinitely simple and is not involuntarily subject to time. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by contrast, asserts that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not mean the deity can predict the future. Theism is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.[44][45]

  

"God blessing the seventh day", a watercolor painting depicting God, by William Blake (1757 – 1827)

Deism holds that God is wholly transcendent: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it.[43] In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and neither answers prayers nor produces miracles. Common in Deism is a belief that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be aware of humanity. Pandeism and Panendeism, respectively, combine Deism with the Pantheistic or Panentheistic beliefs.[21][46][47] Pandeism is proposed to explain as to Deism why God would create a universe and then abandon it,[48] and as to Pantheism, the origin and purpose of the universe.[48][49]

 

Pantheism holds that God is the universe and the universe is God, whereas Panentheism holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe.[50] It is also the view of the Liberal Catholic Church; Theosophy; some views of Hinduism except Vaishnavism, which believes in panentheism; Sikhism; some divisions of Neopaganism and Taoism, along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations. Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, paints a pantheistic/panentheistic view of God—which has wide acceptance in Hasidic Judaism, particularly from their founder The Baal Shem Tov—but only as an addition to the Jewish view of a personal god, not in the original pantheistic sense that denies or limits persona to God.[citation needed]

 

Other concepts

Dystheism, which is related to theodicy, is a form of theism which holds that God is either not wholly good or is fully malevolent as a consequence of the problem of evil. One such example comes from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, in which Ivan Karamazov rejects God on the grounds that he allows children to suffer.[51]

 

In modern times, some more abstract concepts have been developed, such as process theology and open theism. The contemporaneous French philosopher Michel Henry has however proposed a phenomenological approach and definition of God as phenomenological essence of Life.[52]

 

God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides,[53] Augustine of Hippo,[53] and Al-Ghazali,[8] respectively.

 

Non-theistic views

See also: Evolutionary origin of religions and Evolutionary psychology of religion

Non-theist views about God also vary. Some non-theists avoid the concept of God, whilst accepting that it is significant to many; other non-theists understand God as a symbol of human values and aspirations. The nineteenth-century English atheist Charles Bradlaugh declared that he refused to say "There is no God", because "the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation";[54] he said more specifically that he disbelieved in the Christian god. Stephen Jay Gould proposed an approach dividing the world of philosophy into what he called "non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In this view, questions of the supernatural, such as those relating to the existence and nature of God, are non-empirical and are the proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used to answer questions about ultimate meaning and moral value. In this view, the perceived lack of any empirical footprint from the magisterium of the supernatural onto natural events makes science the sole player in the natural world.[55]

 

Another view, advanced by Richard Dawkins, is that the existence of God is an empirical question, on the grounds that "a universe with a god would be a completely different kind of universe from one without, and it would be a scientific difference."[56] Carl Sagan argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old.[57]

 

Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their book, The Grand Design, that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.[58] Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]

 

Agnosticism and atheism

Agnosticism is the view that, the truth values of certain claims – especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine or the supernatural exist – are unknown and perhaps unknowable.[60][61][62]

 

Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities, or a God.[63][64] In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[65]

 

Anthropomorphism

Main article: Anthropomorphism

Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems.[66] Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer's explanatory model matches physics' epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries.[67] Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one's father.[68]

 

Likewise, Émile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However, it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. Rossano indicates that by including ever-watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.[69]

 

Existence

Main article: Existence of God

 

St. Thomas Aquinas summed up five main arguments as proofs for God's existence.

 

Isaac Newton saw the existence of a Creator necessary in the movement of astronomical objects.

Arguments about the existence of God typically include empirical, deductive, and inductive types. Different views include that: "God does not exist" (strong atheism); "God almost certainly does not exist" (de facto atheism); "no one knows whether God exists" (agnosticism[70]);"God exists, but this cannot be proven or disproven" (de facto theism); and that "God exists and this can be proven" (strong theism).[55]

 

Countless arguments have been proposed to prove the existence of God.[71] Some of the most notable arguments are the Five Ways of Aquinas, the Argument from Desire proposed by C.S. Lewis, and the Ontological Argument formulated both by St. Anselm and René Descartes.[72]

 

St. Anselm's approach was to define God as, "that than which nothing greater can be conceived". Famed pantheist philosopher Baruch Spinoza would later carry this idea to its extreme: "By God I understand a being absolutely infinite, i.e., a substance consisting of infinite attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence." For Spinoza, the whole of the natural universe is made of one substance, God, or its equivalent, Nature.[73] His proof for the existence of God was a variation of the Ontological argument.[74]

 

Scientist Isaac Newton saw God as the masterful creator whose existence could not be denied in the face of the grandeur of all creation.[75] Nevertheless, he rejected polymath Leibniz' thesis that God would necessarily make a perfect world which requires no intervention from the creator. In Query 31 of the Opticks, Newton simultaneously made an argument from design and for the necessity of intervention:

 

For while comets move in very eccentric orbs in all manner of positions, blind fate could never make all the planets move one and the same way in orbs concentric, some inconsiderable irregularities excepted which may have arisen from the mutual actions of comets and planets on one another, and which will be apt to increase, till this system wants a reformation.[76]

 

St. Thomas believed that the existence of God is self-evident in itself, but not to us. "Therefore I say that this proposition, "God exists", of itself is self-evident, for the predicate is the same as the subject.... Now because we do not know the essence of God, the proposition is not self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are more known to us, though less known in their nature—namely, by effects."[77] St. Thomas believed that the existence of God can be demonstrated. Briefly in the Summa theologiae and more extensively in the Summa contra Gentiles, he considered in great detail five arguments for the existence of God, widely known as the quinque viae (Five Ways).

 

For the original text of the five proofs, see quinque viae

Motion: Some things undoubtedly move, though cannot cause their own motion. Since there can be no infinite chain of causes of motion, there must be a First Mover not moved by anything else, and this is what everyone understands by God.

Causation: As in the case of motion, nothing can cause itself, and an infinite chain of causation is impossible, so there must be a First Cause, called God.

Existence of necessary and the unnecessary: Our experience includes things certainly existing but apparently unnecessary. Not everything can be unnecessary, for then once there was nothing and there would still be nothing. Therefore, we are compelled to suppose something that exists necessarily, having this necessity only from itself; in fact itself the cause for other things to exist.

Gradation: If we can notice a gradation in things in the sense that some things are more hot, good, etc., there must be a superlative that is the truest and noblest thing, and so most fully existing. This then, we call God (Note: Thomas does not ascribe actual qualities to God Himself).

Ordered tendencies of nature: A direction of actions to an end is noticed in all bodies following natural laws. Anything without awareness tends to a goal under the guidance of one who is aware. This we call God (Note that even when we guide objects, in Thomas's view, the source of all our knowledge comes from God as well).[78]

 

Alister McGrath, a formerly atheistic scientist and theologian who has been highly critical of Richard Dawkins' version of atheism

Some theologians, such as the scientist and theologian A.E. McGrath, argue that the existence of God is not a question that can be answered using the scientific method.[79][80] Agnostic Stephen Jay Gould argues that science and religion are not in conflict and do not overlap.[81]

 

Some findings in the fields of cosmology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience are interpreted by some atheists (including Lawrence M. Krauss and Sam Harris) as evidence that God is an imaginary entity only, with no basis in reality.[82][83][84] These atheists claim that a single, omniscient God who is imagined to have created the universe and is particularly attentive to the lives of humans has been imagined, embellished and promulgated in a trans-generational manner.[85] Richard Dawkins interprets such findings not only as a lack of evidence for the material existence of such a God, but as extensive evidence to the contrary.[55] However, his views are opposed by some theologians and scientists including Alister McGrath, who argues that existence of God is compatible with science.[86]

 

Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]

 

Specific attributes

Different religious traditions assign differing (though often similar) attributes and characteristics to God, including expansive powers and abilities, psychological characteristics, gender characteristics, and preferred nomenclature. The assignment of these attributes often differs according to the conceptions of God in the culture from which they arise. For example, attributes of God in Christianity, attributes of God in Islam, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Judaism share certain similarities arising from their common roots.

 

Names

Main article: Names of God

 

99 names of Allah, in Chinese Sini (script)

The word God is "one of the most complex and difficult in the English language." In the Judeo-Christian tradition, "the Bible has been the principal source of the conceptions of God". That the Bible "includes many different images, concepts, and ways of thinking about" God has resulted in perpetual "disagreements about how God is to be conceived and understood".[87]

 

Throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles there are many names for God. One of them is Elohim. Another one is El Shaddai, meaning "God Almighty".[88] A third notable name is El Elyon, which means "The Most High God".[89]

 

God is described and referred in the Quran and hadith by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahman, meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim, meaning "Most Merciful" (See Names of God in Islam).[90]

  

Supreme soul

The Brahma Kumaris use the term "Supreme Soul" to refer to God. They see God as incorporeal and eternal, and regard him as a point of living light like human souls, but without a physical body, as he does not enter the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. God is seen as the perfect and constant embodiment of all virtues, powers and values and that He is the unconditionally loving Father of all souls, irrespective of their religion, gender, or culture.[91]

 

Vaishnavism, a tradition in Hinduism, has list of titles and names of Krishna.

 

Gender

Main article: Gender of God

The gender of God may be viewed as either a literal or an allegorical aspect of a deity who, in classical western philosophy, transcends bodily form.[92][93] Polytheistic religions commonly attribute to each of the gods a gender, allowing each to interact with any of the others, and perhaps with humans, sexually. In most monotheistic religions, God has no counterpart with which to relate sexually. Thus, in classical western philosophy the gender of this one-and-only deity is most likely to be an analogical statement of how humans and God address, and relate to, each other. Namely, God is seen as begetter of the world and revelation which corresponds to the active (as opposed to the receptive) role in sexual intercourse.[6]

 

Biblical sources usually refer to God using male words, except Genesis 1:26-27,[94][95] Psalm 123:2-3, and Luke 15:8-10 (female); Hosea 11:3-4, Deuteronomy 32:18, Isaiah 66:13, Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 42:14, Psalm 131:2 (a mother); Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (a mother eagle); and Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 (a mother hen).

 

Relationship with creation

See also: Creator deity, Prayer, and Worship

 

And Elohim Created Adam by William Blake, c.1795

Prayer plays a significant role among many believers. Muslims believe that the purpose of existence is to worship God.[96][97] He is viewed as a personal God and there are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God. Prayer often also includes supplication and asking forgiveness. God is often believed to be forgiving. For example, a hadith states God would replace a sinless people with one who sinned but still asked repentance.[98] Christian theologian Alister McGrath writes that there are good reasons to suggest that a "personal god" is integral to the Christian outlook, but that one has to understand it is an analogy. "To say that God is like a person is to affirm the divine ability and willingness to relate to others. This does not imply that God is human, or located at a specific point in the universe."[99]

 

Adherents of different religions generally disagree as to how to best worship God and what is God's plan for mankind, if there is one. There are different approaches to reconciling the contradictory claims of monotheistic religions. One view is taken by exclusivists, who believe they are the chosen people or have exclusive access to absolute truth, generally through revelation or encounter with the Divine, which adherents of other religions do not. Another view is religious pluralism. A pluralist typically believes that his religion is the right one, but does not deny the partial truth of other religions. An example of a pluralist view in Christianity is supersessionism, i.e., the belief that one's religion is the fulfillment of previous religions. A third approach is relativistic inclusivism, where everybody is seen as equally right; an example being universalism: the doctrine that salvation is eventually available for everyone. A fourth approach is syncretism, mixing different elements from different religions. An example of syncretism is the New Age movement.

 

Jews and Christians believe that humans are created in the likeness of God, and are the center, crown and key to God's creation, stewards for God, supreme over everything else God had made (Gen 1:26); for this reason, humans are in Christianity called the "Children of God".[100]

 

Depiction

God is defined as incorporeal,[3] and invisible from direct sight, and thus cannot be portrayed in a literal visual image.

 

The respective principles of religions may or may not permit them to use images (which are entirely symbolic) to represent God in art or in worship .

 

Zoroastrianism

 

Ahura Mazda (depiction is on the right, with high crown) presents Ardashir I (left) with the ring of kingship. (Relief at Naqsh-e Rustam, 3rd century CE)

During the early Parthian Empire, Ahura Mazda was visually represented for worship. This practice ended during the beginning of the Sassanid empire. Zoroastrian iconoclasm, which can be traced to the end of the Parthian period and the beginning of the Sassanid, eventually put an end to the use of all images of Ahura Mazda in worship. However, Ahura Mazda continued to be symbolized by a dignified male figure, standing or on horseback which is found in Sassanian investiture.[101]

 

Islam

Further information: God in Islam

Muslims believe that God (Allah) is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of His creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, are not expected to visualize God.[40]

 

Judaism

At least some Jews do not use any image for God, since God is the unimageable Being who cannot be represented in material forms.[102] In some samples of Jewish Art, however, sometimes God, or at least His Intervention, is indicated by a Hand Of God symbol, which represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or Voice of God;[103] this use of the Hand Of God is carried over to Christian Art.

 

Christianity

 

This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a specific audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion policy. (April 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Early Christians believed that the words of the Gospel of John 1:18: "No man has seen God at any time" and numerous other statements were meant to apply not only to God, but to all attempts at the depiction of God.[104]

  

Use of the symbolic Hand of God in the Ascension from the Drogo Sacramentary, c. 850

However, later on the Hand of God symbol is found several times in the only ancient synagogue with a large surviving decorative scheme, the Dura Europos Synagogue of the mid-3rd century, and was probably adopted into Early Christian art from Jewish art. It was common in Late Antique art in both East and West, and remained the main way of symbolizing the actions or approval of God the Father in the West until about the end of the Romanesque period. It also represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or voice of God,[103] just like in Jewish Art.

 

In situations, such as the Baptism of Christ, where a specific representation of God the Father was indicated, the Hand of God was used, with increasing freedom from the Carolingian period until the end of the Romanesque. This motif now, since the discovery of the 3rd century Dura Europos synagogue, seems to have been borrowed from Jewish art, and is found in Christian art almost from its beginnings.

 

The use of religious images in general continued to increase up to the end of the 7th century, to the point that in 695, upon assuming the throne, Byzantine emperor Justinian II put an image of Christ on the obverse side of his gold coins, resulting in a rift which ended the use of Byzantine coin types in the Islamic world.[105] However, the increase in religious imagery did not include depictions of God the Father. For instance, while the eighty second canon of the Council of Trullo in 692 did not specifically condemn images of The Father, it suggested that icons of Christ were preferred over Old Testament shadows and figures.[106]

 

The beginning of the 8th century witnessed the suppression and destruction of religious icons as the period of Byzantine iconoclasm (literally image-breaking) started. Emperor Leo III (717–741), suppressed the use of icons by imperial edict of the Byzantine Empire, presumably due to a military loss which he attributed to the undue veneration of icons.[107] The edict (which was issued without consulting the Church) forbade the veneration of religious images but did not apply to other forms of art, including the image of the emperor, or religious symbols such as the cross.[108] Theological arguments against icons then began to appear with iconoclasts arguing that icons could not represent both the divine and the human natures of Jesus at the same time. In this atmosphere, no public depictions of God the Father were even attempted and such depictions only began to appear two centuries later.

