Salutations, and welcome. The Martyr of the Week for February 11-17 would expectantly be St. Valentine, but alas, he is a trifle overrated in my book (it's a BIG book). My pick for this week is St.Juliana (Feb 16). Juliana was a Roman Christian Virgin who refused to marry the local provost, Eleusius. When her pagan father learned of this he savagely beat her and then turned her over to the authorities for being a Xian. The authority was none other than the rejected (and irate) Eleusius. Not one to forgive and forget, he had our saint stretched between pillars and then poured molten metal on her. She survived, but was thrown into prison. In her cell she was confronted by the devil (calling himself the "son of beelzebub")with whom she debated and wrestled. Juliana bound the devil in chains, beat and interrogated him (he still managed to escape). As pay back the devil (disguised as an angel) testified against Juliana at her trial. She was convicted, condemned and beheaded. Of course the other great martyr of note this week is St. Valentine (do you really need the date). He was a Roman physician and priest who was beheaded under Claudius the Goth in 269. The tradition of exchanging cards on this day comes from the medieval belief that birds chose their mates on this day.

St.Juliana

Regular readers may recognize this week's God File; it's a cheery little piece of fluff I whipped up one day when feeling particularly upset by a number of members of the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. Enjoy.... A Call to Arms For nearly two thousand years, Christians have preached the gospel of a loving God. For two thousand years they have taken that love, without earning it. Like a insolent child, we have continued in our ways of cruelty and hate, always knowing that unconditional love was there for us. Why work to the best of our ability when we are handed a prize for being wicked? The time has come to earn that love. Let us end the love of what we could be, and replace it with the love of who we are. Earn God's love and admiration. Demand the highest, not only of yourself, but of others. Dare to take your rightful place beside God; not as a lesser being, but as His equal.

Recognize yourself as a Creator in your own right. Take responsibility for who you choose to be and for your actions. Earn the admiration and, yes, the respect of God. Shun His pity. To truly call ourselves children of God, then we must grow to that which is beyond God. That is the course of all children, and the hope of every parent. It is time for us to grow up, either as individuals or as a people. Am I a sinner or blasphemer for saying these things? If it is a sin to hold human ability to be sacred and to be saddened by seeing potential wasted, then yes. If it is a sin to want only what is earned, then yes. If it is a sin to believe in the unlimited potential of the individual, then yes! Yes a thousand times! God only seems high because we rest upon our knees, believing that to be the only way. Those who dare, come! Rise from your knees and take your rightful place! Do you have a theological topic you'd like to discuss or simply have some thoughts on a God/Gods (be they benevolent or malevolent)? Send them to The God File c/o: diablo@csh.rit.edu