General Interest Articles

Mormons - Are They Christians?
I've heard some people talk about Mormons (members of the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints") as if they are just part of another denomination within Christendom, like Methodists or Baptists. Is that true?

Why I Left India
The idea that you can fix India's problems by adding more people to it - even smart people - is highly suspect. No, I wasn't going back to fix things; I was leaving the U.S. to go back to Thomas Friedman's India: an India that offered global companies, continental food, international schools and domestic help.

Globalization of Aiyers
Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyer, half Tamil and half Parsi, is one of the writers on economics in the Sunday Times. This is a fascinating story he wrote about his family looking at how real globalization is cutting into national and religious boundaries and helping people to live as one.

10 Fall Outdoor Activities to Grow Closer to God and Each Other
Just as Autumn brings the beauty of falling leaves, going outdoors frees us to shed busyness and draw closer to God and each other.

India is Changing
An experience shared by someone who went out with his wife to Varanasi (aka Benaras)

Proclaim Christ, Avoid Syncretism: Papal Address to Indian Bishops
Describing India as a “home to various ancient religions, including Christianity,” Pope Benedict urged a group of Latin-rite bishops from India to promote a culture of religious freedom and tolerance, avoid “semblances of syncretism,” and proclaim Christ.

Christians Under Attack From Anti-Government Protesters in Syria
Christian communities across Syria have been attacked by anti-government protesters in recent weeks. International Christian Concern says that protesters are being led by hard-line Islamists.

Oxford Study Shows Belief in God is Part of Human Nature
A three-year study led by Oxford University concluded that humans are predisposed to belief in God – in some form or fashion.

How to Live Everyday in Heaven...on Earth
I experience Heaven on Earth everyday: an incredibly beautiful, peaceful and holy place all around me where problems dissolve into joy, people appear resplendent, and the everyday world is transfigured into a timeless and enchanted wonderland.

More God, Less Crime
Wilson pointed to a landmark 1986 study conducted by Harvard economist Richard Freeman, who found that "going to church is associated with substantial differences in how young men behave. More churchgoing, less crime, less alcohol and fewer drugs."

Sai baba and chemmachen
A humorous look at Christianity.

A Leper to Lead Us
It was on May 10, 1873, that Father Damien came to the fledgling colony of lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai for the first time. In the process he not only brought a measure of order to the disorganized band he met there; in time he made the cause of leprosy his own.

Don't encourage Arab revolutions, Melkite patriarch tells Western leaders
Patriarch Gregorios III, the Syria-based head of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, is warning Western leaders not to encourage the revolutions currently shaking up the Middle East. “Our Arab countries are not ready for revolutions” the patriarch explained in a recent letter to Western leaders.

How Not to Minister to the Hurting
Recently, while talking to Holly and her mother, I began to pick up on some truly bizarre things people said to them after Holly's young-adult brother Seth's tragic automobile accident that left him severely disabled, completely helpless, and almost without the ability to communicate. Holly describes his condition as "a low level of consciousness due to a profound brain injury."

Who Will Cry For Us Now?...David Wilkerson Obituary
Out of Wilkerson’s work on the streets of New York city, came Teen Challenge, the singularly most successful drug rehabilitation program in existence. Totally Christ centered, unabashedly evangelical, Teen Challenge truly works wonders in lives to this day.

Sree Sathya Sai Baba and Me
Our church in Chennai and I have been enjoying the service and love that Sai Baba has instilled in the lives of his disciples to serve others without receiving any returns.

How to Prevent Identity Theft - An Australian Lawyer's Advice
A corporate LAWYER sent the following out to the employees in his company. Worth reading.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Quran
90 verses from 14 chapters of Quran have references about Jesus Christ.

It's dog's life after all..
Whose expectations are you meeting?

Dealing With Disappointments
We can’t control the things that happen to us, a wise man once said, but we can very much control how we respond to them.

For Indians Its 'Me' - No 'We' or Teamwork
One thing I have noticed being in the east is 'we' is always more important than 'me'. Japanese, Koreans, in particular, and Chinese included are willing to work for their country, company, society ahead of individuals.

Learning From Mistakes
This is a story about a famous research scientist who had made several very important medical breakthroughs. A newspaper reporter asked him why he thought he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others?

10 things to learn from Japan... a nation in a Crisis
The behavior of the Japanese people during the national crisis is a great lesson on civic behavior during a time of crisis.

Universal principle: Applied Faith
No one knows how many years it will take for Japan's ordinary people to return to normalcy of before March 2011. And not only survivors but all Japanese have nowhere to flee to.