 

The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 effectively ended the first period of Byzantine iconoclasm and restored the honouring of icons and holy images in general.[109] However, this did not immediately translate into large scale depictions of God the Father. Even supporters of the use of icons in the 8th century, such as Saint John of Damascus, drew a distinction between images of God the Father and those of Christ.

 

In his treatise On the Divine Images John of Damascus wrote: "In former times, God who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see".[110] The implication here is that insofar as God the Father or the Spirit did not become man, visible and tangible, images and portrait icons can not be depicted. So what was true for the whole Trinity before Christ remains true for the Father and the Spirit but not for the Word. John of Damascus wrote:[111]

 

"If we attempt to make an image of the invisible God, this would be sinful indeed. It is impossible to portray one who is without body:invisible, uncircumscribed and without form."

 

Around 790 Charlemagne ordered a set of four books that became known as the Libri Carolini (i.e. "Charles' books") to refute what his court mistakenly understood to be the iconoclast decrees of the Byzantine Second Council of Nicaea regarding sacred images. Although not well known during the Middle Ages, these books describe the key elements of the Catholic theological position on sacred images. To the Western Church, images were just objects made by craftsmen, to be utilized for stimulating the senses of the faithful, and to be respected for the sake of the subject represented, not in themselves. The Council of Constantinople (869) (considered ecumenical by the Western Church, but not the Eastern Church) reaffirmed the decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea and helped stamp out any remaining coals of iconoclasm. Specifically, its third canon required the image of Christ to have veneration equal with that of a Gospel book:[112]

 

We decree that the sacred image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the liberator and Savior of all people, must be venerated with the same honor as is given the book of the holy Gospels. For as through the language of the words contained in this book all can reach salvation, so, due to the action which these images exercise by their colors, all wise and simple alike, can derive profit from them.

 

But images of God the Father were not directly addressed in Constantinople in 869. A list of permitted icons was enumerated at this Council, but symbols of God the Father were not among them.[113] However, the general acceptance of icons and holy images began to create an atmosphere in which God the Father could be symbolized.

 

Prior to the 10th century no attempt was made to use a human to symbolize God the Father in Western art.[104] Yet, Western art eventually required some way to illustrate the presence of the Father, so through successive representations a set of artistic styles for symbolizing the Father using a man gradually emerged around the 10th century AD. A rationale for the use of a human is the belief that God created the soul of Man in the image of His own (thus allowing Human to transcend the other animals).

 

It appears that when early artists designed to represent God the Father, fear and awe restrained them from a usage of the whole human figure. Typically only a small part would be used as the image, usually the hand, or sometimes the face, but rarely a whole human. In many images, the figure of the Son supplants the Father, so a smaller portion of the person of the Father is depicted.[114]

 

By the 12th century depictions of God the Father had started to appear in French illuminated manuscripts, which as a less public form could often be more adventurous in their iconography, and in stained glass church windows in England. Initially the head or bust was usually shown in some form of frame of clouds in the top of the picture space, where the Hand of God had formerly appeared; the Baptism of Christ on the famous baptismal font in Liège of Rainer of Huy is an example from 1118 (a Hand of God is used in another scene). Gradually the amount of the human symbol shown can increase to a half-length figure, then a full-length, usually enthroned, as in Giotto's fresco of c. 1305 in Padua.[115] In the 14th century the Naples Bible carried a depiction of God the Father in the Burning bush. By the early 15th century, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry has a considerable number of symbols, including an elderly but tall and elegant full-length figure walking in the Garden of Eden, which show a considerable diversity of apparent ages and dress. The "Gates of Paradise" of the Florence Baptistry by Lorenzo Ghiberti, begun in 1425 use a similar tall full-length symbol for the Father. The Rohan Book of Hours of about 1430 also included depictions of God the Father in half-length human form, which were now becoming standard, and the Hand of God becoming rarer. At the same period other works, like the large Genesis altarpiece by the Hamburg painter Meister Bertram, continued to use the old depiction of Christ as Logos in Genesis scenes. In the 15th century there was a brief fashion for depicting all three persons of the Trinity as similar or identical figures with the usual appearance of Christ.

 

In an early Venetian school Coronation of the Virgin by Giovanni d'Alemagna and Antonio Vivarini, (c. 1443) The Father is depicted using the symbol consistently used by other artists later, namely a patriarch, with benign, yet powerful countenance and with long white hair and a beard, a depiction largely derived from, and justified by, the near-physical, but still figurative, description of the Ancient of Days.[116]

 

. ...the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (Daniel 7:9)

  

Usage of two Hands of God"(relatively unusual) and the Holy Spirit as a dove in Baptism of Christ, by Verrocchio, 1472

In the Annunciation by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1470, God the Father is portrayed in the red robe and a hat that resembles that of a Cardinal. However, even in the later part of the 15th century, the symbolic representation of the Father and the Holy Spirit as "hands and dove" continued, e.g. in Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ in 1472.[117]

  

God the Father with His Right Hand Raised in Blessing, with a triangular halo representing the Trinity, Girolamo dai Libri c. 1555

In Renaissance paintings of the adoration of the Trinity, God may be depicted in two ways, either with emphasis on The Father, or the three elements of the Trinity. The most usual depiction of the Trinity in Renaissance art depicts God the Father using an old man, usually with a long beard and patriarchal in appearance, sometimes with a triangular halo (as a reference to the Trinity), or with a papal crown, specially in Northern Renaissance painting. In these depictions The Father may hold a globe or book (to symbolize God's knowledge and as a reference to how knowledge is deemed divine). He is behind and above Christ on the Cross in the Throne of Mercy iconography. A dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit may hover above. Various people from different classes of society, e.g. kings, popes or martyrs may be present in the picture. In a Trinitarian Pietà, God the Father is often symbolized using a man wearing a papal dress and a papal crown, supporting the dead Christ in his arms. They are depicted as floating in heaven with angels who carry the instruments of the Passion.[118]

 

Representations of God the Father and the Trinity were attacked both by Protestants and within Catholicism, by the Jansenist and Baianist movements as well as more orthodox theologians. As with other attacks on Catholic imagery, this had the effect both of reducing Church support for the less central depictions, and strengthening it for the core ones. In the Western Church, the pressure to restrain religious imagery resulted in the highly influential decrees of the final session of the Council of Trent in 1563. The Council of Trent decrees confirmed the traditional Catholic doctrine that images only represented the person depicted, and that veneration to them was paid to the person, not the image.[119]

 

Artistic depictions of God the Father were uncontroversial in Catholic art thereafter, but less common depictions of the Trinity were condemned. In 1745 Pope Benedict XIV explicitly supported the Throne of Mercy depiction, referring to the "Ancient of Days", but in 1786 it was still necessary for Pope Pius VI to issue a papal bull condemning the decision of an Italian church council to remove all images of the Trinity from churches.[120]

  

The famous The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, c.1512

God the Father is symbolized in several Genesis scenes in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, most famously The Creation of Adam (whose image of near touching hands of God and Adam is iconic of humanity, being a reminder that Man is created in the Image and Likeness of God (Gen 1:26)).God the Father is depicted as a powerful figure, floating in the clouds in Titian's Assumption of the Virgin in the Frari of Venice, long admired as a masterpiece of High Renaissance art.[121] The Church of the Gesù in Rome includes a number of 16th century depictions of God the Father. In some of these paintings the Trinity is still alluded to in terms of three angels, but Giovanni Battista Fiammeri also depicted God the Father as a man riding on a cloud, above the scenes.[122]

 

In both the Last Judgment and the Coronation of the Virgin paintings by Rubens he depicted God the Father using the image that by then had become widely accepted, a bearded patriarchal figure above the fray. In the 17th century, the two Spanish artists Velázquez (whose father-in-law Francisco Pacheco was in charge of the approval of new images for the Inquisition) and Murillo both depicted God the Father using a patriarchal figure with a white beard in a purple robe.

  

The Ancient of Days (1794) Watercolor etching by William Blake

While representations of God the Father were growing in Italy, Spain, Germany and the Low Countries, there was resistance elsewhere in Europe, even during the 17th century. In 1632 most members of the Star Chamber court in England (except the Archbishop of York) condemned the use of the images of the Trinity in church windows, and some considered them illegal.[123] Later in the 17th century Sir Thomas Browne wrote that he considered the representation of God the Father using an old man "a dangerous act" that might lead to Egyptian symbolism.[124] In 1847, Charles Winston was still critical of such images as a "Romish trend" (a term used to refer to Roman Catholics) that he considered best avoided in England.[125]

 

In 1667 the 43rd chapter of the Great Moscow Council specifically included a ban on a number of symbolic depictions of God the Father and the Holy Spirit, which then also resulted in a whole range of other icons being placed on the forbidden list,[126][127] mostly affecting Western-style depictions which had been gaining ground in Orthodox icons. The Council also declared that the person of the Trinity who was the "Ancient of Days" was Christ, as Logos, not God the Father. However some icons continued to be produced in Russia, as well as Greece, Romania, and other Orthodox countries.

 

Theological approaches

Theologians and philosophers have attributed to God such characteristics as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has been described as incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the greatest conceivable being existent.[3] These attributes were all claimed to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars, including Maimonides,[53] St Augustine,[53] and Al-Ghazali.[128]

 

Many philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God,[8] while attempting to comprehend the precise implications of God's attributes. Reconciling some of those attributes generated important philosophical problems and debates. For example, God's omniscience may seem to imply that God knows how free agents will choose to act. If God does know this, their ostensible free will might be illusory, or foreknowledge does not imply predestination, and if God does not know it, God may not be omniscient.[129]

 

However, if by its essential nature, free will is not predetermined, then the effect of its will can never be perfectly predicted by anyone, regardless of intelligence and knowledge. Although knowledge of the options presented to that will, combined with perfectly infinite intelligence, could be said to provide God with omniscience if omniscience is defined as knowledge or understanding of all that is.

 

The last centuries of philosophy have seen vigorous questions regarding the arguments for God's existence raised by such philosophers as Immanuel Kant, David Hume and Antony Flew, although Kant held that the argument from morality was valid. The theist response has been either to contend, as does Alvin Plantinga, that faith is "properly basic", or to take, as does Richard Swinburne, the evidentialist position.[130] Some theists agree that only some of the arguments for God's existence are compelling, but argue that faith is not a product of reason, but requires risk. There would be no risk, they say, if the arguments for God's existence were as solid as the laws of logic, a position summed up by Pascal as "the heart has reasons of which reason does not know."[131] A recent theory using concepts from physics and neurophysiology proposes that God can be conceptualized within the theory of integrative level.[132]

 

Many religious believers allow for the existence of other, less powerful spiritual beings such as angels, saints, jinn, demons, and devas.[133][134][135][136][137]

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

Scenery captured on 25/04/2012 @ 17:22:31 hrs.

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

The port of Messina is a constant, yet elusive presence. It stands as the main protagonist in the city’s story – its column crowned with the golden statue of the Virgin watching over the restless motion of daily life. And yet, for all its omnipresence, the port remains just out of reach – always beyond, like a half-remembered dream whose details slip away the closer one looks

I had lots of help to make this info about my powers as the latex goddess of latex land and i don't understand what are the words below even mean :3 So ty to my shiny subs in RL :) I not needed help making the image as I'm good at that :) The photo was taken In SL of sexy shiny me :D but from the added powers I used Ai and photo shop.

 

In the image I'm outside the universes in the latex Multiverse where I like making a few new universes :3 and they will all be super shiny to :D

  

Multiverse 0016 = (Latex land) Latex land is a multiverse which is ruled by me the latex goddess Moniree. Also known as Shiny-Moniree in the Multiverse 0001 and Moni as a nickname.

 

Within latex land I have powers over all the millions of universes of latex land which has been name the Latexverses or to some the Shinyverses :3

 

Powers:

 

1) Creation, Modification and Reality Warping: I can create and modify environments, transforming entire universes into nothing but shiny latex. Omnipotence altering physical realities according to my desires. This is how I took over one universes after another till all the multiverse was all the way shiny the way I wanted it to be.

 

2) Time Manipulation: power to play with time. Like a when I become goddess I changed the pass so I had always ruled from the start of time. I did this so all would know of me and worship only me and also that I had been made of latex and live in a all latex reality, sitting on the highest throne and ruling all things. All the rubberdolls of latex land not know of anything beyond latex land.

 

3 ) Omnipresence and Worship: I’m worshipped by all showing I possess a presence that transcends normal limitations. This could suggest powers associated with charisma or divine authority, enabling Me to command loyalty and reverence from those around. All the princess, queens and deitys are below me and worship me.

 

4) Sexiness and beauty: I’m the fairest and hottest girl of all time, who has the most perfect body, with long slender legs, hourglass figure. face and make-up is very pretty. I’m made of nothing but latex with red latex skin, hot-pink latex twin-tail hair and wearing nothing but the sexiest and most shiny outfits. My moves in very sassy girly sexy ways by showing off hot poses and catwalks. All who look at lust me get a crush as it makes them weak and wish to bow in worship my alluring behaviour and prettiness. It’s this sexyness which gives me power to dominate and get spoiled.

 

5) Teleportation and Inter-dimensional portals: Can teleport where ever I like within Multiverse 0016. And If I want to go to another Universe I can make an new Inter-dimensional portal, thats how I found the minecraft universe and was not happy with it not being all latex, so I remade it by transforming it into nothing but latex and renaming it into Shinecraft, and star wars became Shine wars where there shop fighting over galaxy domination, and started fighting over latex domination where evil black latex clad dominatrix’s would take the thrones as high emperoress, as the dark side of rubberdolls. This Inter-dimensional travel is how I took over Multiverse 0016.

 

6) Dreams and realities: I have a few times gone into dream like worlds like the like the fractal realm and the dreams of others to ask them if there coming to play when they wake up and the fix bad dream of her rubberdolls to make the dream-worlds more shiny and cute. I also gone into computer game realities like Tron, Spunland and playstation home, and even found my way into some of the other cartoon universes beyond my Multiverse in Multiverse 0012. Multiverse 0012 has latex lovers so I turned them into latex land like beings while keeping them in their cartoon forms.

