In 1997 and 1998, Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the . This increased popular discontent with the New Order and led to popular protests. Suharto resigned on 21 May 1998. In 1999, East Timor voted to leave the state of Indonesia, after a twenty-five-year military occupation. After Suharto's resignation democracy improved. A regional autonomy program was introduced, and the first direct presidential election took place in 2004. But some political and economic instability has remained. A political settlement to an armed separatist conflict in Aceh was achieved in 2005.
Book of Leviticus
Leviticus (lih-vih-tih-kus) is the third book of both the Bible, and the Torah. In Hebrew it is known as Wayiqra' (וַיִּקְרָא), meaning 'And He will declare.' It was written by the Old Testament Patriarch Moses. Leviticus was written to the Hebrew people of Israel. The book has several main topics, some of which are the Jewish laws of sacrificing to God, and the work of the priests. These priests are sometimes known as Levites (what this book is named after).
It was likely developed over a long period of time, reaching its present form during the Persian empire (Yehud Madinata) between 538-332 BCE. Tradition says this book was written around 1300 B.C. by Moses.
God gives more instructions to Moses. God asks Moses to repeat what He said to Moses' people, the Israelites.
Continuing from Exodus the Israelites are escaping Egypt. They reach the Biblical Mount Sinai. In Exodus, Moses learned from God how to build the holy tabernacle (a tent for praying and worshiping). In Leviticus God teaches Moses and the Levites how to make sacrifices and how to behave in a good way.
The first few chapters show God's laws for offering sacrifices for various reasons, such as for the forgiveness of sins.
Then Moses makes Aaron a priest of God. Details about how the priests are to make sacrifices to God are given. This is sometimes called the "ceremonial law". Two sons of Aaron were destroyed for doing the work of the priest in the wrong way.
Then God teaches the people how to eat right and be clean. Examples of food that are forbidden are pork and shrimp. Meat is also not to be eaten with milk at the same time. Beyond that, eaten meat is to be taken from animals that were slaughtered in a specific way. The meat must not contain blood either, as this is seen as representing life in the face of the animal having died. Regarding staying clean, laws are given about menstruation (the monthly period), sexual relations, skin disease, and how dead bodies are to be disposed of.
The rest of the book describes how priests, the Levites, should be ordained, should dress, carry out rituals, and act (for example on the Day of Atonement, and other important Holy Days).
John C. Mather
Professor John Cromwell Mather (born 7 August 1946 in Roanoke, Virginia) is an American astrophysicist and cosmologist. He was given the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 for his work on COBE satellite with George Smoot. The COBE satellite measures black holes and cosmic radiation.
This work supported the big-bang theory of the universe beginning. It made cosmology much more accurate. The Nobel Prize committee said: "the COBE-project can also be regarded as the starting point for cosmology as a precision science."
Mather is a Senior Astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. He is a professor of physics at the University of Maryland, College Park. In 2007, Mather was listed in "Time" magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World.
After being awarded his Ph.D. Professor Mather went to work at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University. He started the work on COBE there (1974-1976). More than 1,000 researchers, engineers and other workers made the COBE satellite. John Mather was in control of them all and created the technology for measuring the cosmic radiation. George Smoot had the job of measuring small changes in the temperature of the radiation.
Professor Mather and John Boslough wrote all about the COBE teams work in a book called "The Very First Light".
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book of the Christian Bible, and also the sixth book of the Hebrew Tanakh. It is not clear who wrote the book, although most of the Jewish tradition believe it was Joshua, son of Nun. It is the first of the books of the Tanakh (Old Testament) covering the history of Israel from the arrival in the Promised Land to the Babylonian captivity.
It is not known when the Book was written, but it cannot have been written before roughly 1200 BC, as the events described in the book occur then. Some scholars believe it was written much later, perhaps in 550 BC, at the time of the Babylonian exile, when there was a desire to remember and retell their own history.
After the death of Moses, God put Joshua in charge of the people. Joshua sent two spies to spy on the city of Jericho. A woman prostitute called Rahab hid these two men and told the enemies they had already left. She hid them on top of her roof, underneath stalks of flax. The spies later promised that they would keep the oath that Joshua made with them.
Jericho fell when the people of Israel, instructed by God, circled around the wall of Jericho seven times and blew their ram's horns, and on the seventh time, they all shouted with a great shout, causing the wall to fall.
Joshua told the spies to go to Rahab's house and bring out her family and belongings. The spies did as they were told, as they kept the oath. Joshua saved Rahab's life, and she went to live in Israel.
Later, God told Joshua to invade the city of Ai. After they did this, the people of Gibeon tricked Joshua into a treaty.
However, three days later, the people of Israel realized that they really made a treaty with Gibeon's neighbors, the Hivites. The Hivities became cursed, but the people of Gibeon promised that they would do whatever the Israelites say.
After making peace with the Hivites, they went to lay siege to Gibeon. The Gibeonites sent a message to Joshua saying he needs to save the people of Gibeon. So, God killed many of the Amorites by making large hailstones. Then Joshua made the sun stay over Gibeon, and the moon over Ajalon. Joshua later got very old and died.
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so too I will be with you; I will not fail you nor forsake you. (1:5)
Decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshipped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve the LORD. (24:15)
Home education
Home education or homeschooling is a form of education where the parent or guardian is the instructor. The reason for this form of education is usually the guardian is not happy with the nearby schools, or sometimes for religious or moral purposes. Many people also want to protect children from bullying and violence. In recent years, it became popular in many countries.
Before starting homeschooling, it can be a good idea to deschool first. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, any homeschool arrangement must by law satisfy inspectors that the children's education is sound. This is because, under the Education Act of 1944, parents or guardians are legally obliged to send children to school. The possibility of other methods has been added as a possibility, subject to certain checks.
A common situation is for several families to come together to provide the skills needed. This serves two purposes. First, the range of knowledge and skills is wider, and the schooling has a more social angle, which itself is good for the development of children.
In most countries, homeschooling is a legal alternative to going to a school.
Unschooling is a very free type of homeschooling.