Letter written by a father to his son
Following is a letter to his son from a renowned Hong Kong TV broadcaster cum Child Psychologist. The words are actually applicable to all of us, young or old, children or parents.! This applies to daughters too.

Sustenance of Life and Spirituality
The first and foremost threat to the sustenance of life on earth is the untoward activities of man himself. The harmful ecological changes happening around us is the by-product of the perverted life style of the modern man.

Rick Warren: Mainline Church Problems Need Evangelical Solution
Warren called for “reconciliation” between mainline and evangelical churches and reminded the audience that Jesus taught his followers to love their God with all their heart, mind and soul, as well as to love their neighbors as themselves.

Defend Doctrine, but Don't Attack Others, Pope Says at Audience
Even in the midst of the upheaval of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, St. Peter Canisius knew how to defend Catholic doctrine without launching personal attacks on those who disagreed, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Did the Catholic Church Have Its Origin in Paganism?
A Protestant pastor tells how he got involved in the issue and how his understanding of the issue has changed.

Do We Really Need Bishops?
I find no evidence in the Bible that the Scriptures mandate a particular form of ecclesiastical polity. This includes congregationalism and presbyterianism as well as episcopacy.

Missionary Doctor Witnesses Depressing Medical Cases
Medical missions has a definite role in reaching out to people with the love of Jesus. When we are treating their bodies, we are also touching their souls by telling them we care.

The Art of Giving
The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others! Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.

Golden Rules Learned in Life from Napoleon Hill
In keeping with the tradition of taking inventory of what lessons have been learned during the past year, I would like to offer my year end thoughts.

What Nineteen Hundred and Twenty-one Has Taught Me
by Napoleon Hill. I approach my work for the coming year with renewed faith in the philosophy of the foregoing seven paragraphs, and, with positive evidence that I will get out of life exactly in proportion to what I put into it.

Yahrzeit - Things I learned in a Year
Close to a year ago I wrote an article entitled "When You Have No Choice" which discussed the passing away of my former wife and the challenges that created for me and for my children. A year's time – Yahrzeit – has now passed since her death and I wanted to share with you some insights I have gained during these last twelve months.

Armageddon Fortress May Hold Keys to History
The word "Armageddon" comes from the Hebrew Har Megiddo, which means mountain of Megiddo, where Revelation says the final battle will take place. To the untrained observer, the modern-day site of Megiddo looks like one more hill in the Carmel mountain range near Haifa.

Who Destroyed Megiddo? Was It David or Shishak?
Most scholars accept David as a historical figure who was an active military ruler in the period portrayed in the Hebrew Bible (the early tenth century B.C.E.). However, there is considerably less agreement on how to interpret the archaeological evidence for this period.

Koorthamala Orthodox/Marthoma Church - A Symbol of Christian Unity
Koorthamala Church stands tall as a symbol of Christian unity and fellowship among different denominations. This Church was started in 1885. MarThoma Church and Orthodox Church shares the same church building, baptismal font, office and cemetery.

The man who dated Creation at Oct. 23, 4004 BC
Odd, isn’t it, that it’s always poor James Ussher (1581-1656), the Irish theologian who famously calculated the precise date of Creation – Oct. 23, 4004 BC – who gets mocked as the looniest of the deluded Christians.

What the Bible says about Alcoholism
We see frequent discussions and news stories on "Alcoholism among Christians". Whether Kerala comes first in the list or not, the topic is highly relevant today.

Christian Family in the Globalized World
Excerpts from the Couple's Conference held on 31 May, 2008 at St George Church, NY.

Hindu Jesus: A Different Kind of Christianity
Thousands of Jews who studied Hinduism and Buddhism have come to see Jesus as a mystical rabbi, a passionate religious reformer and a moral leader whose legacy was sadly corrupted.

HG Dr. Gheevarghese Mar Osthathios: Theology of Speed
The first impression one gets when dealing with Osthathios thirumeni is that he is a fast talker and fast walker. Why?

Interesting and Mind Boggling Information
You're gonna say "I didn't know that!" at least 5 times when you read this!

Serving Others Will Help You by Napoleon Hill
One of the surest ways to achieve your own success in life is by helping others to attain theirs. The truly affluent person is the one who can afford to give of himself, of his time and energy, to the benefit of others.

15 Laws of Life By Swami Vivekananda
What You Need to Keep in Mind

Managing Stress
A lecturer was giving a lecture to his student on stress management. He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, "How heavy do you think this glass of water is?"

The Story of Peng Shuilin
Next time you want to complain about something trivial, DON'T. Remember Peng Shulin instead.