 

7) Supreme Omnipotence: absolute power over all aspects of existence, even life and death. This power allows me to create or destroy universes at will.

 

8) Powers over good and evil: I may seem like a sweet kind girl, but I got my red latex skin due to my past as a beautiful seductress succubus, a demon of lust for my endless greed for more latex and sexiness. I got my powers from people lusting after me and spoiling me rotten. I was the latex princess of hell, who then became the latex queen of hell and later the goddess after the old ruler fell in lust to my beauty. But I was not evil in a wicked way, just a latex teen girl who lusted for endless shiny latex and pleasure and to be worshipped by all. So I made most of the demon’s kawaii and kind hearted and controlled there lust, I got rid of the nasty ones 100% and the lustful ones now work in a factory making toys for their high goddess sexy shiny me. With this power I can now controll my lust levels and help others controll there’s. So I can go as lustful as I wish when in the mood or be good as a pure latex angle, which I am 90% of the time. With this power and being a nice latex goddess there’s now such a thing a good latex demons, and the Multiverse 0016 has less evil in it than before. Also all within my multiverse are female due to the fact that I’m is hyper feminine and extremely girly.

 

9) Age Manipulation and immortality: I’ve been sweet 16 for a long time, I was 16 when I took the high throne of the timeline I deleted. I became immortal and wish not to age due to the liking of of my physical attractiveness as all called me a latex hottie. I have a youthful personality and love my shiny life never wanting it to end. Also as ruler I made all the latex land dolls immortal, where they can visit latex heaven and latex hell for an holiday, like keep warm by the fires of latex hell, while the latex demons give them latex lube massages.

 

10) Magical Energy: I can cast spells to and has taken the forms of latex sorcereress, is what I call shiny spells.

  

Personality

 

Even so being a high over-goddess I’m still just a 16 year old girl who still have a latex pink and purple dolly home by the sea and still go’s to shiny-school, when I feels like going that is. Even so I so much power I can be a bit dippy, clumsy and forgetful sometimes. I rarely use my high powers as I kind of got latex land how I like it.

  

Levels of power and rule.

 

1) Princess

2) Queen = rules a country

3) Empress = rules a land mass

4) High empress = rules a world/planet

5) Galactic empress = Rules a galaxy

6) Goddess = rules a universe

7) High goddess = Rules a multiverse

8) Super goddess = rules superverse and all existence

9) Ultra Goddess = Rules all existence and non-existence

10) ??? = rules The Omniverse = have all powers and can make up new powers, rules all and everything, can make new things and delete anything.

 

I'm a High goddess = Rules a multiverse, as power as the MCU one above all. But I will one day go much higher.

  

More latex land links below.

Sexy shiny me

My latex art - not in SL

Latex time line

Latexmon

Deviantart - Latex land art

Deviantart - Latex Ai art

Flickr Latex Ai art

  

Beings of latex land Rubber-ranks

 

Rubber-rank 1 Latex furrys

Rubber-rank 1 Latex land dolls

Rubber-rank 2 Latex land dolls

Rubber-rank 3 Latex land princesses

Rubber-rank 4 Latex land queen's

Rubber-rank 5 Latex land goddess

 

Tú me levantas, tierra de Castilla,

en la rugosa palma de tu mano,

al cielo que te enciende y te refresca,

al cielo, tu amo,

 

Tierra nervuda, enjuta, despejada,

madre de corazones y de brazos,

toma el presente en ti viejos colores

del noble antaño.

 

Con la pradera cóncava del cielo

lindan en torno tus desnudos campos,

tiene en ti cuna el sol y en ti sepulcro

y en ti santuario.

 

Es todo cima tu extensión redonda

y en ti me siento al cielo levantado,

aire de cumbre es el que se respira

aquí, en tus páramos.

 

(Miguel de Unamuno / Castilla)

County Hall Gallery

 

South Bank, London

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

Provocative live cam visit is a renowned way for adults to partner and participate in comfortable conversations with one another. It gives a phase to individuals to research their sexual longings and dreams in a safeguarded and consensual environment. With the ability to collaborate through webcam, clients can partake in hesitant and enticing conversations, share sexy stories, and even participate in sexual showings through virtual play. The omnipresence of provocative live cam talk has take off lately, with various stages offering an enormous number of components like classified shows, cam-to-cam joint efforts, and, shockingly, convenient transparency. Whether you're looking for a one-on-one experience or a get-together gathering, provocative live cam talk has something for everyone.

 

www.erotikachat.com/en/

Scorndefraud

 

A pillar, she stated deep on his front engraved catfish sushi

and transgressions he perceived without opinions retained

O, Hath Omnipresence new bold such great work ordained!

 

He communicated his tiny airship talent with such searing speed that some guy Finley

worried it's vital mantle-seed and so owned his restricted model of being causing all

future speeches stunned by liquid enthusiasm!

The quest so easily solved by that indeterminate Hollywood.

 

So minded sienna overleaped comprehensive earthly bounds and ascended deep into Louisiana the soft endless track of a matrix cookie or some similar ability that only the fine weakness a knees-lover would violently be reading and not utterraise yet a single tattered MacGyver point.

 

But where was she for loss end life flagging pleasure overloved? Open up your brazen folds discover wide this Thursday truth.

Halt upriver your own actions to penetrate the ancient east,

that boring brightly by so much will it tend to probably increase.

 

Which Man’s polluting sin with taint hath shed in close recess our expeditious and

Suspect secret sat in conclave to our symbolic height of actions. For hence our rhetoric evil goes like ponies coming to more a mynah newsstand of some ding-dong speaker weighing high the swarms of capricious technicians giving some advantage to seismographic police.

 

And the availability of her old fashioned

Towboat tonic.

 

(this is an example of Spam-poetry that i do - which is just a culling of huge sections of the spamwords used to fool spam-detection programs, with editing from me to include line breaks, a bit of rearranging, some words crushed into the middle to give it flow and a dash of punctuation)

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

I had lots of help to make this info about my powers as the latex goddess of latex land and i don't understand what are the words below even mean :3 So ty to my shiny subs in RL :) I not needed help making the image as I'm good at that :) The photo was taken In SL of sexy shiny me :D but from the added powers I used Ai and photo shop.

 

In the image I'm outside the universes in the latex Multiverse where I like making a few new universes :3 and they will all be super shiny to :D

  

Multiverse 0016 = (Latex land) Latex land is a multiverse which is ruled by me the latex goddess Moniree. Also known as Shiny-Moniree in the Multiverse 0001 and Moni as a nickname.

 

Within latex land I have powers over all the millions of universes of latex land which has been name the Latexverses or to some the Shinyverses :3

 

Powers:

 

1) Creation, Modification and Reality Warping: I can create and modify environments, transforming entire universes into nothing but shiny latex. Omnipotence altering physical realities according to my desires. This is how I took over one universes after another till all the multiverse was all the way shiny the way I wanted it to be.

 

2) Time Manipulation: power to play with time. Like a when I become goddess I changed the pass so I had always ruled from the start of time. I did this so all would know of me and worship only me and also that I had been made of latex and live in a all latex reality, sitting on the highest throne and ruling all things. All the rubberdolls of latex land not know of anything beyond latex land.

 

3 ) Omnipresence and Worship: I’m worshipped by all showing I possess a presence that transcends normal limitations. This could suggest powers associated with charisma or divine authority, enabling Me to command loyalty and reverence from those around. All the princess, queens and deitys are below me and worship me.

 

4) Sexiness and beauty: I’m the fairest and hottest girl of all time, who has the most perfect body, with long slender legs, hourglass figure. face and make-up is very pretty. I’m made of nothing but latex with red latex skin, hot-pink latex twin-tail hair and wearing nothing but the sexiest and most shiny outfits. My moves in very sassy girly sexy ways by showing off hot poses and catwalks. All who look at lust me get a crush as it makes them weak and wish to bow in worship my alluring behaviour and prettiness. It’s this sexyness which gives me power to dominate and get spoiled.

 

5) Teleportation and Inter-dimensional portals: Can teleport where ever I like within Multiverse 0016. And If I want to go to another Universe I can make an new Inter-dimensional portal, thats how I found the minecraft universe and was not happy with it not being all latex, so I remade it by transforming it into nothing but latex and renaming it into Shinecraft, and star wars became Shine wars where there shop fighting over galaxy domination, and started fighting over latex domination where evil black latex clad dominatrix’s would take the thrones as high emperoress, as the dark side of rubberdolls. This Inter-dimensional travel is how I took over Multiverse 0016.

 

6) Dreams and realities: I have a few times gone into dream like worlds like the like the fractal realm and the dreams of others to ask them if there coming to play when they wake up and the fix bad dream of her rubberdolls to make the dream-worlds more shiny and cute. I also gone into computer game realities like Tron, Spunland and playstation home, and even found my way into some of the other cartoon universes beyond my Multiverse in Multiverse 0012. Multiverse 0012 has latex lovers so I turned them into latex land like beings while keeping them in their cartoon forms.

 

7) Supreme Omnipotence: absolute power over all aspects of existence, even life and death. This power allows me to create or destroy universes at will.

 

8) Powers over good and evil: I may seem like a sweet kind girl, but I got my red latex skin due to my past as a beautiful seductress succubus, a demon of lust for my endless greed for more latex and sexiness. I got my powers from people lusting after me and spoiling me rotten. I was the latex princess of hell, who then became the latex queen of hell and later the goddess after the old ruler fell in lust to my beauty. But I was not evil in a wicked way, just a latex teen girl who lusted for endless shiny latex and pleasure and to be worshipped by all. So I made most of the demon’s kawaii and kind hearted and controlled there lust, I got rid of the nasty ones 100% and the lustful ones now work in a factory making toys for their high goddess sexy shiny me. With this power I can now controll my lust levels and help others controll there’s. So I can go as lustful as I wish when in the mood or be good as a pure latex angle, which I am 90% of the time. With this power and being a nice latex goddess there’s now such a thing a good latex demons, and the Multiverse 0016 has less evil in it than before. Also all within my multiverse are female due to the fact that I’m is hyper feminine and extremely girly.

 

9) Age Manipulation and immortality: I’ve been sweet 16 for a long time, I was 16 when I took the high throne of the timeline I deleted. I became immortal and wish not to age due to the liking of of my physical attractiveness as all called me a latex hottie. I have a youthful personality and love my shiny life never wanting it to end. Also as ruler I made all the latex land dolls immortal, where they can visit latex heaven and latex hell for an holiday, like keep warm by the fires of latex hell, while the latex demons give them latex lube massages.

 

10) Magical Energy: I can cast spells to and has taken the forms of latex sorcereress, is what I call shiny spells.

  

Personality

 

Even so being a high over-goddess I’m still just a 16 year old girl who still have a latex pink and purple dolly home by the sea and still go’s to shiny-school, when I feels like going that is. Even so I so much power I can be a bit dippy, clumsy and forgetful sometimes. I rarely use my high powers as I kind of got latex land how I like it.

  

Levels of power and rule.

 

1) Princess

2) Queen = rules a country

3) Empress = rules a land mass

4) High empress = rules a world/planet

5) Galactic empress = Rules a galaxy

6) Goddess = rules a universe

7) High goddess = Rules a multiverse

8) Super goddess = rules superverse and all existence

9) Ultra Goddess = Rules all existence and non-existence

10) ??? = rules The Omniverse = have all powers and can make up new powers, rules all and everything, can make new things and delete anything.

 

I'm a High goddess = Rules a multiverse, as power as the MCU one above all. But I will one day go much higher.

  

More latex land links below.

Sexy shiny me

My latex art - not in SL

Latex time line

Latexmon

Deviantart - Latex land art

Deviantart - Latex Ai art

Flickr Latex Ai art

  

Beings of latex land Rubber-ranks

 

Rubber-rank 1 Latex furrys

Rubber-rank 1 Latex land dolls

Rubber-rank 2 Latex land dolls

Rubber-rank 3 Latex land princesses

Rubber-rank 4 Latex land queen's

Rubber-rank 5 Latex land goddess

 

In monotheism, God is conceived of as the Supreme Being and principal object of faith.[3] The concept of God as described by most theologians includes the attributes of omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere), divine simplicity, and as having an eternal and necessary existence. Many theologians also describe God as being omnibenevolent (perfectly good), and all loving.

 

God is most often held to be non-corporeal,[3] and to be without any human biological sex,[4][5] yet the concept of God actively creating the universe (as opposed to passively)[6] has caused many religions to describe God using masculine terminology, using such terms as "Him" or "Father". Furthermore, some religions (such as Judaism) attribute only a purely grammatical "gender" to God.[7]

 

In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, God is not believed to exist, while God is deemed unknown or unknowable within the context of agnosticism. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] Many notable philosophers have developed arguments for and against the existence of God.[8]

 

There are many names for God, and different names are attached to different cultural ideas about God's identity and attributes. In the ancient Egyptian era of Atenism, possibly the earliest recorded monotheistic religion, this deity was called Aten,[9] premised on being the one "true" Supreme Being and Creator of the Universe.[10] In the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, "He Who Is", "I Am that I Am", and the tetragrammaton YHWH (Hebrew: יהוה‎‎, which means: "I am who I am"; "He Who Exists") are used as names of God, while Yahweh and Jehovah are sometimes used in Christianity as vocalizations of YHWH. In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God, consubstantial in three persons, is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Judaism, it is common to refer to God by the titular names Elohim or Adonai, the latter of which is believed by some scholars to descend from the Egyptian Aten.[11][12][13][14][15] In Islam, the name Allah, "Al-El", or "Al-Elah" ("the God") is used, while Muslims also have a multitude of titular names for God. In Hinduism, Brahman is often considered a monistic deity.[16] Other religions have names for God, for instance, Baha in the Bahá'í Faith,[17] Waheguru in Sikhism,[18] and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism.[19]

 

The many different conceptions of God, and competing claims as to God's characteristics, aims, and actions, have led to the development of ideas of omnitheism, pandeism,[20][21] or a perennial philosophy, which postulates that there is one underlying theological truth, of which all religions express a partial understanding, and as to which "the devout in the various great world religions are in fact worshipping that one God, but through different, overlapping concepts or mental images of Him."[22]

 

Contents [hide]

1Etymology and usage

2General conceptions

2.1Oneness

2.2Theism, deism and pantheism

2.3Other concepts

3Non-theistic views

3.1Agnosticism and atheism

3.2Anthropomorphism

4Existence

5Specific attributes

5.1Names

5.2Gender

5.3Relationship with creation

6Depiction

6.1Zoroastrianism

6.2Islam

6.3Judaism

6.4Christianity

7Theological approaches

8Distribution of belief

9See also

9.1In specific religions

10References

11Further reading

12External links

Etymology and usage

 

The Mesha Stele bears the earliest known reference (840 BCE) to the Israelite God Yahweh.

Main article: God (word)

The earliest written form of the Germanic word God (always, in this usage, capitalized[23]) comes from the 6th-century Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic * ǥuđan. The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form * ǵhu-tó-m was likely based on the root * ǵhau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke".[24] The Germanic words for God were originally neuter—applying to both genders—but during the process of the Christianization of the Germanic peoples from their indigenous Germanic paganism, the words became a masculine syntactic form.[25]

  

The word 'Allah' in Arabic calligraphy

In the English language, the capitalized form of God continues to represent a distinction between monotheistic "God" and "gods" in polytheism.[26][27] The English word God and its counterparts in other languages are normally used for any and all conceptions and, in spite of significant differences between religions, the term remains an English translation common to all. The same holds for Hebrew El, but in Judaism, God is also given a proper name, the tetragrammaton YHWH, in origin possibly the name of an Edomite or Midianite deity, Yahweh. In many translations of the Bible, when the word LORD is in all capitals, it signifies that the word represents the tetragrammaton.[28]

 

Allāh (Arabic: الله‎‎) is the Arabic term with no plural used by Muslims and Arabic speaking Christians and Jews meaning "The God" (with a capital G), while "ʾilāh" (Arabic: إله‎‎) is the term used for a deity or a god in general.[29][30][31] God may also be given a proper name in monotheistic currents of Hinduism which emphasize the personal nature of God, with early references to his name as Krishna-Vasudeva in Bhagavata or later Vishnu and Hari.[32]

 

Ahura Mazda is the name for God used in Zoroastrianism. "Mazda", or rather the Avestan stem-form Mazdā-, nominative Mazdå, reflects Proto-Iranian *Mazdāh (female). It is generally taken to be the proper name of the spirit, and like its Sanskrit cognate medhā, means "intelligence" or "wisdom". Both the Avestan and Sanskrit words reflect Proto-Indo-Iranian *mazdhā-, from Proto-Indo-European mn̩sdʰeh1, literally meaning "placing (dʰeh1) one's mind (*mn̩-s)", hence "wise".[33]

 

Waheguru (Punjabi: vāhigurū) is a term most often used in Sikhism to refer to God. It means "Wonderful Teacher" in the Punjabi language. Vāhi (a Middle Persian borrowing) means "wonderful" and guru (Sanskrit: guru) is a term denoting "teacher". Waheguru is also described by some as an experience of ecstasy which is beyond all descriptions. The most common usage of the word "Waheguru" is in the greeting Sikhs use with each other:

 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Wonderful Lord's Khalsa, Victory is to the Wonderful Lord.

Baha, the "greatest" name for God in the Baha'i faith, is Arabic for "All-Glorious".

 

General conceptions

Main article: Conceptions of God

There is no clear consensus on the nature or even the existence of God.[34] The Abrahamic conceptions of God include the monotheistic definition of God in Judaism, the trinitarian view of Christians, and the Islamic concept of God. The dharmic religions differ in their view of the divine: views of God in Hinduism vary by region, sect, and caste, ranging from monotheistic to polytheistic. Divinity was recognized by the historical Buddha, particularly Śakra and Brahma. However, other sentient beings, including gods, can at best only play a supportive role in one's personal path to salvation. Conceptions of God in the latter developments of the Mahayana tradition give a more prominent place to notions of the divine.[citation needed]

 

Oneness

Main articles: Monotheism and Henotheism

 

The Trinity is the belief that God is composed of The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically in the physical realm by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.

Monotheists hold that there is only one god, and may claim that the one true god is worshiped in different religions under different names. The view that all theists actually worship the same god, whether they know it or not, is especially emphasized in Hinduism[35] and Sikhism.[36] In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity describes God as one God in three persons. The Trinity comprises The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.[37] Islam's most fundamental concept is tawhid (meaning "oneness" or "uniqueness"). God is described in the Quran as: "Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."[38][39] Muslims repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of his creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, and are not expected to visualize God.[40]

 

Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities.[41]

 

Theism, deism and pantheism

Main articles: Theism, Deism, and Pantheism

Theism generally holds that God exists realistically, objectively, and independently of human thought; that God created and sustains everything; that God is omnipotent and eternal; and that God is personal and interacting with the universe through, for example, religious experience and the prayers of humans.[42] Theism holds that God is both transcendent and immanent; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and in some way present in the affairs of the world.[43] Not all theists subscribe to all of these propositions, but each usually subscribes to some of them (see, by way of comparison, family resemblance).[42] Catholic theology holds that God is infinitely simple and is not involuntarily subject to time. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by contrast, asserts that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not mean the deity can predict the future. Theism is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.[44][45]

  

"God blessing the seventh day", a watercolor painting depicting God, by William Blake (1757 – 1827)

Deism holds that God is wholly transcendent: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it.[43] In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and neither answers prayers nor produces miracles. Common in Deism is a belief that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be aware of humanity. Pandeism and Panendeism, respectively, combine Deism with the Pantheistic or Panentheistic beliefs.[21][46][47] Pandeism is proposed to explain as to Deism why God would create a universe and then abandon it,[48] and as to Pantheism, the origin and purpose of the universe.[48][49]

 

Pantheism holds that God is the universe and the universe is God, whereas Panentheism holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe.[50] It is also the view of the Liberal Catholic Church; Theosophy; some views of Hinduism except Vaishnavism, which believes in panentheism; Sikhism; some divisions of Neopaganism and Taoism, along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations. Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, paints a pantheistic/panentheistic view of God—which has wide acceptance in Hasidic Judaism, particularly from their founder The Baal Shem Tov—but only as an addition to the Jewish view of a personal god, not in the original pantheistic sense that denies or limits persona to God.[citation needed]

 

Other concepts

Dystheism, which is related to theodicy, is a form of theism which holds that God is either not wholly good or is fully malevolent as a consequence of the problem of evil. One such example comes from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, in which Ivan Karamazov rejects God on the grounds that he allows children to suffer.[51]

 

In modern times, some more abstract concepts have been developed, such as process theology and open theism. The contemporaneous French philosopher Michel Henry has however proposed a phenomenological approach and definition of God as phenomenological essence of Life.[52]

 

God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides,[53] Augustine of Hippo,[53] and Al-Ghazali,[8] respectively.

 

Non-theistic views

See also: Evolutionary origin of religions and Evolutionary psychology of religion

Non-theist views about God also vary. Some non-theists avoid the concept of God, whilst accepting that it is significant to many; other non-theists understand God as a symbol of human values and aspirations. The nineteenth-century English atheist Charles Bradlaugh declared that he refused to say "There is no God", because "the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation";[54] he said more specifically that he disbelieved in the Christian god. Stephen Jay Gould proposed an approach dividing the world of philosophy into what he called "non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In this view, questions of the supernatural, such as those relating to the existence and nature of God, are non-empirical and are the proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used to answer questions about ultimate meaning and moral value. In this view, the perceived lack of any empirical footprint from the magisterium of the supernatural onto natural events makes science the sole player in the natural world.[55]

 

Another view, advanced by Richard Dawkins, is that the existence of God is an empirical question, on the grounds that "a universe with a god would be a completely different kind of universe from one without, and it would be a scientific difference."[56] Carl Sagan argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old.[57]

 

Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their book, The Grand Design, that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.[58] Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]

 

Agnosticism and atheism

Agnosticism is the view that, the truth values of certain claims – especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine or the supernatural exist – are unknown and perhaps unknowable.[60][61][62]

 

Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities, or a God.[63][64] In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[65]

 

Anthropomorphism

Main article: Anthropomorphism

Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems.[66] Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer's explanatory model matches physics' epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries.[67] Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one's father.[68]

 

Likewise, Émile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However, it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. Rossano indicates that by including ever-watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.[69]

 

Existence

Main article: Existence of God

 

St. Thomas Aquinas summed up five main arguments as proofs for God's existence.

 

Isaac Newton saw the existence of a Creator necessary in the movement of astronomical objects.

Arguments about the existence of God typically include empirical, deductive, and inductive types. Different views include that: "God does not exist" (strong atheism); "God almost certainly does not exist" (de facto atheism); "no one knows whether God exists" (agnosticism[70]);"God exists, but this cannot be proven or disproven" (de facto theism); and that "God exists and this can be proven" (strong theism).[55]

 

Countless arguments have been proposed to prove the existence of God.[71] Some of the most notable arguments are the Five Ways of Aquinas, the Argument from Desire proposed by C.S. Lewis, and the Ontological Argument formulated both by St. Anselm and René Descartes.[72]

 

St. Anselm's approach was to define God as, "that than which nothing greater can be conceived". Famed pantheist philosopher Baruch Spinoza would later carry this idea to its extreme: "By God I understand a being absolutely infinite, i.e., a substance consisting of infinite attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence." For Spinoza, the whole of the natural universe is made of one substance, God, or its equivalent, Nature.[73] His proof for the existence of God was a variation of the Ontological argument.[74]

 

Scientist Isaac Newton saw God as the masterful creator whose existence could not be denied in the face of the grandeur of all creation.[75] Nevertheless, he rejected polymath Leibniz' thesis that God would necessarily make a perfect world which requires no intervention from the creator. In Query 31 of the Opticks, Newton simultaneously made an argument from design and for the necessity of intervention:

 

For while comets move in very eccentric orbs in all manner of positions, blind fate could never make all the planets move one and the same way in orbs concentric, some inconsiderable irregularities excepted which may have arisen from the mutual actions of comets and planets on one another, and which will be apt to increase, till this system wants a reformation.[76]

 

St. Thomas believed that the existence of God is self-evident in itself, but not to us. "Therefore I say that this proposition, "God exists", of itself is self-evident, for the predicate is the same as the subject.... Now because we do not know the essence of God, the proposition is not self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are more known to us, though less known in their nature—namely, by effects."[77] St. Thomas believed that the existence of God can be demonstrated. Briefly in the Summa theologiae and more extensively in the Summa contra Gentiles, he considered in great detail five arguments for the existence of God, widely known as the quinque viae (Five Ways).

 

For the original text of the five proofs, see quinque viae

Motion: Some things undoubtedly move, though cannot cause their own motion. Since there can be no infinite chain of causes of motion, there must be a First Mover not moved by anything else, and this is what everyone understands by God.

Causation: As in the case of motion, nothing can cause itself, and an infinite chain of causation is impossible, so there must be a First Cause, called God.

Existence of necessary and the unnecessary: Our experience includes things certainly existing but apparently unnecessary. Not everything can be unnecessary, for then once there was nothing and there would still be nothing. Therefore, we are compelled to suppose something that exists necessarily, having this necessity only from itself; in fact itself the cause for other things to exist.

Gradation: If we can notice a gradation in things in the sense that some things are more hot, good, etc., there must be a superlative that is the truest and noblest thing, and so most fully existing. This then, we call God (Note: Thomas does not ascribe actual qualities to God Himself).

Ordered tendencies of nature: A direction of actions to an end is noticed in all bodies following natural laws. Anything without awareness tends to a goal under the guidance of one who is aware. This we call God (Note that even when we guide objects, in Thomas's view, the source of all our knowledge comes from God as well).[78]

 

Alister McGrath, a formerly atheistic scientist and theologian who has been highly critical of Richard Dawkins' version of atheism

Some theologians, such as the scientist and theologian A.E. McGrath, argue that the existence of God is not a question that can be answered using the scientific method.[79][80] Agnostic Stephen Jay Gould argues that science and religion are not in conflict and do not overlap.[81]

 

Some findings in the fields of cosmology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience are interpreted by some atheists (including Lawrence M. Krauss and Sam Harris) as evidence that God is an imaginary entity only, with no basis in reality.[82][83][84] These atheists claim that a single, omniscient God who is imagined to have created the universe and is particularly attentive to the lives of humans has been imagined, embellished and promulgated in a trans-generational manner.[85] Richard Dawkins interprets such findings not only as a lack of evidence for the material existence of such a God, but as extensive evidence to the contrary.[55] However, his views are opposed by some theologians and scientists including Alister McGrath, who argues that existence of God is compatible with science.[86]

 

Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]

 

Specific attributes

Different religious traditions assign differing (though often similar) attributes and characteristics to God, including expansive powers and abilities, psychological characteristics, gender characteristics, and preferred nomenclature. The assignment of these attributes often differs according to the conceptions of God in the culture from which they arise. For example, attributes of God in Christianity, attributes of God in Islam, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Judaism share certain similarities arising from their common roots.

 

Names

Main article: Names of God

 

99 names of Allah, in Chinese Sini (script)

The word God is "one of the most complex and difficult in the English language." In the Judeo-Christian tradition, "the Bible has been the principal source of the conceptions of God". That the Bible "includes many different images, concepts, and ways of thinking about" God has resulted in perpetual "disagreements about how God is to be conceived and understood".[87]

 

Throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles there are many names for God. One of them is Elohim. Another one is El Shaddai, meaning "God Almighty".[88] A third notable name is El Elyon, which means "The Most High God".[89]

 

God is described and referred in the Quran and hadith by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahman, meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim, meaning "Most Merciful" (See Names of God in Islam).[90]

  

Supreme soul

The Brahma Kumaris use the term "Supreme Soul" to refer to God. They see God as incorporeal and eternal, and regard him as a point of living light like human souls, but without a physical body, as he does not enter the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. God is seen as the perfect and constant embodiment of all virtues, powers and values and that He is the unconditionally loving Father of all souls, irrespective of their religion, gender, or culture.[91]

 

Vaishnavism, a tradition in Hinduism, has list of titles and names of Krishna.

 

Gender

Main article: Gender of God

The gender of God may be viewed as either a literal or an allegorical aspect of a deity who, in classical western philosophy, transcends bodily form.[92][93] Polytheistic religions commonly attribute to each of the gods a gender, allowing each to interact with any of the others, and perhaps with humans, sexually. In most monotheistic religions, God has no counterpart with which to relate sexually. Thus, in classical western philosophy the gender of this one-and-only deity is most likely to be an analogical statement of how humans and God address, and relate to, each other. Namely, God is seen as begetter of the world and revelation which corresponds to the active (as opposed to the receptive) role in sexual intercourse.[6]

 

Biblical sources usually refer to God using male words, except Genesis 1:26-27,[94][95] Psalm 123:2-3, and Luke 15:8-10 (female); Hosea 11:3-4, Deuteronomy 32:18, Isaiah 66:13, Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 42:14, Psalm 131:2 (a mother); Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (a mother eagle); and Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 (a mother hen).