Used vs Loved - A good lesson to learn
Anger and Love have no limits. Choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life. Things are to be used and people are to be loved. The problem in today's world is that people are used while things are loved.

A Very Special Boss
The real story about a special boss.

Leadership and Management Articles

America, Keep Rewarding Your Dissidents
This is the greatness of America and why this country leads the world: Disagreement and debate are cherished. Challenging the norms, thinking outside the box, and questioning those in power is encouraged and celebrated. The louder you speak the more prominence and respect you are given. Society's heroes aren't merely revolutionaries or political figures, but opinionated, non-conformist entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg.

Fulfilling: Start With an Attitude Inventory
It's a wise custom to end an old year and begin a new one with serious self-reflection. What did you learn this year that could improve your life and make you a wiser and better person?

How to Protect Yourself From Failure
If we have a bad habit, putting ourselves into an environment that promotes the bad habit is the first step in making the bad habit worse. Therefore, we need to identify not only the bad habits in our lives that we want to change, but also the environments we must avoid in order to foster this change.

The Ten Commandments of Success by Napoleon Hill
1. Set your head and heart upon a DEFINITE MAJOR PURPOSE and go to work, right where you stand, to attain it; and begin NOW.

Enrich Your World
Most people that I know go off to work in the morning to make a living. That's what I did for many years. Parts of it were quite fun and very rewarding, and a lot of it was not.

7 Powerful Steps to Increase Self-Confidence
As an adult those who have experienced any form of deprivation need to re-establish what is their birth-right: Self-confidence/Self-esteem.

Sashi Tharoor on Kerala
Look around the planet, and you see Keralites everywhere, working extremely hard, from menial jobs in the Gulf to professorships in the States, displaying their entrepreneurial energies and achieving remarkable successes. So what is it that holds them back here, in their home state?

Satyagraha, Your Secret Marketing Weapon
Satyagraha was popularized by Mohandas Gandhi during his fight for Indian independence. It became synonymous with the use of civil disobedience as a political tool. Gandhi believed that truth had great moral power to galvanize resolve against an oppressor, while also garnering support from the rest of the world. And history proved him right.

You can move mountains when you learn to... Recognize the Value of Others
The most intense yearning of every normal person is for recognition of his value and worth as an individual human being. This is the greatest reward you can give anyone - to let him know that you appreciate him for himself alone, rather than for what he can do for you.

The Ladder of Success is Never Crowded at the Top
The man with creative vision knows that he can succeed only by helping others succeed, and he knows also that it is not necessary for another man to fail in order that he may succeed.

Success Requires a Marathon not a Sprint
We live in a society that constantly focuses upon immediate rewards and instant gratification. Nothing worth having ever comes quick and easy. In our world today, everyone is focused on having. They want to have everything now and worry about paying for it later.

How to Get Dreams Off the Launching-Pad
A burning desire to be and to do is the starting point from which the dreamer must take off. Dreams are not born of indifference, laziness, or lack of ambition.

Don't Stop Chasing Your Dream!
In the mid 1970s, a man named Sylvester had a dream of one day becoming a movie actor, but couldn't find a talent agency in New York City willing to take a chance on him.

Fear is the Greatest Single Obstacle to Success
Fear can be a blessing when it raises its flag of caution so we pause and study a situation before making a decision or taking action.

The Power of Belief and Expectation
While you may not always get what you want, you will always get what you expect! The power of belief and expectation work just as effectively on your feelings of self-doubt and limitation as they do on your thoughts of success and achievement.

Servant Leadership: The Parable of Brother Leo
Another model of leadership, where leaders are preoccupied with serving rather than being followed, with giving rather than getting, with doing rather than demanding. Leadership based on example, not command. This is called servant leadership.

A Brain Scientist Explains Leadership
Neurobiology helps tell us why executives screw up--and what they do to avoid it... When people win, testosterone is released. Repeated wins trigger the dopamine system. This increases creativity and energy, but it also heightens risk-taking and novelty-seeking.

6 Managerial Styles You Need to Lead Effectively
Far too many managers are “one-trick-ponies.” Early in their careers they had success with one management style and now use it regardless of the situation. The result: They lack the skills necessary to handle the complexities of managing people.

3 Ways to Manage Clashing Leadership Styles
While managing the tension can be challenging, working with someone who has a different approach than you, can often yield innovation and creativity. Here are three ways to make the most of differing styles:
 

Leadership: Taking Responsibility for Our Choices
It happens to all of us. We realize that things at work or in some aspect of our personal lives are not going the way we want them to go. Deftly we find other people or outside circumstances to blame for our dissatisfaction. Thus, we avoid taking responsibility for personal choices that perpetuate the problems we face.