 

Relationship with creation

See also: Creator deity, Prayer, and Worship

 

And Elohim Created Adam by William Blake, c.1795

Prayer plays a significant role among many believers. Muslims believe that the purpose of existence is to worship God.[96][97] He is viewed as a personal God and there are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God. Prayer often also includes supplication and asking forgiveness. God is often believed to be forgiving. For example, a hadith states God would replace a sinless people with one who sinned but still asked repentance.[98] Christian theologian Alister McGrath writes that there are good reasons to suggest that a "personal god" is integral to the Christian outlook, but that one has to understand it is an analogy. "To say that God is like a person is to affirm the divine ability and willingness to relate to others. This does not imply that God is human, or located at a specific point in the universe."[99]

 

Adherents of different religions generally disagree as to how to best worship God and what is God's plan for mankind, if there is one. There are different approaches to reconciling the contradictory claims of monotheistic religions. One view is taken by exclusivists, who believe they are the chosen people or have exclusive access to absolute truth, generally through revelation or encounter with the Divine, which adherents of other religions do not. Another view is religious pluralism. A pluralist typically believes that his religion is the right one, but does not deny the partial truth of other religions. An example of a pluralist view in Christianity is supersessionism, i.e., the belief that one's religion is the fulfillment of previous religions. A third approach is relativistic inclusivism, where everybody is seen as equally right; an example being universalism: the doctrine that salvation is eventually available for everyone. A fourth approach is syncretism, mixing different elements from different religions. An example of syncretism is the New Age movement.

 

Jews and Christians believe that humans are created in the likeness of God, and are the center, crown and key to God's creation, stewards for God, supreme over everything else God had made (Gen 1:26); for this reason, humans are in Christianity called the "Children of God".[100]

 

Depiction

God is defined as incorporeal,[3] and invisible from direct sight, and thus cannot be portrayed in a literal visual image.

 

The respective principles of religions may or may not permit them to use images (which are entirely symbolic) to represent God in art or in worship .

 

Zoroastrianism

 

Ahura Mazda (depiction is on the right, with high crown) presents Ardashir I (left) with the ring of kingship. (Relief at Naqsh-e Rustam, 3rd century CE)

During the early Parthian Empire, Ahura Mazda was visually represented for worship. This practice ended during the beginning of the Sassanid empire. Zoroastrian iconoclasm, which can be traced to the end of the Parthian period and the beginning of the Sassanid, eventually put an end to the use of all images of Ahura Mazda in worship. However, Ahura Mazda continued to be symbolized by a dignified male figure, standing or on horseback which is found in Sassanian investiture.[101]

 

Islam

Further information: God in Islam

Muslims believe that God (Allah) is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of His creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, are not expected to visualize God.[40]

 

Judaism

At least some Jews do not use any image for God, since God is the unimageable Being who cannot be represented in material forms.[102] In some samples of Jewish Art, however, sometimes God, or at least His Intervention, is indicated by a Hand Of God symbol, which represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or Voice of God;[103] this use of the Hand Of God is carried over to Christian Art.

 

Christianity

 

This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a specific audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion policy. (April 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Early Christians believed that the words of the Gospel of John 1:18: "No man has seen God at any time" and numerous other statements were meant to apply not only to God, but to all attempts at the depiction of God.[104]

  

Use of the symbolic Hand of God in the Ascension from the Drogo Sacramentary, c. 850

However, later on the Hand of God symbol is found several times in the only ancient synagogue with a large surviving decorative scheme, the Dura Europos Synagogue of the mid-3rd century, and was probably adopted into Early Christian art from Jewish art. It was common in Late Antique art in both East and West, and remained the main way of symbolizing the actions or approval of God the Father in the West until about the end of the Romanesque period. It also represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or voice of God,[103] just like in Jewish Art.

 

In situations, such as the Baptism of Christ, where a specific representation of God the Father was indicated, the Hand of God was used, with increasing freedom from the Carolingian period until the end of the Romanesque. This motif now, since the discovery of the 3rd century Dura Europos synagogue, seems to have been borrowed from Jewish art, and is found in Christian art almost from its beginnings.

 

The use of religious images in general continued to increase up to the end of the 7th century, to the point that in 695, upon assuming the throne, Byzantine emperor Justinian II put an image of Christ on the obverse side of his gold coins, resulting in a rift which ended the use of Byzantine coin types in the Islamic world.[105] However, the increase in religious imagery did not include depictions of God the Father. For instance, while the eighty second canon of the Council of Trullo in 692 did not specifically condemn images of The Father, it suggested that icons of Christ were preferred over Old Testament shadows and figures.[106]

 

The beginning of the 8th century witnessed the suppression and destruction of religious icons as the period of Byzantine iconoclasm (literally image-breaking) started. Emperor Leo III (717–741), suppressed the use of icons by imperial edict of the Byzantine Empire, presumably due to a military loss which he attributed to the undue veneration of icons.[107] The edict (which was issued without consulting the Church) forbade the veneration of religious images but did not apply to other forms of art, including the image of the emperor, or religious symbols such as the cross.[108] Theological arguments against icons then began to appear with iconoclasts arguing that icons could not represent both the divine and the human natures of Jesus at the same time. In this atmosphere, no public depictions of God the Father were even attempted and such depictions only began to appear two centuries later.

 

The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 effectively ended the first period of Byzantine iconoclasm and restored the honouring of icons and holy images in general.[109] However, this did not immediately translate into large scale depictions of God the Father. Even supporters of the use of icons in the 8th century, such as Saint John of Damascus, drew a distinction between images of God the Father and those of Christ.

 

In his treatise On the Divine Images John of Damascus wrote: "In former times, God who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see".[110] The implication here is that insofar as God the Father or the Spirit did not become man, visible and tangible, images and portrait icons can not be depicted. So what was true for the whole Trinity before Christ remains true for the Father and the Spirit but not for the Word. John of Damascus wrote:[111]

 

"If we attempt to make an image of the invisible God, this would be sinful indeed. It is impossible to portray one who is without body:invisible, uncircumscribed and without form."

 

Around 790 Charlemagne ordered a set of four books that became known as the Libri Carolini (i.e. "Charles' books") to refute what his court mistakenly understood to be the iconoclast decrees of the Byzantine Second Council of Nicaea regarding sacred images. Although not well known during the Middle Ages, these books describe the key elements of the Catholic theological position on sacred images. To the Western Church, images were just objects made by craftsmen, to be utilized for stimulating the senses of the faithful, and to be respected for the sake of the subject represented, not in themselves. The Council of Constantinople (869) (considered ecumenical by the Western Church, but not the Eastern Church) reaffirmed the decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea and helped stamp out any remaining coals of iconoclasm. Specifically, its third canon required the image of Christ to have veneration equal with that of a Gospel book:[112]

 

We decree that the sacred image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the liberator and Savior of all people, must be venerated with the same honor as is given the book of the holy Gospels. For as through the language of the words contained in this book all can reach salvation, so, due to the action which these images exercise by their colors, all wise and simple alike, can derive profit from them.

 

But images of God the Father were not directly addressed in Constantinople in 869. A list of permitted icons was enumerated at this Council, but symbols of God the Father were not among them.[113] However, the general acceptance of icons and holy images began to create an atmosphere in which God the Father could be symbolized.

 

Prior to the 10th century no attempt was made to use a human to symbolize God the Father in Western art.[104] Yet, Western art eventually required some way to illustrate the presence of the Father, so through successive representations a set of artistic styles for symbolizing the Father using a man gradually emerged around the 10th century AD. A rationale for the use of a human is the belief that God created the soul of Man in the image of His own (thus allowing Human to transcend the other animals).

 

It appears that when early artists designed to represent God the Father, fear and awe restrained them from a usage of the whole human figure. Typically only a small part would be used as the image, usually the hand, or sometimes the face, but rarely a whole human. In many images, the figure of the Son supplants the Father, so a smaller portion of the person of the Father is depicted.[114]

 

By the 12th century depictions of God the Father had started to appear in French illuminated manuscripts, which as a less public form could often be more adventurous in their iconography, and in stained glass church windows in England. Initially the head or bust was usually shown in some form of frame of clouds in the top of the picture space, where the Hand of God had formerly appeared; the Baptism of Christ on the famous baptismal font in Liège of Rainer of Huy is an example from 1118 (a Hand of God is used in another scene). Gradually the amount of the human symbol shown can increase to a half-length figure, then a full-length, usually enthroned, as in Giotto's fresco of c. 1305 in Padua.[115] In the 14th century the Naples Bible carried a depiction of God the Father in the Burning bush. By the early 15th century, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry has a considerable number of symbols, including an elderly but tall and elegant full-length figure walking in the Garden of Eden, which show a considerable diversity of apparent ages and dress. The "Gates of Paradise" of the Florence Baptistry by Lorenzo Ghiberti, begun in 1425 use a similar tall full-length symbol for the Father. The Rohan Book of Hours of about 1430 also included depictions of God the Father in half-length human form, which were now becoming standard, and the Hand of God becoming rarer. At the same period other works, like the large Genesis altarpiece by the Hamburg painter Meister Bertram, continued to use the old depiction of Christ as Logos in Genesis scenes. In the 15th century there was a brief fashion for depicting all three persons of the Trinity as similar or identical figures with the usual appearance of Christ.

 

In an early Venetian school Coronation of the Virgin by Giovanni d'Alemagna and Antonio Vivarini, (c. 1443) The Father is depicted using the symbol consistently used by other artists later, namely a patriarch, with benign, yet powerful countenance and with long white hair and a beard, a depiction largely derived from, and justified by, the near-physical, but still figurative, description of the Ancient of Days.[116]

 

. ...the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (Daniel 7:9)

  

Usage of two Hands of God"(relatively unusual) and the Holy Spirit as a dove in Baptism of Christ, by Verrocchio, 1472

In the Annunciation by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1470, God the Father is portrayed in the red robe and a hat that resembles that of a Cardinal. However, even in the later part of the 15th century, the symbolic representation of the Father and the Holy Spirit as "hands and dove" continued, e.g. in Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ in 1472.[117]

  

God the Father with His Right Hand Raised in Blessing, with a triangular halo representing the Trinity, Girolamo dai Libri c. 1555

In Renaissance paintings of the adoration of the Trinity, God may be depicted in two ways, either with emphasis on The Father, or the three elements of the Trinity. The most usual depiction of the Trinity in Renaissance art depicts God the Father using an old man, usually with a long beard and patriarchal in appearance, sometimes with a triangular halo (as a reference to the Trinity), or with a papal crown, specially in Northern Renaissance painting. In these depictions The Father may hold a globe or book (to symbolize God's knowledge and as a reference to how knowledge is deemed divine). He is behind and above Christ on the Cross in the Throne of Mercy iconography. A dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit may hover above. Various people from different classes of society, e.g. kings, popes or martyrs may be present in the picture. In a Trinitarian Pietà, God the Father is often symbolized using a man wearing a papal dress and a papal crown, supporting the dead Christ in his arms. They are depicted as floating in heaven with angels who carry the instruments of the Passion.[118]

 

Representations of God the Father and the Trinity were attacked both by Protestants and within Catholicism, by the Jansenist and Baianist movements as well as more orthodox theologians. As with other attacks on Catholic imagery, this had the effect both of reducing Church support for the less central depictions, and strengthening it for the core ones. In the Western Church, the pressure to restrain religious imagery resulted in the highly influential decrees of the final session of the Council of Trent in 1563. The Council of Trent decrees confirmed the traditional Catholic doctrine that images only represented the person depicted, and that veneration to them was paid to the person, not the image.[119]

 

Artistic depictions of God the Father were uncontroversial in Catholic art thereafter, but less common depictions of the Trinity were condemned. In 1745 Pope Benedict XIV explicitly supported the Throne of Mercy depiction, referring to the "Ancient of Days", but in 1786 it was still necessary for Pope Pius VI to issue a papal bull condemning the decision of an Italian church council to remove all images of the Trinity from churches.[120]

  

The famous The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, c.1512

God the Father is symbolized in several Genesis scenes in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, most famously The Creation of Adam (whose image of near touching hands of God and Adam is iconic of humanity, being a reminder that Man is created in the Image and Likeness of God (Gen 1:26)).God the Father is depicted as a powerful figure, floating in the clouds in Titian's Assumption of the Virgin in the Frari of Venice, long admired as a masterpiece of High Renaissance art.[121] The Church of the Gesù in Rome includes a number of 16th century depictions of God the Father. In some of these paintings the Trinity is still alluded to in terms of three angels, but Giovanni Battista Fiammeri also depicted God the Father as a man riding on a cloud, above the scenes.[122]

 

In both the Last Judgment and the Coronation of the Virgin paintings by Rubens he depicted God the Father using the image that by then had become widely accepted, a bearded patriarchal figure above the fray. In the 17th century, the two Spanish artists Velázquez (whose father-in-law Francisco Pacheco was in charge of the approval of new images for the Inquisition) and Murillo both depicted God the Father using a patriarchal figure with a white beard in a purple robe.

  

The Ancient of Days (1794) Watercolor etching by William Blake

While representations of God the Father were growing in Italy, Spain, Germany and the Low Countries, there was resistance elsewhere in Europe, even during the 17th century. In 1632 most members of the Star Chamber court in England (except the Archbishop of York) condemned the use of the images of the Trinity in church windows, and some considered them illegal.[123] Later in the 17th century Sir Thomas Browne wrote that he considered the representation of God the Father using an old man "a dangerous act" that might lead to Egyptian symbolism.[124] In 1847, Charles Winston was still critical of such images as a "Romish trend" (a term used to refer to Roman Catholics) that he considered best avoided in England.[125]

 

In 1667 the 43rd chapter of the Great Moscow Council specifically included a ban on a number of symbolic depictions of God the Father and the Holy Spirit, which then also resulted in a whole range of other icons being placed on the forbidden list,[126][127] mostly affecting Western-style depictions which had been gaining ground in Orthodox icons. The Council also declared that the person of the Trinity who was the "Ancient of Days" was Christ, as Logos, not God the Father. However some icons continued to be produced in Russia, as well as Greece, Romania, and other Orthodox countries.

 

Theological approaches

Theologians and philosophers have attributed to God such characteristics as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has been described as incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the greatest conceivable being existent.[3] These attributes were all claimed to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars, including Maimonides,[53] St Augustine,[53] and Al-Ghazali.[128]

 

Many philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God,[8] while attempting to comprehend the precise implications of God's attributes. Reconciling some of those attributes generated important philosophical problems and debates. For example, God's omniscience may seem to imply that God knows how free agents will choose to act. If God does know this, their ostensible free will might be illusory, or foreknowledge does not imply predestination, and if God does not know it, God may not be omniscient.[129]

 

However, if by its essential nature, free will is not predetermined, then the effect of its will can never be perfectly predicted by anyone, regardless of intelligence and knowledge. Although knowledge of the options presented to that will, combined with perfectly infinite intelligence, could be said to provide God with omniscience if omniscience is defined as knowledge or understanding of all that is.

 

The last centuries of philosophy have seen vigorous questions regarding the arguments for God's existence raised by such philosophers as Immanuel Kant, David Hume and Antony Flew, although Kant held that the argument from morality was valid. The theist response has been either to contend, as does Alvin Plantinga, that faith is "properly basic", or to take, as does Richard Swinburne, the evidentialist position.[130] Some theists agree that only some of the arguments for God's existence are compelling, but argue that faith is not a product of reason, but requires risk. There would be no risk, they say, if the arguments for God's existence were as solid as the laws of logic, a position summed up by Pascal as "the heart has reasons of which reason does not know."[131] A recent theory using concepts from physics and neurophysiology proposes that God can be conceptualized within the theory of integrative level.[132]

 

Many religious believers allow for the existence of other, less powerful spiritual beings such as angels, saints, jinn, demons, and devas.[133][134][135][136][137]

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

This may be discouraging for atheists, but in accordance with the latest definitions of "atheism" by the most respected sources, atheism is illogical. It's important to use the most accurate and reputable definitions. While you probably shouldn't use a Black and Decker drill as a tool to perform medical surgery, you also probably shouldn't use Webster's dictionary for philosophical definitions, if you have philosophical sources available.

 

Definitions of "atheism":

 

"Atheism’ means the negation of theism, the denial of the existence of God." (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

 

"The theory or belief that God does not exist." (Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy)

  

Why Atheism is Illogical

 

Summary Argument

 

1) With respect to agnosticism, if atheism means, "the negation of theism" and the “denial of God's existence,” and history shows that there is no convincing evidence to demonstrate that theism and God have been negated and denied, then choosing atheism is illogical.

 

2) History shows that atheists have not logically demonstrated probability that theism and God have been negated and denied.

 

3) Therefore, with respect to agnosticism, choosing atheism is illogical.

  

Expanded points

 

1. The burden is on those who wish to affirm a belief or position to offer reason and evidence in support of such.

 

2. According to Stanford, "Atheism means the negation of theism, the denial of the existence of God." And Oxford defines atheism as, "The theory or belief that God does not exist." - with both definitions implying a positive claim is being assumed, as opposed to agnosticism, in which a lack of belief is emphasized.

 

3. Philosophical definitions of "atheism" in context are more appropriate than a generic description as, "a lack of belief in God" - which also could apply to agnosticism.

 

4. In terms of logic, the atheist truth claim, “God does not exist,” is not an analytic truth claim and is not strictly provable. Likewise, the truth claim of atheism is not a synthetic one because it cannot be strictly demonstrated. For these reasons, atheism cannot be strictly proved.

 

5. In terms of probability, it is not enough to critique the theist fine tuning argument. To prove atheism is superior atheists need to provide a superior probability argument, among other things. If you search the Internet, you will most likely find as I did that "probability argument for atheists" turns up only probably arguments for theists, as criticized by atheists, which is not adequate.

 

6. In terms of metaphysics and metaethics, the belief that science has all the answers is not empirically demonstrable and is logically weak, however, top atheist authorities, such as Hawking and Dawkins, lean toward positivism. In comparison to theism, answers to many important metaphysical questions and convictions remain unresolved and incoherent for atheists in general.

 

7. The atheist may claim that belief in theism and God should be dismissed as ludicrous or undefinable, but some of the greatest minds in science and philosophy have believed in God and defended theism with logic and reason, and the background of arguments for God remain a challenge to atheists.

 

8. Pursuant to points 1 to 7, theism and God's existence can neither be lightly dismissed nor effectively disproved. In contrast to theism, the lack of atheist answers to important metaphysical questions reveals a lack of holistic efficacy for atheists. Therefore, with respect to authoritative definitions of “atheism” and “agnosticism,” atheism is illogical.

 

Constructive Affirmation

 

A first criticism of the above points may be the definition of “atheism” used in point two. However, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is considered authoritative and this definition is required for the disambiguation of atheism and agnosticism.

 

Point four underscores that atheism cannot be strictly proved with logic. The truth claim, “No bachelor is married” is an analytic truth claim that demonstrates logical certainty, without the need to actually observe a bachelor. The phrase “married bachelor” is clearly negated as a logical contradiction. The truth claim, “God does not exist” offers no such analytical foothold. And by contrast, synthetic truth statements cannot be determined based solely on logic, and are based on experiences that contingently true. However, unlike analytic truth, synthetic truth cannot be determined absolutely. The PhilosophyOTB website reviews this problem for atheists in depth with four essays.

 

In terms of probability, it's not enough to merely nitpick the theist fine tuning argument. To affirm and effectively demonstrate that atheism is superior, a superior and highly convincing probability argument in favor of atheism must be presented. A cursory search for "probability argument for atheists" only turns up probability arguments for theists. Any atheist is free to post any such argument at my blog comments, if they have one.

 

In terms of metaphysics, many authoritative atheists today, such as Hawking and Dawkins, lean towards logical positivism, which basically denies metaphyscs outright. The positivist belief that science has all the answers, however, has been rejected by authoritative secular philosophers, with descriptions of, “Logical positivism's fall,” that, “nearly all of it was false," that it is now, “dead, or as dead as a philosophical movement ever becomes". If anyone believes that positivism has been convincingly reused, please post a link in the comments of this post. As has been pointed out, logical positivists may claim: “All statements that can't be empirically verified are meaningless.” But critics can reply: “It's impossible to empirically verify that claim!” Logical positivism is the philosophy that emphasizes a need for verified “meaning: and cannot verify that its own statements are meaningful. The inefficacy of positivism has been described by a blogger: “What is surprising about logical positivism as outlined by Wittgenstein, is that any representation – whether picture, sound recording or text – should make sense only to the extent to which we can split it into individual statements about what is the case...” Obviously, a picture can make sense and convey intended meaning without the analytical dissection of each element. Three objections to positivism are noted at this linked blog, with no apparent rebuttal. The late Karl Popper claimed, "A theory that explains everything, explains nothing." He was emphasizing that positivism, claiming to explain everything by verification, was in itself unverifiable and incoherent.

 

Wittgenstein also elucidated the folly of logical positivism. He underscored that ethical issues are not verifiable for positivists and are of a transcendent nature. Ethical questions result in incoherent answers from secular atheists. For example, I've found that secular atheists generally have a moral conviction that bestiality is immoral. They seem to always claim that animals should be able to give consent before engaging in any sexual physical pleasure with humans. Yet, the same people will claim that animals do not need to offer consent before they are slaughtered, butchered and consumed (by these very people)! Atheists cannot refute claims of personal religious experience, cannot explain how immaterial minds came from material substance, or how peer-reviewed dislocated mind-body near death experiences could possibly occur. Scott Youngren elaborates on a number of these metaphysical problems for atheists and why Ockham’s Razor ultimately supports theism rather than atheism. The challenge for the atheist is to provide cogent answers to metaphysical questions that are more convincing than explanations and arguments from theists.

 

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy outlines the historical philosophical background behind the valid claim that, "Faith and reason are both sources of authority upon which beliefs can rest." underscoring that, "Reason generally is understood as the principles for a methodological inquiry, whether intellectual, moral, aesthetic, or religious. Thus is it not simply the rules of logical inference or the embodied wisdom of a tradition or authority."

 

Point seven is important because there is a trend among New Atheists these days to try to dismiss theism and God's existence based upon shallow and illogical excuses. For example, there are at least seven reasons why Richard Dawkins' excuses for not debating William Lane Craig are illogical. Likewise, defending his "Evil God Challenge," Stephen Law has make the false claim that it is not necessary for atheists to overcome the stronger theist arguments in order to validate atheism. Craig describes Law's illogical position: "In the debate, Law made the remarkable claim that the cosmological and teleological arguments are not even part of a cumulative case for theism! This is clearly wrong."

 

A brief search of the Internet reveals that popular atheist sites offer sophistry as an alleged defense of atheism. Examples include this statement: "If God is omnipotent, is it possible to create a rock so heavy that it cannot be lifted by God?" or this one: "Can you present your logical "proof" against any other God than your own?" Matt Slick outlines that the first example is a weak objection because, "...God cannot do something that is a violation of His own existence and nature." The second question is an evasive tactic. As shown by the disambiguation of "atheism" and "agnosticism" from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the onus is on the atheist to positively negate theism and to deny God's existence, or, to accept the alternative, to take a stance of agnosticism. For the theist, the request for "any other God" is incoherent, because God is logically a singularity. See the latter argument in this post disproving polytheism.

 

The Christian apologist C.S. Lewis offered, “If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning.” This offers a valid epistemological challenge to atheists. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has outlined that faith and reason are both sources of authority, with regard to a holistic approach towards understanding meaning, significance, ethics, aesthetics and other poignant subjects.

 

With regard to authoritative definitions, atheism is illogical and agnosticism is more of a logical position for skeptics of theism. I believe that Christianity offers the most logical conclusion with the most explanatory power. If any atheist wishes to challenge the points outlined, please post in the comments or a link to your rebuttal.

 

Why Polytheism is Illogical

 

1. Polythieism is defined as, "The belief in, or worship of, many gods" (Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy)

 

2. A god is defined as a being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers and to require human worship; specifically : one controlling a particular aspect or part of reality.

 

3. As a conceptual possibility, a god must be either eternal or not eternal.

 

4. Something eternal can be considered as literally "perfect" while something created cannot.

 

5. Something eternal and perfect in many qualities would be dynamically perfect and superior.

 

6. Many gods cannot conceptually be eternal and dynamically perfect because this would pose a problem for the law of identity, where A = A, where existence equals essence, because eternal dynamic perfection cannot be shared by separate entities.

 

7. It would be incoherent to propose one god with one will with perfect authority if another separate god with a separate will had perfect omniscience and perfect omnipotence and omnipresence, this is because the "perfection of cohesion" and unity cannot be obtained by one god or shared across the wills of many gods.

 

8. Ultimately, if "perfect perfection" literally exists, it must exist as a transcendent dynamic perfection, as a singularity, as the prime authority and prime mover.

 

For those that would offer that the Trinity represent many gods, this is a misunderstanding. The Trinity does not represent many gods with separate wills, but one God of three aspects.

 

templestream.blogspot.com/2016/06/why-atheism-and-polythe...

The Arse Electronica is a possible and necessary statement on artificial intelligence and robotics. We take note of the fact that countless contributions to the discussion about what machines could and should do are being made by almost everybody. Robots that take care of our old people, driverless cars, internet of things, intelligent market agents, big data, digitalization – the omnipresence of the topic deserves a statement like The Arse Electronica: a gigantic pink bottom, equipped with motors and sensors. Whoever dares to step under it is rewarded with a shower of golden confetti.

 

Credit: vog.photo

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

And Thou, vast Ocean! on whose awful face

Time’s iron feet can print no ruin-trace,

By breezes lull’d, or by the storm-blasts driv’n,

Thy majesty uplifts the mind to heaven.

~Robert Montgomery, The Omnipresence of the Deity

  

© Copyright!

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

The Tusk Rhino Trail is a London wide art installation, kindly curated for the charity by Chris Westbrook, that celebrates the magnificence of the rhino, and draws attention to the severe threat of poaching to their survival. Each rhino has been specially designed, decorated and embellished by internationally renowned artists.

 

Painted by: Zhang Huan & Titled "The Poppy Rhino"

Zhang Huan’s works are both highly personal and politicised, dealing with complex issues of identity, spiritualism, vulnerability, and transgression. His practice incorporates a wide variety of tactics – from performance to photography, installation, sculpture and painting.

 

“The skull that appears in The Poppy Rhino is not the first time I have reproduced or included skulls as a motif, which continue the theme of my work; impermanence and the transient nature of life.

 

They are specifically Tibetan in style. In Tibetan culture, lama uses the skull as a cup in order to prevent people from becoming addicted to worldly pleasures. The skull tattoo represents a spiritual antidote for passions and vices. The Poppy Rhino resonates strongly with my previous Poppy Fields paintings. I try to use them for questioning and reminding of the omnipresence of death and the impermanence of all things.”

  

Location: St Pauls / Millennium Bridge

Spot is where Distaff Lane / Peter's Hill connect

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

Scenery captured on Wednesday January 18, 2012 @ 08:16:44 hrs., minutes before sunrise.

100% Genuine image. No Photoshop, No Manipulations of whatsoever kind.

Shot for fun.

 

- auf der ganzen Welt in Graffitis wie "Kilroy was here", "Kilroy slept here", "Kilroy passed through" und "You’re in the footsteps of Kilroy"

 

Eine der vielen unbestaetigten Herkunftsdeutungen dieses Namens ist diese:

James J. Kilroy war beim Bethlehem Steel Company's Quincy Shipyard beschaeftigt. Seine Aufgabe war es, Panzer und anderes militaerisches Geraet zu inspizieren, bevor sie in den Pazifik oder nach Europa verschifft wurde.

 

Um seinen Vorgesetzten gewissermassen zu beweisen, dass er seiner Aufgabe auch nachkam, fing er irgendwann an, mit gelber Kreide ueberall "Kilroy was here" draufzukritzeln.

Tja, und so sind diese Geraetschaften dann eben in alle Windrichtungen geschickt wurden, wo sich die entsprechenden GI's dann irgendwann den Spass machten, jenen ominoesen Kilroy zum Kult zu erheben und ihn auf diese Weise sozusagen zu ihrem Maskottchen/Erkennungszeichen/fiktiven Begleiter/wasauchimmer zu machen.

Ob das wirklich stimmt, vermag ich nicht zu bestaetigen. Aber gerade dieses Ungewisse macht natuerlich den Kult aus.

 

i believe

...

One theory identifies James J. Kilroy (1902–1962)

an American shipyard inspector, as the man behind the signature. During World War II he worked at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, where he claimed to have used the phrase to mark rivets he had checked.

 

The builders, whose rivets J. J. Kilroy was counting, were paid depending on the number of rivets they put in. A riveter would make a chalk mark at the end of his or her shift to show where they had left off and the next riveter had started. Unscrupulous riveters discovered that, if they started work before the inspector arrived, they could receive extra pay by erasing the previous worker's chalk mark and chalking a mark farther back on the same seam, giving themselves credit for some of the previous riveter's work.

J.J. Kilroy stopped this practice by writing "Kilroy was here" at the site of each chalk mark.