Top Ten Daily Habits for Developing the Art of Leadership
Many people are born leaders, yet the ability to lead is actually an art and an amazing collection of skills which can be learned and sharpened. The following top ten daily habits will help you grow as a leader personally, professionally, and spiritually.

Some Comments on Leadership
The best way to determine for yourself what good leadership means for you is to wonder what you would answer at age 85 to the following questions: · What would I have liked to become? · What would I have liked to acquire? · What would I have liked to experience? · What would I have liked to be my contribution? (How would I like to be remembered?)

Leading L’s in Life
In order to be a great self-leader and an accepted leader for others, there are some priceless facts of life that you should continuously practice. Listed below are these 10 vital facts and the way they should be perceived.

5 Power Keys For Leadership Success!
Did you know that... you can successfully handle most leadership challenges with just 5 simple strategies? By focusing your attention on these critical areas you can empower your the opportunities hiding within your vision, new venture or project plans.

Simple Steps to Leading Better
Leadership is all about channelizing the skills and abilities of your subordinates towards the designated goal. A leader always encourages the team, keeps it focused on the main objective, nourishes individual talent, and gives due credit where it belongs.

Fifteen Inspiring Qualities of Leadership
If you want to be a 'great' leader of men, here are a few thoughts on the qualities needed. 

General Interest Articles - Continued

Bishop Mor Coorilos - Green Liberation Theologian
For me, it is inconceivable to separate the human and the divine in Christ. That is one of my problems with liberation theology, although I consider myself as a liberation theologian. One of the failures of Christian theology is the overemphasize of the human aspect of Christ at the expense of the divine. In my thinking, it should go together.

The Hands
They did not seem to be the hands of a single person but represented the working hands of countless such mothers throughout the world.

A Valuable Lesson in Life
This is what I am looking for to be in my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life.

Life's Balance Sheet
What is your greatest asset? What is your most beautiful attire? What is your most prized possession? What is your most powerful channel of communication? What is the most important thing in life? You need to know them before you can determine your life's balance sheet. Learn more.

A Mirror to the World
A Story to live by!

PIN DROP SILENCE
Poignant answers that makes the person who ask the question speechless.

Driving in Rain-Good to Know-Will Save Lives
How to achieve good vision while driving during a heavy downpour.

The religiosity of an Indian Syrian Christian when faced with atrocity
Indian Syrian Christians including my church the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox church in India is at a position of advantage and has not suffered the enduring hardship of Syrian Christians in the Middle East starting from Turkey and extending to other places and ending in a systematic and concerted effort at wiping out an entire community.

Thanksgiving Message from Barack Obama, 2010
Everything we have been able to accomplish in the last two years was possible because you have been willing to work for it and organize for it.

Making Every Day Thanksgiving
Like most people, I love the festive atmosphere of Thanksgiving. The spirit of this special day seems to put everyone in a good mood. But, like so many of our national holidays, I doubt that many people reflect on its purpose.

A Message of Giving Thanks and Goodwill
As we prepare to give thanks this holiday season, it’s critical that we don’t lose sight of the many American families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Evangelization and Syrian Orthodox Church
One of the main reasons for the low number of Christians in India is that we have played Brahmanism and compromised on or ignored the commission of Jesus - evangelization. We did that for convenience, for the safety and the prestige of a microscopic minority.

Corruption - Noitpurroc
Corruption is the root cause for underdevelopment, poverty, squalor, unemployment and all maladies of the world. This is not an exception even in the religious and spiritual world. The spiritual world should be the correcting catalyst agent for this time old cancerous malady, but it has become the fountain of corruption, from top to bottom.

God's Own Country
Kerala has now become almost a mint of monetary monsters and pent of political puppets. Deep de-forestation has brought about the draining of the once swollen rivers. The gutter roads are becoming ghastly death traps and drinking water pipe lines are just turned out to be cesspools.

A Touch of Lemon
Mr. Lemon explained that the only person responsible for my situation was me. And the only person with the potential to change my situation was me, and that when I personally accepted that responsibility I could make a significant change in my life.

Minutes of the Fall 2010 Meeting - Standing Conference of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in America
The Autumn 2010 meeting of the Standing Conference of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in America was held at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, New York on Thursday, October 7, 2010. Archbishop Yeghishé Gizirian opened the meeting with a prayer.

The Stranger
How our lives can be influenced dramatically by "strangers."

Church Festivals in Kerala
A panorama of church festivals await the visitor. Here is a sampling of few.