 

At the time, ships were being sent out before they had been painted, so when sealed areas were opened for maintenance, soldiers found an unexplained name scrawled. Thousands of servicemen may have potentially seen his slogan on the outgoing ships and Kilroy's omnipresence and inscrutability sparked the legend. Afterwards, servicemen could have begun placing the slogan on different places and especially in new captured areas or landings. At some later point, the graffito (Chad) and slogan (Kilroy was here) must have merge.

"I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oṃ."

– Bhagavad Gitā, 9.17

 

"There are two ways of dealing with nonsense in this world. One is to put nonsense in the right place; as when people put nonsense into nursery rhymes. The other is to put nonsense in the wrong place; as when they put it into educational addresses, psychological criticisms, and complaints against nursery rhymes or other normal amusements of mankind."

– G. K. Chesterton, Child Psychology and Nonsense.

 

"'You see,' said my Teacher, 'how little your words have done. So far as the Monarch understands them at all, he accepts them as his own — for he cannot conceive of any other except himself — and plumes himself upon the variety of 'Its Thought' as an instance of creative Power. Let us leave this God of Pointland to the ignorant fruition of his omnipresence and omniscience: nothing that you or I can do can rescue him from his self-satisfaction.'"

– Edwin Abbott Abbott, in 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' (1884), Ch. 20: "How the Sphere Encouraged Me in a Vision".

 

slatestarcodex.com/2018/03/04/god-help-us-lets-try-to-und...

 

Co-draw with S. :)

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...

 

The omnipresence of plastics has already become invisible to us because we are so used to it. By placing artifacts into an ever growing artificial/natural environment, recipients may look at the circular economy from different angles. Plastic passes through several stages in its life cycle, a process that can be experienced first-hand in this exhibition. Our recycling journey begins at the “wasteyard,” where the different types of plastics are explained and selected for recycling. After passing through a shredder, a mixer and an extruder, the recycled items are now ready for further processing. Using manual injection molding machines, small practical components can be made by the visitors themselves. Small 3D printers produce unique components from recycled materials with the help of filament. A 3D printing robot will directly recycle the shredded waste and transform it into large components.

 

Photo: Martin Hieslmair

Scenery captured on March 19, 2012 @ 19:37:15 hrs. from the Dining Room of my residence in Antwerp / Belgium

Ariel Sharon's house, in the muslim quarter in the old city of Jerusalem, where he would had never put a single toe in it.. But anyway, for security reasons, they delocated palestinian residents who was living around this big house and it's heavily guarded: as proof is the omnipresence of soldiers, armed settlers ans surveillance cameras. This physical location perfectly symbolises Israeli state domination over Palestinian Jerusalem.

....aaaaaaaaaaand, we're into the final straight! One month left to go!

 

I can also stop being a grumbly swine about Christmas omnipresence now, seeing as it is kind of Christmas, the season to be jolly, etc, with the arrival of December. We went Christmas shopping in pedestrianised central London today which tested this new demeanour to its limits, but got out pretty much unscathed I think.

 

I'll hold off wishing everyone a Happy Christmas just yet, mind.

Les voitures américaines de Cuba, un trésor du patrimoine national.

 

J’ai visité Cuba en 2001 et j’ai été fasciné par la débrouillardise des Cubains, en particulier pour faire face à l’embargo. L’importation de véhicules par des particuliers était interdite depuis le début des années 60, à de rares exceptions près, ce qui a créé à Cuba un curieux paysage automobile où se côtoient les Américaines des années 50, les Lada, les Fiat Polsky et Moskovich importées d’URSS et de Pologne dans les années 70 et 80 et les véhicules modernes, souvent asiatiques, importés par l’Etat.

 

Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de ces voitures à Cuba?

 

Une des premières choses que l’on constate en arrivant à Cuba, c’est omniprésence de ces vieilles voitures américaines, appelées “carros americanos“. Au départ, elles ont été abandonnées par les américains lors de la révolution Cubaine et de la chute du gouvernement pro-américain en 1959.

Un embargo sur l’île empêche d’avoir accès à des pièces de rechange. Les Cubains doivent alors tout faire pour les préserver. Ils deviennent des pros de la mécano de ces voitures, utilisant une fois de plus leur système D très développé.

Comme elles étaient les seules voitures disponibles à l’époque et qu’aujourd’hui l’achat d’une autre voiture reviendrait à 50 ans de salaire, ils les entretiennent religieusement.

A l’époque, Un dentiste (payé par l’état) gagnait 20 € / mois et un instituteur gagnait 30 € / mois, on comprend alors que les Cubains ont appris à bricoler et réussir à faire rouler leurs vieilles voitures US jusqu’à maintenant. Ces voitures cubaines atteignent un chiffre au compteur parfois irréel; 800 000 miles voir 1 000 000 de miles parcourus. De quoi rendre jaloux nos modèles actuels qui dépassent rarement les 300 000 km.

Beaucoup de ces voitures semblent “tunées” (jantes alu par exemple), d’autres ont des suspensions bien étranges ou des moteurs Diesel, ce qui est assez surprenant.

Les Cubains sont des “inventivos”, des gens débrouillards. Ce sont des mécanos inventifs qui n’hésiteront pas à installer des pistons d’une marque dans les blocs-cylindres d’une autre marque afin de faire fonctionner leur vieille américaine.

 

Le Diesel s’est imposé (les mécaniques sont russes ou asiatiques) en raison du prix exorbitant de l’essence (en provenance principalement du Venezuela), L’Europe s’inquiète justement des émissions de particules fines, mais à Cuba, en 2001, les particules de carbone étaient particulièrement grosses.

En 2013, faute de tout chiffre officiel sur le parc automobile cubain, les spécialistes estiment à environ 60.000 le nombre de voitures américaines qui circulent dans l’île, soit 30% du parc.

 

L’importation de véhicules, autorisée depuis 2013, provoque une lente cure de jouvence sur le parc automobile car les taxes d’importation sont très élevées. Les prix des véhicules importés doivent s’aligner sur ceux du marché cubain. En raison de l’étroitesse de ce marché, les prix des voitures à Cuba ont atteint des sommets inimaginables. Une simple Lada en bon état de marche coûte environ 12.000 dollars, à peu près l’équivalent d’une Ford 1957 qui fait le taxi depuis des décennies.

Ainsi, une Cadillac décapotable rutilante qui promène les touristes sur le front de mer de La Havane, peut coûter jusqu’à 80.000 dollars, voire plus si elle fait partie des automobiles de collection qui s’affichent occasionnellement dans des expositions.

 

Un trésor en perdition ?

 

Cuba est un musée à ciel ouvert de voitures américaines. Cependant, Les Cubains commencent à ne plus avoir les moyens de les faire rouler. Certains revendent leur belle à l’étranger. Ceux qui continuent proposent des balades aux touristes en tant que taxi. Embarquer dans un taxi cubain est une expérience en soi.

J’ai parcouru les 150 km qui séparent Vinales de La Havane.

 

À la manière cubaine; six dans le véhicule, entassés les uns sur les autres. Le confort est, disons-le, assez rudimentaire. Je ne crois pas que les suspensions de l’époque soient de la même qualité que celles d’aujourd’hui! J’ai passé le trajet avec les genoux dans le tableau de bord, à sentir les ressorts en gros métal du siège défoncé et à me taper la tête sur le plafond.

Voilà. Nous comprenons donc mieux la raison pour laquelle nous rencontrons tant de belles voitures US partout sur l’île. Nous pensions que cela n’existait que pour le fun et la nostalgie. Au final c’était une nécessité pour ce peuple, le seul moyen de se déplacer si on veut quelque chose de plus rapide que le cheval ou le vélo.

En tant que touristes, juste spectateurs de cette situation, nous devons avouer notre intense plaisir à les voir et les photographier.

Les Cubains sont conscients du trésor que constitue ce parc de vieilles voitures américaines. Comme il est vulnérable pourtant.

 

American cars from Cuba, a national heritage treasure.

 

I visited Cuba in 2001 and I was fascinated by the resourcefulness of Cubans, especially to deal with the embargo. The importation of vehicles by private individuals had been banned since the beginning of the 1960s, with rare exceptions, which created in Cuba a curious automotive landscape where Americans of the 1950s, Lada, Fiat Polsky and Moskovich rub shoulders. imported from the USSR and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s and modern, often Asian, imported by the state.

 

Why are there so many cars in Cuba?

 

One of the first things we notice when we arrive in Cuba is the omnipresence of these old american cars, called "carros americanos". Initially, they were abandoned by the Americans during the Cuban Revolution and the fall of the pro-American government in 1959.

An embargo on the island prevents access to spare parts. Cubans must do everything to preserve them. They become pros of the mechanics of these cars, using once again their highly developed D system.

As they were the only cars available at the time and today the purchase of another car would return to 50 years salary, they maintain them religiously.

At the time, a dentist (paid by the state) earned 20 € / month and a teacher earned 30 € / month, then we understand that Cubans learned to tinker and succeed in rolling their old US cars up now. These Cuban cars reach a number on the counter sometimes unreal; 800,000 miles see 1,000,000 miles traveled. What to make jealous our current models that rarely exceed 300 000 km.

Many of these cars seem "tuned" (aluminum rims for example), others have very strange suspensions or diesel engines, which is quite surprising.

Cubans are "inventivos", resourceful people. They are inventive mechanics who will not hesitate to install pistons of a brand in the cylinder blocks of another brand in order to operate their old American

 

Diesel has emerged (the mechanics are Russian or Asian) because of the exorbitant price of gasoline (coming mainly from Venezuela), Europe is worried just fine particle emissions, but in Cuba in 2001 carbon particles were particularly large.

In 2013, for lack of any official figure on the Cuban fleet, experts estimate that about 60,000 American cars circulating on the island, or 30% of the park.

 

The import of vehicles, authorized since 2013, causes a slow makeover on the car fleet because import taxes are very high. The prices of imported vehicles must be in line with those of the Cuban market. Due to the narrowness of this market, car prices in Cuba have reached unimaginable heights. A simple Lada in good working order costs about $ 12,000, about the equivalent of a 1957 Ford that has been taxiing for decades.

For example, a gleaming convertible Cadillac that takes tourists on the waterfront of Havana can cost up to $ 80,000 or more if it is part of the collector cars that occasionally appear in exhibitions.

 

A treasure in perdition?

 

Cuba is an open-air museum of American cars. However, Cubans are starting to lose the ability to roll them. Some resell their beautiful abroad. Those who continue offer rides to tourists as a taxi. Embark on a Cuban taxi is an experience in itself.

I traveled the 150 km that separates Vinales from Havana.

 

In the Cuban way; six in the vehicle, piled on top of each other. Comfort is, let's say it, rather rudimentary. I do not believe that the suspensions of the time are of the same quality as those of today! I made the trip with my knees in the dashboard, feeling the thick metal springs of the smashed seat and banging my head on the ceiling.

Here. So we better understand why we meet so many beautiful US cars all over the island. We thought it only existed for fun and nostalgia. In the end it was a necessity for this people, the only way to move if you want something faster than the horse or the bike.

As tourists, just spectators of this situation, we must admit our intense pleasure in seeing them and photographing them.

Cubans are aware of the treasure of this park of old American cars. How vulnerable he is yet

 

The Arse Electronica is a possible and necessary statement on artificial intelligence and robotics. We take note of the fact that countless contributions to the discussion about what machines could and should do are being made by almost everybody. Robots that take care of our old people, driverless cars, internet of things, intelligent market agents, big data, digitalization – the omnipresence of the topic deserves a statement like The Arse Electronica: a gigantic pink bottom, equipped with motors and sensors. Whoever dares to step under it is rewarded with a shower of golden confetti.

 

Credit: vog.photo

 

Kartikeya, also known as Skanda, Murugan and Subramaniyan, is the Hindu god of war. He is the commander-in-chief of the army of the devas (gods) and the son of Shiva and Parvati.

 

Murugan is often referred to as "Tamil Kadavul" (meaning "God of Tamils") and is worshiped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the Arupadaiveedu temples, located in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, Hindus as well as Buddhists revere the sacred historical Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna and Katirkāmam Temple situated deep south.[1] Hindus in Malaysia also pray to Lord Murugan at the Batu Caves and various temples where Thaipusam is celebrated with grandeur.

 

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Kartikeya is known as Subrahmanya with a temple at Kukke Subramanya known for Sarpa shanti rites dedicated to Him and another famous temple at Ghati Subramanya also in Karnataka. In Bengal and Odisha, he is popularly known as Kartikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika').[2]

Other names[edit]

Like most Hindu deities, Subrahmanya is known by many other names, including Senthil, Vēlaṇ, Kumāran (meaning 'prince or child or young one'), Swaminatha (meaning 'smart' or 'clever'), Saravaṇa, Arumugam or Shanmuga (meaning 'one with six faces'), Dhandapani (meaning God with a Club), Guhan or Guruguha (meaning 'cave-dweller'), Subrahmanya, Kartikeya and Skanda (meaning 'that which is spilled or oozed).[3][4] He was also known as Mahasena and the Kadamba Dynasty kings worshiped him by this name.[5]

Vedas[edit]

The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as 'Agnibhuh' because he is form of 'Agni' (Fire God) & Agni hold in his hand when kumaran born. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to him as the son of Rudra and the six faces of Rudra. The Taittiriya Aranyaka contains the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions Skanda as 'Mahasena' and 'Subrahmanya.' The Aranya Parva canto of the Mahabharata relates the legend of Kartikeya Skanda in considerable detail. The Skanda Purana is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya.[6] The Upanishads also constantly make a reference to a Supreme Being called Guha, the indweller.

The first elaborate account of Kartikeya's origin occurs in the Mahabharata. In a complicated story, he is said to have been born from Agni and Svaha, after the latter impersonated the six of the seven wives of the Saptarishi (Seven Sages). The actual wives then become the Pleiades. Kartikeya is said to have been born to destroy the Asura Mahisha.[7] (In later mythology, Mahisha became the adversary of Durga.) Indra attacks Kartikeya as he sees the latter as a threat, until Shiva intervenes and makes Kartikeya the commander-in-chief of the army of the Devas. He is also married to Devasena, Indra's daughter. The origin of this marriage lies probably in the punning of 'Deva-sena-pati'. It can mean either lord of Devasena or Lord of the army (sena) of Devas. But according to Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, in his master work on Shiva[8] and other works, Kartikeya was married to Devasenā and that is on the ground of his name as Devasena's husband, Devasenāpati, misinterpreted as Deva-senāpati (Deva's general) that he was granted the title general and made the Deva's army general.[9]

 

The Ramayana version is closer to the stories told in the Puranas discussed below.

Tolkappiyam, possibly the most ancient of the extant Sangam works, dated between the 3rd century BCE and 5th century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils."[10] The Sangam poetry divided space and Tamil land into five allegorical areas (tinai) and according to the Tirumurugarruppatai ( c. 400–450 AD) attributed to the great Sangam poet Nakkiirar, Murugan was the presiding deity the Kurinci region (hilly area). (Tirumurugaruppatai is a deeply devotional poem included in the ten idylls (Pattupattu) of the age of the third Sangam). The other Sangam era works in Tamil that refer to Murugan in detail include the Paripaatal, the Akananuru and the Purananuru. One poem in the Paripaatal describes the veneration of Murugan thus:

 

"We implore thee not for boons of enjoyment or wealth,

But for thy grace beatific, love and virtuous deeds."

 

According to the Tamil devotional work, Thiruppugazh, "Murugan never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon in piety or distress". In another work, Thirumurukkarrupatai, he is described as a god of eternal youth;

 

His face shines a myriad rays light and removes the darkness from this world.[11]

The references to Murugan can be traced back to the first millennium BCE. There are references to Murugan in Kautilya's Arthashastra, in the works of Patanjali, in Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumarasambhavam. The Kushanas, who governed from what is today Peshawar, and the Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, struck coins bearing the image of Skanda. The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas.[6] The worship of Kumāra was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by him included this sect. In many Shiva and Devi temples of Tamil Nadu, Murugan is installed on the left of the main deity. The story of His birth goes as follows:

 

Sati immolated herself in a pyre as her father King Daksha had insulted Shiva, her Lord. She was reborn as Parvathi or Uma, daughter of the King of Himalayas, Himavan. She then married her Lord Shiva. The Devas were under onslaught from the Asuras whose leader was Soorapadman. He had been granted boons that only Lord Shiva or his seed could kill him. Fearless he vanquished the Devas and made them his slaves. The Devas ran to Vishnu for help who told them that it was merely their fault for attending Daksha's yagna, without the presence of Lord Shiva. After this, they ran to Shiva for help. Shiva decided to take action against Soorapadman's increasing conceit. He frowned and his third eye- the eye of knowledge- started releasing sparks. These were six sparks in total. Agni had the responsibility to take them to Saravana Lake. As he was carrying them, the sparks were growing hotter and hotter that even the Lord of Fire could not withstand the heat. Soon after Murugan was born on a lotus in the Saravana Lake with six faces, giving him the name Arumukhan. Lord Shiva and Parvati visited and tears of joy started flowing as they witnessed the most handsome child. Shiva and Parvathi gave the responsibility of taking care of Muruga to the six Krittika sisters. Muruga grew up to be a handsome, intelligent, powerful, clever youth. All the Devas applauded at their saviour, who had finally come to release them from their woes. Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods, then escorted the devas and led the army of the devas to victory against the asuras.

Legends[edit]

Given that legends related to Murugan are recounted separately in several Hindu epics, some differences between the various versions are observed. Some Sanskrit epics and puranas indicate that he was the elder son of Shiva. This is suggested by the legend connected to his birth; the wedding of Shiva and Parvati being necessary for the birth of a child who would vanquish the asura named Taraka. Also, Kartikeya is seen helping Shiva fight the newborn Ganesha, Shiva's other son, in the Shiva Purana. In the Ganapati Khandam of the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, he is seen as the elder son of Shiva and Ganesha as the younger. In South India, it is believed that he is the younger of the two. A Puranic story has Ganesha obtain a divine fruit of knowledge from Narada winning a contest with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest for the fruit, Ganesha circumambulates Shiva and Parvati thrice as an equivalent and is given the fruit. After winning it, he offers to give the fruit to his upset brother. After this event, Ganesha was considered the elder brother owing as a tribute to his wisdom. Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the child Krishna in north India. He is married to two wives, Valli and Devasena. This lead to a very interesting name : Devasenapati viz. Pati (husband) of Devsena and/or Senapati (commander in chief) of Dev (gods)

Kartikeya symbols are based on the weapons – Vel, the Divine Spear or Lance that he carries and his mount the peacock. He is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding a sakti or spear. This symbolizes his purification of human ills. His javelin is used to symbolize his far reaching protection, his discus symbolizes his knowledge of the truth, his mace represents his strength and his bow shows his ability to defeat all ills. His peacock mount symbolizes his destruction of the ego.

 

His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development. This corresponds to his role as the bestower of siddhis.

In Tamil Nadu, Murugan has continued to be popular with all classes of society right since the Sangam age. This has led to more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam, written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350–1420 AD.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram. (He was a scholar in Tamil literature, and a votary of the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy.)

 

He is married to two deities, Valli, a daughter of a tribal chief and Deivayanai (also called Devasena), the daughter of Indhra. During His bachelorhood, Lord Murugan is also regarded as Kumaraswami (or Bachelor God), Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance called Vel in Tamil is a weapon closely associated with him. The Vel was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. His army's standard depicts a rooster. In the war, Surapadman was split into two, and each half was granted a boon by Murugan. The halves, thus turned into the peacock (his mount) and the rooster his flag, which also "refers to the sun".[12]

 

As Muruga is worshipped predominantly in Tamil Nadu, many of his names are of Tamil origin. These include Senthil, the red or formidable one; Arumugam, the six-faced one; Guhan and Maal-Marugan, the son-in-law of Vishnu. Murugan is venerated throughout the Tamil year. There is a six-day period of fast and prayer in the Tamil month of Aippasi known as the Skanda Shasti. He is worshipped at Thaipusam, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide near the full moon of the Tamil month Thai. This commemorates the day he was given a Vel or lance by his mother in order to vanquish the asuras. Thirukarthigai or the full moon of the Tamil month of Karthigai signifies his birth. Each Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi is also dedicated to the worship of Murugan. Tuesday in the Hindu tradition connotes Mangala, the god of planet Mars and war.

 

Other parts of India[edit]

Historically, God Kartikeya was immensely popular in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 24), Krishna, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."

 

Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara. Kalidasa made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam. In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill Taraka and his brothers (in the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunnelling into the hero's house).

 

However, Kartikeya's popularity in North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown except in parts of Haryana. There is a very famous temple dedicated to Him in the town of Pehowa in Haryana and this temple is very well known in the adjoining areas, especially because women are not allowed anywhere close to it. Women stay away from this temple in Pehowa town of Haryana because this shrine celebrates the Brahmachari form of Kartikeya. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune, Maharashtra. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal and Odisha, where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja festivities alongside Durga. Lord Subramanya is the major deity among the Hindus of northern Kerala. Lord Subramanya is worshipped with utmost devotion in districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the state of Karnataka. Rituals like nagaradhane are unique to this region.

Kartikeya also known as Kartik or Kartika is also worshipped in West Bengal, and Bangladesh on the last day of the Hindu month of 'Kartik'. However, the popularity of Kartik Puja (worshipping Kartik) is decreasing now, and Lord Kartik is primarily worshipped among those who intend to have a son. In Bengal, traditionally, many people drop images of Kartik inside the boundaries of different households, who all are either newly married, or else, intend to get a son to carry on with their ancestry. Lord Kartik is also associated to the Babu Culture prevailed in historic Kolkata, and hence, many traditional old Bengali paintings still show Kartik dressed in traditional Bengali style. Also, in some parts of West Bengal, Kartik is traditionally worshipped by the ancestors of the past royal families too, as in the district of Malda. Kartik Puja is also popular among the prostitutes. This can probably be linked to the fact that, the prostitutes mostly got clients from the upper class babu-s in old Kolkata, who all, in turn, had been associated to the image of Kartik (as discussed above). In Bansberia (Hooghly district) Kartik Puja festival is celebrated like Durga puja of Kolkata, Jagadhatri puja in Chandannagar for consecutive four days. The festival starts on 17 November every year and on 16 November in case of Leap year.[13] Some of the must see Puja committees are Bansberia Kundugoli Nataraj, Khamarapara Milan Samity RadhaKrishna, Kishor Bahini, Mitali Sangha, Yuva Sangha, Bansberia Pratap Sangha and many more.

 

In Durga Puja in Bengal, Kartikeya is considered to be a son of Parvati or Durga and Shiva along with his brother Ganesha and sisters Lakshmi and Saraswati.[14]

Kartikeya is worshiped during Durga Puja in Odisha as well as in various Shiva temples throughout the year. Kartik puja is celebrated in Cuttack along with various other parts of the state during the last phases of Hindu month of Kartik. Kartik purnima is celebrated with much joy and in a grand fashion in Cuttack and other parts in the state.

Murugan is adored by both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Numerous temples exist throughout the island. He is a favorite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon. In the deeply Sinhalese south of Sri Lanka, Murugan is worshipped at the temple in Katirkāmam, where he is known as Kathiravel or Katragama Deviyo (Lord of Katragama) . This temple is next to an old Buddhist place of worship. Local legend holds that Lord Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local aboriginal lasses. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Lord Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple and the Sella Channithy Temple near Valvettiturai are the three foremost Murugan temples in Jaffna. The Chitravelayutha temple in Verukal on the border between Trincomalee and Batticaloa is also noteworthy as is the Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa. The late medieval-era temple of the tooth in Kandy, dedicated to the tooth relic of the Buddha, has a Kataragama deiyo shrine adjacent to it dedicated to the veneration of Skanda in the Sinhalese tradition. Almost all buddhist temples house a shrine room for Kataragama deviyo(Murugan)reflecting the significance of Murugan in Sinhala Buddhism,

 

Based on archeological evidence found, it is believed that the Kiri Vehera was either renovated to build during the 1st century BCE. There are number of others inscriptions and ruins.[15]

 

By the 16th century the Kathiravel shrine at Katirkāmam had become synonymous with Skanda-Kumara who was a guardian deity of Sinhala Buddhism.[16] The town was popular as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus from India and Sri Lanka by the 15 the century. The popularity of the deity at the Kataragama temple was also recorded by the Pali chronicles of Thailand such as Jinkalmali in the 16th century. There are number of legends both Buddhist and Hindu that attribute supernatural events to the very locality.[16] Scholars such as Paul Younger and Heinz Bechert speculate that rituals practiced by the native priests of Kataragama temple betray Vedda ideals of propitiation. Hence they believe the area was of Vedda veneration that was taken over by the Buddhist and Hindus in the medieval period.[17]

Lord Murugan is one of the most important deities worshipped by Tamil people in Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. Thai Poosam is one of the important festivals celebrated. Sri Subramanyar Temple at Batu Caves temple complex in Malaysia is dedicated to Lord Murugan.

The main temples of Murugan are located in Tamil Nadu and other parts of south India. They include the Aru Padaiveedu (six abodes) — Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparangunram, Palani (Pazhani), Thiruthani and other important shrines like Mayilam, Sikkal, Marudamalai, Kundrathur, Vadapalani, Kandakottam, Thiruporur, Vallakottai, Vayalur, Thirumalaikoil, Pachaimalai and Pavalamalai near Gobichettipalayam. Malai Mandir, a prominent and popular temple complex in Delhi, is one of the few dedicated to Murugan in all of North India apart from the Pehowa temple in Haryana.

There are many temples dedicated to Lord Subramanya in Kerala. Amongst them are Atiyambur Sri Subramanya Temple in Kanhangad Kasaragod, Payyannur Subramanya Swamy temple in Payyanur, Panmana Subramanya Swamy temple in Panmana and the Subramanya temple in Haripad. There is a temple in Skandagiri, Secunderabad and one in Bikkavolu, East Godavari district in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka there is the Kukke Subramanya Temple where Lord Murugan is worshiped as the Lord of the serpents. Aaslesha Bali, Sarpa Samskara with nagapathista samarpa are major prayers here. There is a temple called Malai Mandir in South Delhi. Malai means hill in Tamil. Mandir means temple in Hindi.

 

The key temples in Sri Lanka include the sylvan shrine in Kataragama / (Kadirgamam) or Kathirkamam in the deep south, the temple in Tirukovil in the east, the shrine in Embekke in the Kandyan region and the famed Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna. There are several temples dedicated to Lord Murugan in Malaysia, the most famous being the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. There is a 42.7-m-high statue of Lord Murugan at the entrance to the Batu Caves, which is the largest Lord Murugan statue in the world. Sri Thandayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, Singapore is a major Hindu temple where each year the Thaipusam festival takes place with devotees of Lord Muruga carrying Kavadis seeking penance and blessings of the Lord.

 

In the United Kingdom, Highgate Hill Murugan temple is one of the oldest and most famous. In London, Sri Murugan Temple in Manor park is a well-known temple. In Midlands, Leicester Shri Siva Murugan Temple is gaining popularity recently. Skanda Vale in West Wales was founded by Guruji, a Tamil devotee of Subramaniam, and its primary deity is Lord Murugan. In Australia, Sydney Murugan temple in Parramatta (Mays Hill), Perth Bala Muruguan temple in Mandogalup and Kundrathu Kumaran temple in Rockbank, Melbourne are major Hindu temples for all Australian Hindus and Murugan devotees. In New Zealand, there is a Thirumurugan Temple in Auckland and a Kurinji Kumaran Temple in Wellington, both dedicated to Lord Murugan. In the USA, Shiva Murugan Temple in Concord, Northern California and Murugan Temple of North America[18] in Maryland, Washington DC region are popular. In Toronto, Canada, Canada Kanthasamy Temple is known amongst many Hindus in Canada. In Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a suburb of the city of Montreal in Canada, there is a monumental temple of Murugan. The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and largest Hindu temple in Switzerland.[19]

"The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

 

The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.

 

The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France."

 

www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/partenaire/american-cemet...

 

www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-america...

 

"Located between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, on the Normandy coast, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a haven of peace which encourages contemplation. Here, in a beautifully green space perched upon a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, about 10,000 perfectly aligned white crosses point towards America. In fact, within 173 acres, the cemetery of Omaha gives a home to the fallen American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom during World War II, namely the first episode of the battle of Normandy, “Operation Overlord” which commenced on 6th June 1944.

 

As well as this cemetery, the Omaha Beach site – a codename for one of the 5 ally landing sectors – is home to a semi-circle memorial, where at the centre is a bronze statue titled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. A chapel and orientation table stand just a stone’s throw away, pointing towards the beaches where the allied forces landed in 1944. Discover the museum here which puts into perspective the daily life of these soldiers in France, who fought for liberty. Film, reconstitutions, uniform collections, weapons and vehicles will throw you into the heart of the history of the Normandy landings.

 

Outside of Omaha Beach, the landing beaches of Sword Beach, Juno Beach, Gold Beach and Utah Beach were the centre stage for the largest airborne military operation in history. Amongst these places of remembrance, Omaha Beach is the place where The Allies lost the majority of their troops. It is also a small corner of America on French turf: given to the US, these Normand territories are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission."

 

us.france.fr/en/discover/normandy-visit-omaha-beach-ameri...